The head of the Orange Police Department's black officers union yesterday accused Mayor Paul Monacelli of supporting "tokenism" instead of affirmative action gains.

The mayor denied the charge and maintained that Lt. Charles Cobbertt has not offered to help secure the status of a black police officer promoted to sergeant in December.

"We don't believe he's for affirmative action," declared Cobbertt, head of the 16-member Orange Kinsmen. "We believe he's for tokenism."



Cobbertt referred to a controversy surrounding Monacelli's appointment of Officer Charles Whittle, a black, to the rank of sergeant Dec. 29. Some in the police department complained to both the state Personnel Department in Newark and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office about the appointment.

State and county officials are reviewing the legality of the matter because Whittle's appointment was made on the same day the promotion list expired. Whittle scored highest on the promotion exam.

Monacelli contended that whoever complained about Whittle's appointment wanted to hamper affirmative action efforts in the 93-member department.

We'd rather have him (the mayor) be for fairness that would solve the whole problem of discrimination in the department, and address how to resolve the disproportionate number of black police officers (18 of 93) in a city that predominantly is black," Cobbertt said.

Monacelli responded, "I don't understand Lt. Cobbertt's comments. He came to me, with Whittle, last year and said the fair thing would be to not let the sergeant's test list expire and to do whatever is necessary to promote Whittle."

The complaint resulted in the state rescinding Whittle's appointment. Monacelli, as mayor and police director, appealed the decision May 12.

"I will continue to fight vigorously to see that his promotion is reinstated. it would seem to me that Whittle's cause would be better served if Lt. Cobbertt would join with me in pursuing affirmative action in the police department, instead of to criticize things."

Last year, the federal government credited Orange officials with having made gains in meeting affirmative action goals ordered in 1981.

"A review of the current (affirmative action) report, as well as previous reports submitted, shows the city has made substantial progress in meeting its goals under the affirmative action plan," Helen E. Walsh, civil rights division manager in the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Revenue Sharing, wrote Monacelli.

The Mayor also said he has appointed or reappointed blacks like Municipal Court Judge Freddie Polhill; former city attorney Cecil Banks; tax assessor Douglas Stewart; former finance director Eleanor Hayes; planning board chairman Lou Hassell; and board of education members Waverly Baskerville, Calvin West and John Rose.

Cobbertt said neither he nor any of the police department's black police officers filed the written complaint about Whittle's appointment.

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“Reach Back with One Hand and Pull Someone Else Up With You.”

– Charles C. Cobbertt

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