Milpitas council and chief urge dialogue after police‑union letter criticizing council members

An emailed and publicly posted letter from the Milpitas Police Officers Association that criticized several council members’ conduct during recent budget deliberations drew strong rebukes from council members at the June 9 meeting and prompted calls for direct discussion.

Vice Mayor Barbado read large excerpts of the letter into the record and described its tone as “degrading” and “reckless.” The letter accused certain council members of “misguided questions,” “made‑up facts,” and “a failure to understand budgeting and forecasting,” and urged corrective action. Vice Mayor Barbado proposed a formal resolution condemning the association’s president and seeking the president’s resignation; no council member seconded the motion.

Council members said they were surprised and disappointed by the letter. Council Member Chua said she preferred to resolve disagreements through conversation and called on union leadership to meet with council. Council Member Lamb called the message “political” and urged a meeting to restore communications.

Milpitas’ police chief, speaking during the discussion, stressed that the department and the union are separate entities and offered to help mediate. “The police department is not the union,” the chief said, and added that while union members are entitled to their viewpoints, clearer communication between leadership and council is needed to avoid misinterpretation.

No formal disciplinary or censure action was taken by the council at the meeting. Several council members and staff said they would pursue direct meetings with union leaders to try to re‑establish channels of communication.

What’s next: Council members said they want a dialogue; staff and the police chief will assist in arranging meetings between council and union leadership to address concerns raised by the letter and to clarify factual disagreements.