Will Bisard foul-up put Straub in more precarious spot?

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - News of the mishandling of evidence in the case of embattled IMPD Officer David Bisard comes just a day before the man who oversees that department faces his critics in the City-County Council.

A hearing on a no-confidence vote on Public Safety Director Frank Straub is set Tuesday evening. It’s a continuation of proceedings that began late last month , with Straub facing a marathon session of questions on issues ranging from the department’s budget woes to moral issues and more.

Straub’s statements in connection with Tuesday’s revelations about mishandled blood evidence in the Bisard case, though, seems to have given his critics more fuel.

The Fraternal Order of Police – the union that represents officers – has been very critical of Straub since he took the helm at the department two and a half years ago. It has also come out in support of efforts to strip the council’s support of him.

Tuesday, after the Bisard news, union leaders expressed shock over Police Chief Paul Ciesielski’s resignation and demotion .

“The head of this police department has been Straub,” said Bill Owensby, president of the FOP. “He runs it when it is well, and handed off when it's not going well. I feel like the resignation didn't go high enough.”

And one council member, Mary Moriarty Adams, said she’s still planning to vote against Straub. The meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the City County Building.

But what exactly a no-confidence vote would mean for Straub’s future with the city is unclear. Mayor Greg Ballard has said he considers it his decision alone to determine whether Straub will remain at the head of the Public Safety Department