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Carmichaels Borough council members suspend police department services

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Carmichaels Borough council members approved several motions during an emergency meeting Friday following their decision March 1 to temporarily suspend the use of the borough police department because of financial issues caused by the theft of funds by a former employee several years ago.

During the March 1 public meeting, the board agreed to suspend the borough police department and begin utilizing the police services of Cumberland Township police.

That meeting was continued Friday, when council President Marianne Gideon read a prepared statement regarding the matter.

Gideon said the borough had been receiving many inquiries concerning the suspension.

“The borough took this action because of a theft by a previous secretary/treasurer … the borough recently learned that (she) failed to pay payroll taxes (of the borough) to the Internal Revenue Service,” she said. “It appears that this failure to pay payroll taxes was used to hide the theft of other monies of the borough.”

In 2018, the borough’s former manager, Brandi Wydo-Streit, was sentenced to one to two years in prison for stealing nearly $75,000 from the municipality by writing herself additional paychecks between 2012 and 2016. Authorities said she used the money to pay for personal expenses.

The borough’s bonding company reimbursed $50,000 of the money stolen, and Wydo-Streit was ordered to make $24,965 in restitution for the remainder. She was also ordered to reimburse the borough $15,430 for a forensic audit.

At her sentencing hearing, a councilman said the borough was forced to forego two years’ worth of street paving projects and had to reduce several full-time to positions to part-time as a result of the theft.

Gideon said as a result of the financial setback, the borough decided to use Cumberland Township police “24 hours a day, seven days week.”

“There will be no less police protection for the borough residents … Cumberland Township has agreed to cooperate with the borough for the next 10 months,” Gideon said in the prepared statement.

“The borough has reviewed all of its options both financially and administratively, and unfortunately the only option involved the suspension … this council is working feverishly to facilitate the economics of the borough office and to improve its operations in the next nine months,” she added.

Council members said the borough would continue to update residents of its status throughout the rest of the year.

“The borough is already seeing improvement in the day-to-day administration of its office,” she continued. “(We are) certain that residents will begin to see the difference. It is important that we all work together because this is our home where we live and work.”

On Friday, the council also approved a motion to terminate Melissa Adamson from her position as borough police chief, as well as a motion to retain her as a part-time officer to assist the county district attorney’s office with closing any outstanding cases the department was working on prior to its suspension.

They also approved a motion to release the department’s K9 officer to Adamson’s care, pending certain conditions.

The suspension includes the layoff of five part-time officers; Cumberland Township police currently has 12 total officers on staff, five of them being part-time.

Council member Mark Hanley said the decision to suspend the department was difficult but is essential for the borough’s economic recovery.

“This is nothing against the borough police department and the officers, we are simply trying to get this borough back in solid financial standing,” Hanley said. “We take pride in being able to offer the residents full-time police coverage and protection, and we are thankful to the Cumberland Township police for their assistance.”

The borough posted a message on its Facebook page Thursday stating although it would “take some time” for the borough to pay back the payroll taxes to the IRS, the borough intends to “emerge from this unfortunate debacle” and intends to “continue to correct any past mistakes that may arise and continue to provide the appropriate services to its residents.”

The post also states that “contrary to rumors, the borough is not going to dissolve itself.”

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