Chief, FOP disagree over retire-rehire plan

Dayton’s plan to rehire Deputy Chief of Police Robert Chabali in that same role after his February retirement is drawing criticism from the police union, but Chief Richard Biehl said Wednesday that it’s the best move for the city.

Biehl said the Dayton Police Department has seen massive turnover in leadership positions, making it important to keep Chabali, a 34-year DPD veteran, on board.

There have been nine changes on Biehl’s six-man senior command staff in the past two years, largely due to retirements, the chief said. And of the nine lieutenants just below them, eight have been promoted to that job in the past 26 months, with the ninth retiring this year.

“That is far, far too much transition at the top,” Biehl said. “It is very difficult to sustain focus and momentum, and to have consistency of leadership. It’s like, ‘Who’s my boss today,’ because of the constant changing of the seats.”

City Manager Tim Riordan removed the Chabali rehiring ordinance from the agenda at the beginning of Wednesday’s City Commission meeting. He said the city needs to research some legal questions, but added that he expected the measure to be back on the Commission agenda for a first reading next week.

New Dayton Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Galbraith criticized the retire-rehire plan Wednesday and asked commissioners to vote it down.

“Within our department, several individuals have been trained, many individuals have been promoted, and they are knowledgeable enough to handle their positions, as well as the deputy chief’s position,” Galbraith said.

Biehl disputed that, saying only one other member of the command staff met the job requirements for Deputy Chief, and that individual was promoted to major just six months ago.

“There are no current members of the senior command staff that are both eligible and ready to advance to the position of assistant police chief,” Biehl said. “Retaining Lt. Col. Chabali as the assistant police chief for two years will allow sufficient development of the current senior command staff members to prepare one of them to advance to this critical position.”

Regular Dayton police officers are “classified” employees and are not eligible to be rehired directly into their current jobs upon retirement. The Deputy Chief position is an unclassified position, and under a 2006 Dayton law, Chabali can be rehired for two years after he retires. Recently retired FOP President Randy Beane said that inequality is unfair.

Chabali has been accruing pension benefits while working in recent years — under the Deferred Retirement Option Plan used by thousands of Ohio police — and he’ll receive his DROP payout when he retires. If he’s rehired, he’ll maintain his current salary of $100,464, and begin collecting normal retirement benefits, according to Biehl.

“At a time when the public perception on public sector pension systems is very low, this certainly sends the wrong message,” Galbraith said.

Biehl, who said rehiring Chabali is his own “strong, unwavering recommendation,” pointed out that the state legislature worked extensively on pension reform legislation last year and did not see fit to prohibit DROP or retire-rehire.

Chabali said he was surprised and “very proud” that Biehl would ask him to return.

“The chief felt I was able to meet the need in trying to identify the future replacement for my position,” Chabali said. “We have nothing but the best cadre of majors and lieutenants ever, and I’m proud to serve with them and help the citizens of Dayton.”

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