New London — Mayor Michael Passero last month overruled Police Chief Margaret Ackley’s attempt to skip a local event aimed at honoring city police officers and emergency dispatchers.

Police union President Todd Lynch called the chief’s decision not to participate in the Sept. 28 New London Lodge of Elks Annual Law Enforcement Dinner a “slap in the face,” to the entire department and said it speaks to a larger rift at the department.

“It’s disappointing and, even more than that, troubling,” Lynch said. “When is enough enough? How much more can the men and women of the department put up with? This one pokes close to home when you don’t even want to honor your own people.”

Ackley made clear her reasons for wanting to disassociate from the New London Lodge of Elks in an Aug. 25 letter to the Elks. She claims that at a past event, likely two years ago, the Elks ran out of food and insulted police officers and their families by accusing them of not paying for their dinners.

“The behavior displayed by your members was not only unprofessional and unacceptable, it caused extreme embarrassment to those being accused,” Ackley said in her letter. “For this reason the New London Police Department will no longer be part of this event.”

The Day obtained Ackley’s letter as well as the email correspondences between Ackley and city officials through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The documents show Passero stepped in and directed Ackley to rethink her decision after finding out about her letter to the Elks and fielding complaints from department members.

In a Sept. 23 email to Passero and Chief Administrative Officer Steven Fields, Ackley decided to forward her picks for officer and dispatcher of the year.

“I just want to make sure that it will not be construed in a negative light if I name two local New London folks as Officer and Dispatcher, Police Officer Todd Lynch and Dispatcher Kerry Hibbs. This may help build a better relationship between all of us,” she wrote.

The next day, Sept. 15, she rescinded her choices and decided instead to name the entire department, according to her email.

She is directed by Fields to take no further action.

Lynch said Ackley’s choice of himself and his sister, Hibbs, was “transparent” and done in a “tongue and cheek” manner since he is well known for his outspoken criticism of the chief. Hibbs also was honored at last year's event.

The choice appears to have been taken away from Ackley at that point. Fields wrote in an email to Ackley that Passero would make the choice.

"Due to your inability to 'feel positive about attending or asking anyone to accept an award from the New London Elks,' you are formally relieved of that responsibility," Fields wrote.

With some input from department members, Sgt. Kevin McBride and emergency dispatcher Tiffany Shultz were selected as recipients of the officer and dispatcher of the year awards.

McBride was selected for his “outstanding performance and professional actions” regarding an investigation into the hit-and-run death of a Connecticut College student on Route 32. Shultz was recognized for her high level of performance.

Lynch said Ackley never showed up to the event and officers were banned from selling tickets at the department.

Fields told Ackley in an email that, in the future, it is the mayor’s policy that when any New London organization in “good standing” wants to recognize city personnel in any formal way, the city is to participate. Fields also wrote to the Elks on Sept. 15 notifying them that Passero had reversed Ackley’s decision.

“The bottom line is we could not verify (Ackley’s) allegations and it was unfair to the Elks and to our department,” Passero said.

Reached by phone on Tuesday, Elks Secretary Henry Nichols called Ackley’s claims false. He said the Elks have volunteered their time for more than 20 years to honor “heroes” of law enforcement and the fire service.

“Asking honorees to pay for their dinner? That’s not true,” Nichols said.

As far as food, Nichols said the organization goes to great lengths to prepare enough food for the estimated number of guests and there are times when things have been tight because more people than expected have shown up.

He said this year’s event, which honored members of seven or eight different agencies, ran smoothly despite the death of longtime event organizer Herb Eldridge.

Nichols said Fields and Lynch, who served as the master of ceremonies, both jumped in and played roles that in the past had been handled by Eldridge.

Ackley, who has a pending breach of contract lawsuit against the city, could not be reached to comment.

g.smith@theday.com