MAHONING SHERIFF Captain files grievance over duties

The captain says he received a stripped-out cruiser to use.
By PATRICIA MEADE
and DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
YOUNGSTOWN -- Capt. James M. Lewandowski's union grievance says his assignment to guard the Berlin and Lake Milton dams on the graveyard shift is retaliation because he doesn't support Mahoning County Sheriff Randall A. Wellington's re-election bid.
Lewandowski, who is expected to challenge Wellington for sheriff in the March 2004 Democratic primary, was demoted a year ago from major to captain. At the time, Wellington said Lewandowski's demotion was not based on discipline, but rather should be viewed as a cost-cutting measure.
Lewandowski has been with the sheriff's department since January 1985. He served as interim sheriff after Phil Chance, convicted of racketeering, resigned in July 1999.
In a grievance filed last week with the Fraternal Order of Police/Ohio Labor Council and obtained Thursday by The Vindicator, Lewandowski said Maj. Michael Budd told him that the sheriff's department had received a $22,000 federal grant that created a Northwest Patrol District where the dams are located.
Lewandowski said in his grievance that he was told he'd "head up" the new district and that he has been there since July 6. The sheriff's department has three other districts -- Youngstown's East Side, Canfield and Green townships, and Berlin and Ellsworth townships.
When contacted Thursday, Lewandowski declined to comment.
Lewandowski said in the grievance that he asked to see a copy of the county's agreement with the federal government and logs of previous dam checks. He said that Budd told him they were confidential law enforcement documents and that Wellington agreed.
Lewandowski has written to Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains, asking that the records be released to avoid a lawsuit.
Sheriff's response
Wellington said it is inappropriate for the newspaper to have obtained a copy of Lewandowski's complaint because it isn't an official grievance until after the sheriff's department responds to the allegations. The department has until next Friday to respond.
"We will investigate his allegation," Wellington said. "We're going to go over each fact issue by issue."
He declined to discuss the specifics of the grievance and wouldn't respond to questions about Lewandowski's contention that his new assignment is political retaliation.
Lewandowski's grievance contends that his new assignment conflicts with at least eight departmental directives, including organizational structure, classification and equipment. He wants to return to his dayturn shift, with weekends off.
He wants a stop put to the "acts of disparate and retaliatory treatment."
Homeland security
The purpose of the new dam patrols is to address a homeland security deficiency, Lewandowski said Budd told him. The hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. with different nights off each week.
The duties include checking the dams at Berlin and Milton, the causeways, the Interstate 76 bridges over Lake Milton and Meander Reservoir and the state Route 18 Mahoning Avenue bridge over Meander.
The cruiser Lewandowski uses is left at the Ellsworth Township garage; it is not a take-home car. He said the car was stripped out before it was made available for his use and lacks safety equipment.
Lewandowski said in his grievance that he has been ordered not to provide assistance or backup to other officers, which is contrary to his sworn duty.
meade@vindy.comskolnick@vindy.com