SANTA MARIA - A rift that has emerged among rank and file officers in the Santa Maria Police Department and how they view department leadership is being put to a vote.
A vote of confidence in the leadership of the department among members of the Police Officers Association comes more than two weeks after the deadly police shooting that killed Officer Albert Covarrubias Jr.
A source tells Central Coast News members of the Police Officers Association are conducting a two-week long, anonymous vote by mail ballot involving a vote of confidence in Police Chief Dan Macagni and his top two commanders, Craig Ritz and Kendall Green.
The same source says the confidence vote came after a meeting of the POA last Monday night that was called at the urging of union members.
POA members showed up at last week's City Council meeting where a board member urged the council to remove Macagni as Chief claiming a lack of supervision and leadership in the department.
Other officers defended Chief Macagni and his administration.
They said some in the department are using the Covarrubias shooting to pursue personal agendas or exact political revenge against Macagni.
Phone calls to POA Board members seeking comment on the member confidence vote were not returned nor was a call to Chief Macagni seeking his comment.
Its unclear what the POA plans to do with the outcome of the vote but its likely it will be made known at some point to the City Council and the City Manager who has sole authority over the hiring and firing of department heads in the city including the Chief of Police.
