Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Bristol Township Police Benevolent Association sent a letter to the township council this week asking them to reconsider the planned new public safety director job post.
The letter was sent to council days before a planned Thursday night vote that would allow the township to hire a public safety director to oversee the police department and fire services.
Advertisements
“We are also troubled the township has chosen to pursue an unprecedented organization structure change without any input whatsoever from the department’s officers of every rank,” Bristol Township Police Benevolent Association President Tim Fuhrmann wrote in the letter. He also said officers were very concerned about the proposed change.
The two-page letter laid out four main issues the police union has with the township’s plan to hire a public safety director instead of a chief of police, as has been done previously. The letter says the position would waste much-needed money that could be used to hire patrol officers, violate the municipality’s status as a first class township and give a non-sworn department head political sway over the police department.
Township Manager Bill McCauley told LevittownNow.com late Wednesday night that the claims are bogus.
Advertisements
He said Bensalem, which is a second class township, has had a public safety director for several years and has faced no issues, adding that the political influence claims were “laughable.”
“I believe hiring a public safety director would be less expensive,” McCauley said. He added that there would be no police pension to pay and “no astronomical” retirement costs that are currently included in the police contract.
Advertisements
As for claims by the union that hiring a public safety director goes against state law… “We have an eight-page legal opinion saying otherwise,” McCauley said.
“Given the high stakes for the police department, we do not consider our request unreasonable,” Fuhrmann’s letter says.
A job listing for the position that was posted by the township said the “candidate must have a strong commitment to data-driven policing and using current strategies, systems, and technologies to optimize the delivery of police services and programs to the community.” It goes on to say the applicant must be “willing to maintain a visible profile in the community” and a ” verifiable track record of unimpeachable ethics and integrity.”
Advertisements
The township also posted the position salary would be “low to mid-100’s DOQ with excellent benefit package.”
McCauley said the township has received several applications and they are considering those with supervisory law enforcement experience.
Advertisements
The police department is currently run by Acting Chief of Police John Godzieba. Bristol Township has been without a council-appointed, full-time police chief since Jame McAndrew went on medical leave last year. McAndrew officially retired early this summer.
