The ousting comes one week after the commission voted to postpone its quarterly meeting until July 15, citing the possibility that the council would remove any commissioner whose police record obstructs their ability to serve. The city is now accepting applications to fill Brady’s vacancy.
“The people who I want to see serve on the Police Commission need to be transparent,” said Councilman Dave Golonski. “They need to be of the utmost integrity. They need to be willing to share all the information. And I have a problem with having a person on the Police Commission who is on probation.”
Information about the drunk-driving conviction was provided to the council in a confidential memo from Barlow after Police Chief Tim Stehr said he learned of the arrest from police officers. Stehr maintained that it would be difficult for an individual to serve on the commission when they wouldn’t qualify to go on a police ride-along.
Despite objections from Councilman David Gordon, the council elected to keep the memo private.
“I believe you’ve been misled about me,” Brady said in a 5 1/2 -minute speech to the council. “You’ve been told a tale of drunkenness, debauchery and deceit, when my story is one of illness, mistake, recovery and the triumph of personal will.”
At the time of his March 5, 2007, arrest, Brady was recovering from colon cancer and seeking treatment solutions for alcoholism from the Rev. Ron Degges. On his way home, he stopped for two drinks and was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after his car collided with another motorist.
