Just want Office to obey the law!
Madison alders only want the Independent Police Monitor to play by the same rules as other city agencies. Because:
• Independent Police Monitor data analyst Greg Gelembiuk was crunching sensitive crime victim information on his personal computer while working from home until Police Chief John Patterson put a stop to it.
• The monitor’s office purchased software without going through required procurement procedures, ignored required training, proposes hosting its own website, wants its own attorney, altered the official City of Madison logo, and used artificial intelligence contrary to city policy.
• The monitor is ignoring legitimate freedom of information requests — one from the Wisconsin State Journal that we know about and one from Blaska Policy Werkes, which we made a good month ago, receiving not even an acknowledgement.
Alders will vote on measures to stop those abuses Tuesday, 04-21-26. Council Vice President MGR Govindarajan wants to require the monitor to abide by city procurement, training, employment practices, and public records laws. It’s Agenda Item #55 at Tuesday’s meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Expect Amelia Royko Maurer and her cop bashers to protest most vigorously. Register your opinion.
The police chief is ‘appalled’
In November, Police Chief John Patterson put an embargo on sharing crime data with the Office of Independent Police Monitor after learning “Greg said that he never uses his city-issued laptop to complete his analysis work and said it was a ‘paperweight’ while working at home during the week and weekends.” The chief continued:
“I am appalled to learn that this has been likely occurring with sensitive records and information. …I believe now that the privacy and confidentiality of MPD records, which are likely to include crime victim information and that of community members trusting us all with their privacy, could be in jeopardy.”
Ald. Davy Mayer wants to add an alder to the Police Civilian Oversight Board. Perhaps most consequentially, alders will consider prohibiting OIPM from going fishing in police databases and bar access to on-going police investigations “to ensure security and confidentiality of such databases.”
Anyone home?
In September 2025, then Council President Regina Vidaver warned:
“Several open records requests have sat idle with the independent monitor, even after multiple follow-ups from the city attorney’s office and queries from the media. … Her inaction could have led to a costly lawsuit to the city, … since there was no discernible reason for the delayed response.”
City officials observed that three lawsuits against the police monitor have already cost the city and/or its insurer $84,945 (filed by Blaska) $51,537, and $136,482 respectively.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: You want irony? An agency designated to make sure police play by the rules is not itself playing by the rules. Never mind it is still investigating the arrest of Oversight Board chairman Maia Pearson. Fatuously, Alex Saloutos says the police monitor’s office will be “gutted” if the reforms are enacted. If only!
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