After Wellington report, former Amherst police chief rips into consultant

AMHERST — Former Amherst Police Chief Joseph Kucirek is once again sounding his disdain for LeBrun Management Solutions, the consulting firm he feels was weaponized against him personally. In an email, Kucirek said he was shocked to learn Wellington officials hired LMS Consulting in an attempt to learn about low morale and high turnover in the Wellington Police Department. "I am beyond convinced that (owner) Cindy LeBrun and her company are nowhere near capable and qualified to perform such an assessment," he said. Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow and Safety Services Director John Jeffreys hired LeBrun's firm in 2021 after a number of discontented officers left during Kucirek's tenure. Interviews with both past and present officers painted Kucirek as "authoritarian," according to the LMS report. Employees said they felt micromanaged, untrusted, unappreciated and fearful of reprimands. LMS concluded that Kucirek led the Amherst Police Department through "intimidation and fear." Eleven months into the morale investigation, he chose to retire, blasting Costilow on the way out the door. The LMS analysis called the atmosphere in Amherst under Kucirek "toxic." By contrast, a report detailing the Wellington Police Department's culture specifically said Chief Tim Barfield was not "toxic," but used the word to describe some former officers and current personnel relationships. The LMS report showed Barfield in a predominantly positive light, recommending that he improve his communication and "soft" people skills and treat full-time and part-time employees equally. Barfield was dismissive of its findings in general, making it clear he was not happy that it had been commissioned. He said the analysis, based again on former and current staff interviews, was "written by a company hired to find problems" and was "based on half-truths." Kucirek took his criticisms a step further. In his email, he said Wellington government officials should view LeBrun's report with "unlimited skepticism" and called her "simply untrustworthy." Kucirek called LeBrun and her company "grossly incompetent," accused her of lying and said her report on the climate of the Amherst Police Department was a one-sided "hatchet job with purpose." He also took aim at LeBrun's qualifications. She worked at credit unions and financial organizations for 34 years, according to employment history listed on LinkedIn, working her way up the corporate ladder. "There is not one police administrator in the country who would agree that their law enforcement agency has the same dynamics, personalities and issues that your common bank has," Kucirek wrote. "There are clearly much better options should a government wish to assess the inner workings of a police agency. I would argue that LMS is the last company that should be considered." Costilow said he stands by the LMS report on the Amherst Police Department "100 percent." He said the consulting firm wasn't hired to target leadership or to oust Kucirek, but to find out why morale was low — and Kucirek was the answer staff gave. "We knew we had problems," Costilow said. "People were leaving for no other reason than that they didn't like it here. The object was to improve that, not to get rid of anybody." He praised LeBrun's integrity, saying her determination that Barfield isn't the root of Wellington's police staffing issues is proof she's not on a crusade against chiefs. As a result of the LMS analysis — and since Kucirek's departure — the climate at the Amherst Police Department has changed, Costilow said. LeBrun was contracted to provide a year of support as the department implemented changes under new Chief Mark Cawthon. She has returned to lead 12 hours of training on communication skills for all staff, and a months-long course on management for command staff. Costilow said police administrators spent time online, reading books and doing homework to learn leadership techniques and how to make employees feel more included in the workplace. "We're recruiting and hiring new officers. They are excited to be part of our department," he said. "The officers we already had are energized to do their jobs. … The world is changing and I realize we need to change with it, and with the newer generation of employees." LMS remains under contract to provide a second climate assessment within the one-year time frame, but Costilow said he does not believe it will be necessary due to the changes he's seen. LeBrun was not available for comment. Reporter Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.