Pelham police chief says he was suspended in retaliation for raising concerns about city manager

Key Points:

• Pelham Police Chief Ed Delmore was placed on administrative leave last week without a public explanation, which he claims is retaliation after he raised concerns about City Manager Gretchen DiFante's behavior.
• Delmore held a press conference to clear his name, stating he has never been disciplined in his nearly 50-year law enforcement career and shared a glowing performance evaluation from DiFante dated June 6.
• He described a series of events starting with a September 1 meeting about budget transfers, followed by expressing concerns to the mayor, and a subsequent meeting on September 22 with DiFante and the Human Resources Director about his concerns.
• Delmore requested an independent investigation into DiFante's behavior, but was placed on leave on September 24 without any misconduct cited, and was given a demand not to speak publicly about the situation, which he called unconstitutional.
• He criticized the city's actions as hypocritical and chilling, warning that reporting misconduct by superiors results in personal and professional consequences, and emphasized his desire to clear his name amid ongoing reputational damage.