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Resident urges removal of Palm Bay police chief, alleges systemic issues in command staff during public comment
Summary
At public comment, a long statement by Lance Fisher accused Palm Bay’s police command staff of creating a harmful workplace culture and urged the chief to step down; the council did not act on the public comment during the meeting.
During the public-comments portion of the meeting, resident Lance Fisher delivered an extended statement alleging a pattern of misconduct and harmful personnel practices within the Palm Bay Police Department’s command staff and urged the council to replace Police Chief Mario Augello.
Fisher, who identified himself as a retired deputy chief from the Palm Bay Police Department, listed multiple incidents he attributed to the current leadership, including claims that employees were punished for mental-health struggles, that discipline or transfers were handled improperly, and that civil-rights litigation and employment complaints have followed. Fisher said the culture created by the chief and command staff had “jeopardized the reputation of the many excellent men and women that protect our community,” and called for the chief’s departure.
Council did not take action during the meeting; public comment is a forum for residents to address the council but does not itself create a formal agenda item or immediate administrative action. City officials who heard the comment have not presented a response to the allegations in this meeting’s public record. The council and staff later thanked police personnel for their service in other agenda items.
