Old Saybrook ― Police Chief Michael Spera, after more than two years and an order from a state Superior Court judge, has released a scathing exit interview penned by former officer Justin Hanna.

Spera responded on Monday to The Day’s Freedom of Information request with the nine-page, handwritten exit interview conducted in late March 2021, plus a five-page, typed memorandum from the captain who conducted the interview dated 10 days later.

Hanna’s exit interview characterized Spera as a manipulative, authoritarian leader with an unbending approach to policing who is prone to monitoring his officers through remote surveillance – including inside the locker room.

“He frequently lies to employees and spreads poisonous lies that other employees are speaking ill of them,” Hanna wrote.

Capt. Jeffrey M. DePerry in turn characterized Hanna ― who served previously as the union president ― as immature, irrational, disorganized, paranoid and led by others to a “negative mindset.”

Hanna’s departure came at a time when Old Saybrook officials were trying to figure out why officers were departing the department at an unusual rate, which was calculated by Spera back then at 32 officers over 11 years.

“I hope one day his leadership is called into question and people ask how all of these very successful officers who have thrived at other departments left this beautiful town,” he wrote in the exit interview at the time.

Hanna is among five officers hired by the East Lyme Police Department since the agency became independent in 2017, according to Chief Mike Finkelstein.

Hanna’s exit interview described a roughly three-year stint on the force marked by a “toxic culture” fueled by Spera.

He wrote he was going to work for a department with “a better culture, attitude, and less stressful work environment” in response to why he was leaving.

Spera spent two years and an unknown amount of taxpayer dollars fighting the release of the interview after Hanna requested a copy to ensure it existed in its entirety and that it was made available to town officials.

The Day has requested an accounting of how much the town has spent unsuccessfully fighting the release of the interview.

On Monday, Hanna said he’s now ready to move past his exit interview.

“I hope the information is valuable to the police commission and the Board of Selectmen so they can review it if they haven’t already,” he said.

Police Commission Chairman Alfred “Chub” Wilcox, who said last week that the commission viewed the exit interview at the time it was written but did not take action, declined on Monday to comment on the specifics of the document. But he said the commission is working to improve its oversight of the chief and its outreach to the community.

He said there has historically been no formal review process for the chief. But a subcommittee of the commission recently drafted a formal policy that is now “in the hands of the chief, and we’re waiting for his comments.”

He said the chief’s comments are advisory and will not dictate how the committee proceeds.

“We try to listen to everybody involved,” Wilcox said.

First Selectman Carl Fortuna Jr. did not respond to calls for comment.

No discretion

In his exit interview and DePerry’s recap, Hanna indicated the top-down culture emanating from Spera’s office leaves members of the force with no discretion to carry out their jobs on the streets.

“Chief Spera turned a gray job with decision making involved into a job that was black and white,” he wrote. “This system hurts innocent people.”

DePerry recounted examples cited by Hanna that included pressuring officers to arrest people for minor offenses – which involves taking them into custody and processing them – rather than issuing a summons at the scene for them to appear in court at a later date. Hanna also cited a focus on assigning bonds that require payment up front instead of releasing low-level offenders on a promise to appear in court.

But DePerry told Hanna increased discretion allows for possible discrimination. He said policies are in place to safeguard against discrimination.

Hanna also alleged Spera kept close tabs on officers through electronic monitoring devices, detailing an instance when the chief referenced phone conversations Hanna had while alone in his cruiser.

“Our cruisers’ ‘live feed’ cameras were sold as a safety enhancement but are monitored by the chief,” he said.

Hanna’s exit interview also accuses the chief of retaliating against his officers with internal affairs investigations when they complain and efforts to use private union negotiations as a way to keep Spera’s “documented wrongdoings” out of the public eye in exchange for concessions to the union.

DePerry’s memo alleged Hanna exhibited a “negative mindset” that the captain blamed largely to his association with two officers who were vocal critics of Spera and left for East Lyme.

“As personally stated to Justin, I believe that police officers with a negative perception of their agency are counterproductive, unsafe, and are a liability,” DePerry wrote. “The Old Saybrook Department of Police Services is a stronger organization without short-sighted employees such as Justin Hanna.”

Finkelstein, the East Lyme police chief, on Monday defended all the officers who came to his department from Old Saybrook.

“I can only speak for those employees as East Lyme police officers, and all of them have been exemplary,” he said.

“Staffing crisis”

Spera at last month’s Police Commission sounded the alarm bell on what he called a “staffing crisis.” The department, which is budgeted for 25 officers, has 17 to respond to calls.

Three of those were “seeking employment elsewhere” and had refused the chief’s calls for them to stay, he told members of the Police Commission.

He said he would like to boost pay by $10,000, offer a $20,000 hiring bonus, and offer a $1,500 finders fee when current officers refer successful candidates. He also suggested improving retirement benefits offered to new hires.

The police commission last month made a recommendation for Fortuna to proceed with implementing the recommendations.

Acknowledging that some people might have left because they don’t like him, Spera said there are others who’ve left because they don’t meet his exacting standards and his commitment to giving taxpayers their money’s worth.

Ronald Suraci, executive director The United Public Service Employees Union, said Monday that the union notified the Board of Selectmen and Police Commission over a year ago that the problem is retaining officers, not hiring them ― “and it has to do with the conduct and low morale caused by the chief of police.”

When asked if treating staffing levels like a compensation problem could be overlooking problems with the work environment, Police Commission Chairman Wilcox said that’s a determination for Fortuna to make.

“One would imagine that our first selectman, who controls the purse, would be attentive to that issue,” he said.

e.regan@theday.com