As members of the Bridgeport police union continue to call for Police Chief Roderick Porter’s removal, residents, faith leaders, elected officials and retired officers gathered Saturday to make their own position clear: They support him.

The rally outside Bridgeport’s Government Center brought together longtime residents and community leaders who said Porter’s accessibility and presence in the community have earned their trust. Their support comes as some union members have raised concerns about Porter’s leadership and working conditions within the department.

Longtime Bridgeport resident and community activist John Marshall Lee said Porter’s willingness to communicate with residents is a major reason he supports him. Lee said Porter regularly makes himself available to the public, takes questions and connects residents with other officers when needed.

“People are happy because they look for that from governments that care,” Lee said.

Carmen Serrano, who has lived in Bridgeport since 1985, said Porter has brought people together in ways she has not seen from other leaders. “He has changed our community,” Serrano said. “He has brought a lot of people together that other people have not done.”

The public show of support contrasts with concerns raised by members of the police union, who have accused Porter of unfair labor practices and raised broader concerns about his leadership and the department’s working environment.

Union representatives have called for an investigation and questioned whether Porter should remain in charge. Mayor Joe Ganim has agreed to engage an outside investigator, while declining to remove Porter.

For retired Bridgeport police Sgt. Dawud Moss, the rally was also an opportunity to push back against the perception that all of the Bridgeport Guardians, a group of minority officers within the department, oppose Porter. Last month, Officer Carlos Pabon, president of the Guardians, expressed support for the union’s complaints against Porter.

Moss said he supports Porter because he knows the chief personally and respects his integrity, intellect and commitment to police service.

“There’s a perception out there that the Bridgeport Guardians are opposed to Porter’s leadership,” Moss said. “Nothing can be further from the truth.”

Moss said the Guardians have spent decades pushing for reforms within the department and described Porter as a continuation of that work.

Retired officer Ted Meekins was one of the early members of the Guardians and a leader in the group’s success in diversifying the workforce after a judge found widespread discrimination and imposed a special master to oversee the department in the 1970s.

He connected Porter’s leadership to the group’s history of pushing for greater opportunities for Black officers. Meekins said Porter, who was hired as a Bridgeport officer in 1993, is a product of those efforts and has continued the organization’s mission of community engagement.

Meekins’ wife, retired Sgt. JoAnne Meekins, who worked with Porter when he was a captain, said she supports him because she believes he is fair and cares about officers and residents.

“He’s just a good person,” she said.

“He cares about that department and those officers, and he cares about this city of Bridgeport,” she said.

Michael Salemme, president of AFSCME Local 1159, disputed the level of community support for Porter, noting roughly 50 to 60 attended the weekend rally. He said the turnout was small compared with Bridgeport’s population of more than 150,000 residents.

Salemme also pointed to more than 20 complaints filed by Bridgeport officers with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and several federal lawsuits as evidence of what he described as “major problems caused by Chief Porter.”

He said residents should want police officers to work in good conditions because it ultimately affects the quality of service and the costs taxpayers will bear.

Sen. Herron Gaston, D-Bridgeport, said at the Saturday rally that strong leaders can face resistance when they try to change an existing culture. He said Porter is responsive to residents and that the community should continue standing behind him.

Gaston also connected the dispute to race and Bridgeport’s history of racial inequality, saying those issues continue to affect institutions today.

City Councilmember Mary McBride-Lee, who helped organize the rally, said Porter’s presence in the community is one reason she supports him. She recalled an incident when she was attacked and said Porter responded himself rather than sending another officer.

McBride-Lee also praised what she described as the diversity of the department under Porter’s leadership.

Margaret Judge, president of the Stratfield Historic District Association, said she supports Porter because of his connection to residents.

“He’s a good man and good person and a man of the community,” Judge said. “He’s always there for us, and we want to be here for him.”

Porter said he was “obviously very appreciative” of the community support and said the rally reflected relationships he has built with residents throughout his career and during his time as chief.

The community supporters at Saturday’s rally said concerns raised by the union do not reflect their experiences with Porter.

For Lee, the divide between the union’s criticism and the community’s support has created confusion, but he said residents should continue to have opportunities to engage directly with their leaders.

Serrano said her reason for supporting Porter is simple.

“He cares about his community,” she said. “He cares about his people.”

Moss said the rally was about more than one chief. He said it was also about recognizing the history of reform within Bridgeport’s police department.

“We know that,” Moss said of Porter’s connection to those reforms. “And that’s why we’re here.”