Police study may bring big crowd to East Wash meeting
East Washington Borough Council discussed securing a larger venue for its meeting in July, when a management study of the police department is expected to be presented.
The police study, undertaken by the Local Government Center of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, was requested by borough officials after their police chief was arrested in 2011 for extortion.
At its meeting Monday night, council discussed the possibility of holding the July 1 meeting at a local church.
But President Blake McCandless said it might be better to wait until the report is concluded to decide if there should be a special meeting to focus on the study. McCandless also acknowledged he was asked by someone in the borough to not make the report public.
Solicitor Dennis Makel suggested putting the report on the borough’s website as a way to make it available to residents.
In the meantime, if a large number of people attend the meeting, council may move it next door to the garage.
The study, which was to look at every aspect of the department’s operations, was undertaken by Ron Stern, local government policy specialist for the DCED, along with Peters Township police Chief Harry Fruecht.
Stern was unavailable for comment Tuesday. Fruecht said he did not know if the study would be completed by the first week in July and refused further comment.
The decision to have a review of the department came on the heels of the arrest of police Chief Donald Solomon. Solomon pleaded guilty to taking money from an FBI agent who posed as a drug dealer but has yet to be sentenced. Also occurring that year was the death of Officer John David Dryer, who was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop on Interstate 70.
Dryer’s death was mentioned when council discussed grass mowing at the Beau Street interchange. In the past, the borough has mowed that area, but Councilman Bill Adams said the state Department of Transportation considers it a limited-access right-of-way and does not want the borough working there.
Council discussed making the intersection upkeep part of its agreement with PennDOT.
“I don’t recommend you do (the mowing) unless you have an agreement,” said Makel, for fear a borough employee could be injured.
Councilman Jeff Bull said it was a shame that the gateway to the borough wasn’t in better shape.
“The intersection was dedicated to a fallen officer of this borough,” he said.