A tumultuous year for the Indianapolis police department has apparently sapped the spirit of its officers, who say they feel discouraged and underappreciated by top leaders, reports the Indianapolis Star. A new survey from the Fraternal Order of Police finds fewer than 17 percent of 1,080 officers who responded saying their morale is high, and even fewer said they have the support of the chief and his commanders.
Only 5.7 percent of the officers said they have the support of Police Chief Paul Ciesielski, and just 3.4 percent said they have the support of Public Safety Director Frank Straub. In contrast, 85.1 percent of the officers said they have the support of their immediate supervisors in their day-to-day job duties. The results appear to lend credibility to claims by union officials that discontent with Straub and Ciesielski is eroding morale. The public safety director and police chief say they are leading a painful but necessary process of rooting out bad officers. The FOP claims leaders are introducing reforms without consulting them and says they have taken unduly harsh disciplinary actions against some officers accused of misconduct.