New London — Kris Wraight, whose controversial letter to the editor led the local police union to call for her ouster from the Police Community Relations Committee, took over Tuesday as that committee’s chairwoman.

It was a major shakeup for a group that appears to be struggling with its identity of late and has been bogged down with internal bickering and a string of canceled meetings. The committee is tasked with evaluating the adequacy of investigations into complaints against New London police officers, but has no real power to change the outcomes of those investigations.

Wraight was voted in Tuesday and replaces former longtime chairman Wayne Vendetto, one of the original members of the committee when it formed in 1978. His views about the committee are in sharp contrast with Wraight’s.

Vendetto said he recalled the days when the examination of police complaints was done in executive session to protect the officers involved from undue publicity. He also lobbied against the recent release of the names of officers named in the complaints.

Wraight, one of the most outspoken in the group, said Tuesday that she appreciated the vote of confidence and is looking forward to moving the committee forward.

“This committee was created to a give voice to the community and to hold police accountable,” Wraight said. “That’s why it exists. I got on this committee because I wanted the community to have a voice.”

Wraight said while police and committee members may at times appear to be on opposite sides, constructive criticism of the investigations could lead to “better policing, which in turn will lead to better community relations.”

Wraight was the only member to accept a nomination as chairperson. Committee members Vendetto, Carl Lee and Police Union President Todd Lynch voted against Wraight. The complete vote tally was unclear and there was no secretary taking meeting minutes, though Wraight had agreed to take notes.

Lee, who is involved in several groups that work with police on a variety of community events, said he plans to leave the committee after his term is up in June.

“We as a group should be working with police and not against them ... to better the city,” Lee said.

Lynch early at Tuesday’s meeting had expressed his disgust at Wraight’s continued presence on the committee. He walked out of the meeting after the vote and vowed no union support of committee-sponsored functions while Wraight was in a leadership position.

“Not only is this committee totally dysfunctional but now it has elected someone who has shown hatred and bias towards police, which is a slap in the face to every New London police officer,” Lynch said Wednesday. “We don’t want to deal with her.”

Wraight had written a letter to the editor last year in response to a story about a police department request to fund the purchase of riot gear.

“I have a better idea,” Wraight wrote in her letter. “Instead of buying riot gear to prepare for your ‘worst-case scenario,’ use the leadership you've been given to train your officers to not kill black people. Instead of gearing up to protect your officers from protesters, don't give the community anything to protest about. Your real worst-case scenario should be worrying about the potential loss of any more black lives (R.I.P. Lashano Gilbert). Your officer's best protection is prevention.”

The letter inflamed the police union members, who penned a letter to the City Council asking that she be removed from the committee. The council did not act on the request. Council liaison and Public Safety Chairperson Erica Richardson had spoken on Wraight’s behalf and said the committee was composed of members with a host of differing opinions.

Committee member Trace Reiser agreed and said, “a community is richer and better when there are diverse opinions.”

But Lynch said Wednesday that if a committee member “had shown the same type of bias towards a person of color” that Wraight had shown toward police, they would have been removed from the committee.

“I guess it’s all right to have a bias against police,” he said.

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay