Wallace Readies to Hire Top Cop

July

More news is coming out about Wallace Township’s plan to move forward with creating their own police force. Here is an article written in the Daily Local News by Danielle Lynch

WALLACE — Township supervisors have tasked a consultant to draft a job application for the police chief of a new township police department.

The supervisors also have decided to hold a July 31 public hearing to address the possibility of creating a township police force.

Township legal adviser Michael Crotty has drafted an ordinance to be considered for adoption by supervisors at that meeting. If the ordinance is adopted, it will officially establish the township’s police force and a police chief as the force’s chief executive.

…

At township meetings over the past four months, some residents have expressed frustrations with the Wallace officials’ decision about police. And Brandywine Regional Police officers say they are worried about their jobs. Last month, Brandywine Regional Police Chief Mark Kocsi released a letter stating his full-time officers are applying for jobs elsewhere because they fear they may lose their jobs.

Read the Full Article

And an opinion letter to the Editor at the Daily Local by Catherine Poole, resident of Wallace Township.

To The Editor:

I really wish Ms. Lynch had interviewed at least one of the residents at the Wallace Twp meeting from which she reported. Many of us do not want our taxes to double again as they did in January, and that’s what our supervisors said would happen in order to fund the police department of our own. There were many cost factors brought up by residents not mentioned by the chief from West Vincent: he didn’t show the start up costs, nor the cost for the extra man needed for 24 hour coverage (adds 100K to the cost) the current space in the Twp building will be adequate for a short time and renovations will be needed, there is no mention of the labor negotiations and possible lawsuits by the laid-off police officers, that will follow the dissolution of our police agreement with the regional police and considerable legal cost to Wallace. Then there is the cost of these officer’s livelihood who have been outstanding in their service to Wallace township!

The really sad part is that Wallace gave notice to dissolve the regional police agreement last March without ANY imput from its residents who pay for the police. The supervisors ignored the Police Study Group staffed by fine citizens who put much time into their report and recommended they continue to negotiate with the regional police. Our only public meeting will be July 31st to watch the supervisors approve their ordinance to hire a police chief.

Please attend this meeting and ask your supervisors to spend your money judiciously!

Catherine Poole Glenmoore, Pa 19343

Tags: wallace-township, wallace, police