FPD Clarifies Chief Issue

Alabama Fairhope Did Mike Comalander resign or ask to be reappointed? READ FULL TEXT OF FPD MEDIA RELEASE

by Fairhope Police Department Statement

Published: Wed, January 14, 2009 - 1:39 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, January 14, 2009 - 1:51 pm CST

FAIRHOPE POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
DATE: January 14, 2008

SUBJECT: Fairhope Police Department Chief of Police

"The Fairhope Police Department would like to clarify certain erroneous rumors which have been circulating the media. Chief of Police Michael Comalander has not resigned. In December of 2006, when then Chief of Police Chris Browning’s position was vacated, Mike Comalander was serving as a Captain with the Fairhope Police Department. When Chris Browning left, he recommended that Captain Comalander be appointed as Chief of Police to complete his, Browning’s, four year term, meaning the term was to expire in 2008. When Captain Comalander accepted the appointment it was with the assurances from Mayor Kant that if the City Council chose not to re-appoint Comalander as the Chief of Police in 2008, he would return to his original position as Captain. During their scheduled sessions in 2008, the City Council did not re-appoint Chief Comalander. On January 8, 2009, Comalander informed Mayor Kant that in light of that situation, he would return to the rank of Captain. In a statement made by Chief Comalander, he said, “I need to think of my career. If they don’t re-appoint me, I will be completely out of a job unless I step back down to Captain. I didn’t quit my job, I was just doing what the Mayor expected, filling in as Chief and then stepping back down to Captain when the time came” Current Captain Steve Griffis agreed, stating, “He would rather go back to being a Captain than lose his job completely if he remained in the appointed position.” As to the rumors which have been circulating about prescription drug addiction, Chief Comalander stated, “It’s no secret that I have back problems from years of construction work before I became a police officer. I am under a doctor’s care for that. I haven’t taken any medication that wasn’t prescribed and I have passed all of the City’s drug screening tests. The Council and the Mayor have never once accused me of failing to do my job. I have never been disciplined or counseled because of poor job performance. They have never once told me that I wasn’t meeting expectations.”

Despite recent rumors indicating that he has resigned, Chief Comalander is still employed with the Fairhope Police Department. We are currently waiting the City Council’s decision as to what role he will play in the future."

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