Despite his recent public statements in support of Police Chief Roderick Porter, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim had also agreed to hire a legal firm to conduct an independent investigation into internal allegations of misconduct against the city’s top cop.

But members of the city’s police union gathered Tuesday to reiterate their calls for the probe and to call on Ganim to place him on administrative leave while the review is undertaken. Members of the department have accused Porter of retaliation, discrimination, abuse of authority and other misconduct.

At a press conference Tuesday, members of AFSCME Local 1159 and AFSCME Council 4 said Bridgeport police officers have filed roughly 20 complaints with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and about six federal lawsuits. The complaints against Porter include allegations of retaliation, discrimination, interference with investigations, violations of due process and collective bargaining agreements, whistleblower retaliation and improper interference with promotions and assignments.

“When there’s a massive amount of complaints, it’s not just an isolated incident,” said Michael Salemme III, president of AFSCME Local 1159.

Porter denied the accusations and said the complaints are largely coming from officers who are unhappy with changes he has made since he became chief in 2022. He said he has worked to make promotions and assignments more equitable and increase accountability within the department.

Porter also denied threatening officers, one of the allegations raised against him.

“I’ve never threatened anybody,” he said.

In a statement, City Attorney Tyisha Toms noted the city’s previous decision to hire the firm Jackson Lewis to investigate the officers’ complaints, but declined to answer questions about when the probe would start or how long it would take.

“As an employer, the City has an obligation to take workplace complaints seriously and to make reasonable efforts to understand and address concerns that may affect its employees, the effective operation of the Department, and ultimately the public it serves,” Toms said. “Given the number and continuing nature of the concerns being raised, the City has determined that it is appropriate and necessary to resume an independent review of the workplace environment within the Bridgeport Police Department. Because this process involves personnel matters and pending litigation, the City will not comment publicly on the review while it is ongoing.”

The Bridgeport Police Union held a vote of no confidence against Porter last year, resulting in roughly 180 of the union’s 315 members casting ballot. Of that number, only 27 officers voted in support of the chief.

Salemme and other union leaders said the number and nature of the complaints against Porter should warrant an investigation outside of the Police Department. They also questioned why officers facing allegations are typically placed on administrative leave during investigations while Porter remains in his position.

The Bridgeport Guardians, an organization representing minority law enforcement officers, also expressed support for the union’s call for an investigation. The group referenced the department’s history of federal oversight stemming from past discrimination lawsuits and said it did not want to see that history repeat itself.

On Tuesday, the union also called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to intervene. Leaders said they believe the existing grievance process is too slow to adequately address the allegations, with some complaints taking years to reach a resolution.

Porter, meanwhile, pointed to what he described as improvements to the department under his leadership, including more than 100 new officers, promotions, new technology and vehicles, assignments to federal task forces and historically low crime. He also said community engagement with the department is at an all-time high.

Porter said he believes some officers had become accustomed to receiving special assignments, promotions and other opportunities without the level of oversight he has implemented. He said complaints increased after he began enforcing what he described as a more consistent approach to discipline and accountability.