PHOENIX (AP) - The Mesa police union has cast a no-confidence vote against Chief Ramon Batista for what the union's president said was the chief's condemnation of officers investigated on excessive-force allegations and unwillingness to listen to officers.
The vote isn't binding, but union president Nate Gafvert said his group will launch a public relations campaign to get local residents to pressure City Council members to remove Batista.
The no-confidence vote was made in May, but the tally wasn't released until Wednesday.
Batista released a statement saying his command staff is committed to supporting its officers, but the chief didn't directly mention the no-confidence vote in his written comments.
The City Council said in a statement that it's committed to improving relations within the police department, but failed to mention the no-confidence vote.
