Greece police chief says town tried to force him out before launching probe
By Brian Sharp
August 5, 2026 at 10:39 AM EDT
Greece Police Chief Mike Wood – who has been on administrative leave since May – claims the town is illegally trying to force him out.
Wood says the efforts date to March 11, when Supervisor Jeff McCann demanded his resignation, according to a notice of claim released Wednesday.
The claim does not elaborate on why McCann allegedly wanted to replace Wood, but indicates that their relationship had soured well before town officials placed Wood on leave.
Town officials said they took action after learning of past allegations against a deputy chief that Wood had hired. McCann later announced the town hired lawyers to conduct what he expected would be a months-long investigation, which is still ongoing.
Wood is seeking unspecified damages, claiming the town’s actions have hurt his professional reputation and future employment opportunities.
“After nearly 40 years of building a reputation for integrity in law enforcement, I was brought to the Greece Police Department specifically to restore public trust after several leadership failures,” Wood said in a statement released Wednesday.
“I did exactly that,” he continued, “addressing long-standing organizational problems, strengthening accountability, refusing to tolerate misconduct, and insisting on ethical leadership and transparency. In doing so, I became the target of an unnecessary and politically motivated investigation. I have every confidence that a fair and objective review of the facts will clear my name and reaffirm the integrity that has defined my nearly four decades of public service.”
Wood claims that, after demanding he resign, McCann refused to negotiate a severance. The town allegedly then did not file a pension waiver that had been filed in prior years — which would allow him to both collect his state pension and his town salary.
Wood retired from the Rochester Police Department in 2014. He has been the Greece police chief since 2022. In the interim he served as deputy commissioner for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Wood alleges that the town's decision not to file the waiver was another attempt to try and force him to resign.
“That tactic also having failed, the town respondents then decided to instigate an investigation undertaken without legitimate factual or operational basis into dated, discredited allegations that do and will show no misconduct,” the filing states.
Former Deputy Chief Naser Zenelovic resigned after the town announced it was launching an internal investigation into harassment and stalking claims leveled against him when he was with the Rochester Police Department. That 2022 investigation by state police involved allegations from 2019. Wood, in his claim, states that the town’s investigation into the matter seeks to rehash “an investigation undertaken without legitimate factual or operational basis into dated, discredited allegations.”
In a statement, the town responded Wednesday: "Chief Wood was placed on administrative leave on May 22, when the Town learned of serious allegations outlined in a New York State Police report about the behavior of his Deputy Chief, Naser Zenelovic, who resigned on that day. The Town has engaged independent investigators to look into Chief Wood's role in Zenelovic's hiring and other management decisions, and that investigation is ongoing. Despite the open investigation, Chief Wood has decided to file the claim against the Town. We will await the results of the investigation and take measured steps to ensure that the Greece Police Department is run in an ethical, accountable, and transparent manner."
A town spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations raised in Wood's complaint.
Wood says the efforts date to March 11, when Supervisor Jeff McCann demanded his resignation, according to a notice of claim released Wednesday.
The claim does not elaborate on why McCann allegedly wanted to replace Wood, but indicates that their relationship had soured well before town officials placed Wood on leave.
Town officials said they took action after learning of past allegations against a deputy chief that Wood had hired. McCann later announced the town hired lawyers to conduct what he expected would be a months-long investigation, which is still ongoing.
Wood is seeking unspecified damages, claiming the town’s actions have hurt his professional reputation and future employment opportunities.
“After nearly 40 years of building a reputation for integrity in law enforcement, I was brought to the Greece Police Department specifically to restore public trust after several leadership failures,” Wood said in a statement released Wednesday.
“I did exactly that,” he continued, “addressing long-standing organizational problems, strengthening accountability, refusing to tolerate misconduct, and insisting on ethical leadership and transparency. In doing so, I became the target of an unnecessary and politically motivated investigation. I have every confidence that a fair and objective review of the facts will clear my name and reaffirm the integrity that has defined my nearly four decades of public service.”
Wood claims that, after demanding he resign, McCann refused to negotiate a severance. The town allegedly then did not file a pension waiver that had been filed in prior years — which would allow him to both collect his state pension and his town salary.
Wood retired from the Rochester Police Department in 2014. He has been the Greece police chief since 2022. In the interim he served as deputy commissioner for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Wood alleges that the town's decision not to file the waiver was another attempt to try and force him to resign.
“That tactic also having failed, the town respondents then decided to instigate an investigation undertaken without legitimate factual or operational basis into dated, discredited allegations that do and will show no misconduct,” the filing states.
Former Deputy Chief Naser Zenelovic resigned after the town announced it was launching an internal investigation into harassment and stalking claims leveled against him when he was with the Rochester Police Department. That 2022 investigation by state police involved allegations from 2019. Wood, in his claim, states that the town’s investigation into the matter seeks to rehash “an investigation undertaken without legitimate factual or operational basis into dated, discredited allegations.”
In a statement, the town responded Wednesday: "Chief Wood was placed on administrative leave on May 22, when the Town learned of serious allegations outlined in a New York State Police report about the behavior of his Deputy Chief, Naser Zenelovic, who resigned on that day. The Town has engaged independent investigators to look into Chief Wood's role in Zenelovic's hiring and other management decisions, and that investigation is ongoing. Despite the open investigation, Chief Wood has decided to file the claim against the Town. We will await the results of the investigation and take measured steps to ensure that the Greece Police Department is run in an ethical, accountable, and transparent manner."
A town spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations raised in Wood's complaint.