A dispute between the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge and the Whitehall Police Department is escalating again.
The department now says it has restricted the FOP president's email privileges within the department. Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen said in an email to WOSU that FOP President Brian Steel sent emails to non-union members intended to harass, intimidate or abuse the recipients.
Crispen said Steel can still contact union members and is only restricted from talking to non-union members.
"It is the city’s position that Mr. Steel’s continued attacks on the accomplishments of Whitehall supervisors—particularly those who are not union members—are not protected activities. What sets Whitehall apart from Mr. Steel is that we address challenges directly—we don’t seek headlines whenever we face adversity," Crispen said.
FOP President Brian Steel said in a statement the union is filing for arbitration because his email privileges were blocked. He claimed communication with union members was blocked, contrary to what Crispen said.
Steel called Crispen a "failed chief." He said blocking communication undermines transparency, labor relations, and trust between officers, city leaders and the public they serve.
"If the city administration is willing to silence the local police union, imagine what they are doing to Whitehall citizens whose speech they don't like," Steel said. "This is America. The government cannot censure its people."
Crispen said Steel’s latest efforts are rooted in a longstanding animus toward Whitehall leadership.
"Mr. Steel is advancing a different narrative in an attempt to obscure what is, in reality, a complete vindication of the city of Whitehall following more than a year of unfounded accusations, wasteful expenditure of union resources, and negative media reporting driven by Steel," Crispen said. "I have great sympathy for police union members across Franklin County, and especially for my own employees, who have been subjected to wasteful spending, abusive conduct, and a lack of proper representation."
The FOP has been fighting with the department since Whitehall first fired a union grievance officer in 2024. The two settled that dispute in February, letting Officer Enrique Ortega retire from Whitehall before going to work at the Mifflin Township Police Department.
