Police hired, controversy reigns: Luzerne council names 5 officers [The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.]

June 24--LUZERNE -- Borough council met for a special session to hire 10 part-time police officers Wednesday and made it half way, though not without opposition. .

Council approved the hiring of Edward Florentino as a sergeant at a rate of $15 per hour and Jeremy Blank, Jeremiah Cooper, Michael Kotwasinski and Nicholas Saulio as patrolmen at a rate of $12.50 per hour. Council said it plans to hire five more officers in the future.

The police will be available for shifts beginning midnight June 30, the same day Swoyersville will end its seven-year police service contract to provide coverage to the borough. All newly hired officers are currently employed with other police departments in the area, council Chairman Michael Jancuska said.

Citing high costs, the borough has elected to terminate its contract with Swoyersville in favor of starting its own department. But opposition to the new department has been vocal within the borough.

Borough resident Kathleen Pajor, who has led a campaign opposing the establishment of a Luzerne police force, says she has gathered more than 700 signatures from borough residents opposing the new department.

Council voted 5-2 in favor of the hiring.

Jason Tarreto voted no. Kurt Santayana was not present at the meeting but participated by telephone. Santayana voted no on the measure and his vote was recorded as such by the borough secretary.

At the start of the meeting, however, borough solicitor Jonathan Spohrer requested Santayana be marked absent, as Spohrer said he had no way to verify the identity of the speaker on the telephone.

Jancuska said council would investigate whether Santayana's vote could be recorded.

About 25 residents attended the meeting, many asking about the steps taken by the borough before hiring.

Pajor asked if the borough has conducted background checks on the new hires, and if so, when.

Jancuska said background checks have been done on all the officers, and that he would release the dates in the future.

Pajor also requested that council release the dates of the officers' most recent physical and psychological exams. She further questioned whether written hiring practices were in place before candidates were interviewed.

Jancuska responded that such policies did not necessarily need to be written down to be in effect.

"How can you call yourselves an equal opportunity employer if you don't have hiring policies in place?" Pajor asked in response. She then questioned council about Paul Bowman, whom council voted to appoint part-time chief of the department June 10. Bowman did not attend the meeting.

Pajor cited two letters, one dated March 22 and signed by Bowman and Luzerne Mayor James Keller, and another dated April 20 and signed by Jancuska, which she stated verified that Bowman had already accepted the position before council's vote approving his appointment.

"Paul Bowman has accepted the position and it has been decided that he be given the position. However, his salary has not started yet," the April 20 letter, obtained through a Right to Know request by borough resident Mary Anne Lohman, states.

Jancuska said taking the letter to mean that Bowman had been hired prior to council approval was Pajor's "interpretation" of the letter, but not necessarily the council's.

Bowman was also listed as the borough's police chief in the Municipal Police Officer's Education and Training Commission June newsletter, published before council had voted to appoint him chief.

In response to further queries, Jancuska also affirmed that Bowman will be paid $16 per hour but will not receive back pay for consultant services for helping the borough set up its department.

Council also said the borough has secured insurance for the department through provider H.A. Thomson Risk Management Services.

Council announced March 10 that it would give Swoyersville 90 days notice that its seven-year police contract will end. On May 26, council voted 5-2 to terminate the contract.

On June 3, officials from Swoyersville attended a Luzerne work session to inform council that Swoyersville would stop policing the borough at midnight, June 30.

Luzerne had hoped to extend police coverage through Aug. 12, but a suggestion at the work session that Luzerne had not benefited from the services it received prompted the Swoyersville representatives to reject Luzerne's extension request and walk out of the meeting.

Council initially said the borough is facing a $60,000 budget shortfall next year, and that running its own police department could save $45,000 per year.

More recent figures suggest otherwise, however. According to Tarreto, the council's police committee's most recent estimates indicate the force's initial year of operation will cost the borough $291,882, including $32,820 in start-up costs. In the second year, operating expenditures are expected to decrease to $262,062, Tarreto said.

The borough was slated to pay Swoyersville about $223,000 for policing in 2010.

Luzerne previously had its own police department, which was closed nine years ago.

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