A long time Vero Beach Police Officer was forced to file a lawsuit this month after he was retaliated against for blowing the whistle on Chief David Currey and his administration for hostile work environment. There have been multiple whistle blower complaints brought forward this year against the Chief and Deputy Chief Matt Monaco. The allegations from different employees seemingly range from targeting employees to unwarranted internal investigations for punishment. When this specific employee lodged his whistleblower complaint he had never had a negative review in his 35 years at the agency.
Unhappy with the employee’s complaint, Deputy Chief Matt Monaco immediately violated his own department’s General Orders and delivered a negative annual review to the employee with a suspension to follow (without notice to the employee of his alleged substandard performance as required by the Departments General Orders).
When the employee reached out to the City Manager, Monte Falls he plead for help. He stated , I am informing you that I no longer feel safe at my job and the Chief’s comments have caused fellow employees to treat me differently and I am extremely stressed. I am having sleep issues and I’m having a hard time focusing at home. I thought this was over with hime on Friday but I guess not. I have no other choice but to bring this outside the agency because apparently I am not safe on the inside. I am sorry that it has to be this way, but I am starting to have a hard time functioning.
How did the City Manager respond for the officer’s plea for help that he no longer felt safe at his job?
Mr. Falls responded “I’ll give you a call a little later. I’m at the golf course. My only peaceful place right now”
That’s right. A distraught employee who weeks before had filed a whistleblower complaint was told the City Manager was too busy to deal with it because he was on the golf course. He did not reply for 5 days after the employee was forced to follow up with him.
Had the City Manager and the City Council done the right thing and addressed the multiple whistleblower complaints against Chief Currey then the latest employee would not have been forced to file suit. Now, the public will find out the inner disfunction of the VBPD’s leadership, as countless subpoenas are sure to follow.
When the City was sued last month over violation of public records laws they were very quick to settle and promise to produce the information with a deadline of next month. We doubt the city will be able to settle this lawsuit will that quickly as this one seems to be all about the principle and lack of integrity on the part of Chief Currey and Deputy Chief Monaco. There are rumors that the City Council was also well aware of the multiple whistleblower claims (including this one), many of them by female employees and have yet to act.
I have same information of bs that’s overlooked by authorities because if the good old not system. Theft, selling stolen merchandise. . by VBPD as well as IRCSO.. I lose a job … When there are hundreds employers that has situation with bodily harm, property damage and it dud not lose firsttheir job… I got ticketed, didn’t cause no hard to anyone or thing for nothing proved. And fired.