Mesa police unions continued to wage their attack on Chief Ramon Batista with a community meeting Friday, despite the fact that the city has virtually ignored their no-confidence vote.

About four dozen people gathered at the Mesa Convention Center to hear members of the Mesa Police Association and the Mesa Fraternal Order of Police speak about their frustrations with Batista and the current state of the department.

"Everything that happens in public safety affects all of you," Mesa Police Association President Nate Gafvert said. "It affects all of us."

This was the first time the unions have had to answer to the public for their criticism of the chief.

Gafvert said it was a move they were trying to avoid as they didn't want the ordeal playing out in the media. But, he said, they were left with no choice after the city essentially ignored the results of their vote of no confidence against Batista earlier this month.

The two unions, which collectively represent nearly all of the 1,252 employees of the department, have accused Batista of abandoning rank-and-file officers in an attempt to appeal to the public as he tries to reform a department that has been plagued by scandal.

The unions want the chief to resign, citing low morale, nepotism allegations, unnecessary training changes, poor officer retention, and a number of other issues. Gafvert said these factors ultimately end up hurting Mesa residents.

"If the officers aren't happy, we're going to provide a lesser service on our job," Gafvert said. "It's unfortunate that our community members get the negative part of that."

Much of the evening's conversation had very little to do with Batista, but instead was focused on attacking the department and law enforcement as a whole. Some people who attended questioned whether the unions were using their complaints about Batista to justify a toxic relationship with the community.

But others condemned Batista for sending officers out onto the streets without the necessary support and tools.

Meeting is one of several steps

The unions are investing $30,000 in a public campaign to ask Mesa residents to apply pressure to the city to ask Batista to step down.

Friday's meeting was just one of the initial steps the unions have taken in the weeks following the no-confidence vote. They recently launched a website entitled "Keep Mesa Safe" and plan to put up a billboard in the city.

However, the city manager ultimately has hiring and firing authority over Batista and there's no obligation for him to take action. The no-confidence vote only serves to send a message that the unions are unhappy with Batista.

City Manager Chris Brady previously told The Arizona Republic that his confidence in Batista is unmoved by the union vote. But, Brady said, it’s clear the city “has work to do” in engaging employees “about how we can work on things at the Police Department.”

Why don't officers like Batista?

Batista started his law enforcement career with the Tucson Police Department in 1986. He served as Tucson's assistant chief before he was appointed Mesa police chief in July 2017.

Gafvert previously said issues with Batista first arose last year when Batista publicly condemned multiple Mesa officers involved in two use-of-force incidents.

In one, the video showed officers kneeing and punching an unarmed man repeatedly. In the other, two officers were seen roughing up a 15-year-old armed-robbery suspect after the boy was handcuffed.

Batista called the actions unacceptable and pledged changes during a news conference last June. The comments were made before Scottsdale police investigated the cases and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office ultimately decided not to file any charges against the officers involved.

Gafvert said 564 sworn and civilian Police Department employees participated in the vote. About 95% said they had no confidence in Batista, Gafvert said.

Batista has remained mum on the issue, other than releasing a brief statement pledging to stand by the department shortly after the vote was announced.