LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – More than a month after Henderson’s Police Chief was stripped of her badge, FOX5 sits down with the Henderson Police Officer’s Union.
Officer Michael Goodwin is the Vice President of the union. He sat down exclusively with FOX5 to walk us through what went wrong with Chief Hollie Chadwick’s leadership.
“We were big supporters of her, absolutely. But it seems like towards the last 6-8 months, there was no collaborative effort to work with the unions on issues, which we felt were mandatory bargaining issues. It felt like a blocked wall,” Goodwin said.
Victoria Saha: So you are kind of indicating that her managerial style was either her way or the highway, am I wrong?
Goodwin: I wouldn’t say you are wrong, however, that is what it appeared so towards the end.
Back in February, sources told FOX5 Chief Chadwick was called into the city manager’s office with two choices: resign or be fired.
On March 6, Chadwick was officially let go, according to Henderson City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause.
Chadwick is the fourth police chief to be ousted in the last seven years.
“It’s like watching a show and never seeing the ending,” Goodwin said.
Saha: What would you say to the residents of Henderson who see so much instability coming from the top? How do you change their mindset and help them believe the department is capable of protecting and serving?
Goodwin: I would stress to the citizens: Yes, there are a lot of issues going on with the leadership. However, don’t ever feel like you aren’t going to get the best police service.
Saha: If there is blame to be placed, where do you think that blame should go? Are the unions trying to make things a little harder by being nit-picky? Or is it truly change that needs to come from the top?
Goodwin: I’m not blaming anybody, but I think there could be a lot of room for improvement. I think, first off, we are a growing city. And we are growing quickly, so we can’t act like a small-town police department.
Back in December, a complaint was filed against Chadwick, which accused her of ‘union busting’ activities.
The complaint was filed by Andrew Regenbaum with the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers.
“I think [there was] some point when the Chief decided she didn’t want input from the unions anymore,” Regenbaum said.
However, Regenbaum said the firing did not only involve his complaint.
“I think it was inevitable that she would end up where she ended up,” Regenbaum said.
As for Goodwin, he tells FOX5 he is optimistic about their next chief, whomever that may be.
‘The next chief has to be a different kind of chief, in my opinion. One that’s from a younger generation. That communicates and connects with the officers here,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin also emphasized he hopes the new chief will be in it for the long run and invest in the department. The city manager said she is looking for an internal candidate to take over the chief’s job.
FOX5 asked to sit down with Chadwick but she declined the interview.
We also reached out to Chadwick’s legal team but have yet to hear back.
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