EXCLUSIVE: Falls Twp. Police Union Raises Concerns Over Township Supervisors’ Actions

The Police Association of Falls Township (PAFT), the union representing township officers and detectives, has voiced what they consider grave concerns over what they see as overreach and misconduct by the Falls Township Board of Supervisors.

LevittownNow.com reviewed a copy of the comments, which sources said were sent to township officials last week. Rumors of the concerns by the union have circulated over the past two weeks.

The comments were to be read at last week’s Falls Township Board of Supervisors meeting, but a last-minute agreement between the officers and township over a police hiring board led to them not being read. However, sources said, the township didn’t follow through with the agreement, which led to the union sending their concerns to officials late last week.

The union said they have “great concerns caused by the township and their ongoing behavior relating to the police department.”

George Thomas, a police officer and the president of PAFT, alleged in the written statement that the supervisors had taken part in “abusive overreach” under the guise of oversight.

The officer, speaking on behalf of the union, cited numerous instances, including reported interference in promotional processes, unjust termination of an officer without due process, and direct involvement in personnel assignments which historically have been the purview of the police chief, as examples of overreach.

The union referenced recent cases where the board allegedly made disciplinary decisions bypassing police administration, resulting in unexpected promotions. They also raised concerns over the board making personnel decisions without dialoguing with Whitney.

This interference, according to the union, extends to controlling who becomes field training officers, altering police uniforms, and withholding the chief’s ability to inform the district attorney’s office on certain matters without board approval.

Furthermore, the union called attention to the board’s concerning behavior towards Whitney. Despite the chief’s historically mandatory attendance at monthly board meetings, he was reported to have been recently informed that he would no longer need to attend unless specifically directed.

The police union said the issues caused by the supervisors involved transparency and “pettiness” toward the chief.

“The Board’s substitute for professional, regular and appropriate dialogue is to immaturely rely on inappropriate personal relationships with a few Falls Township Police Officers, who have benefited from these relationships and who have and continue to share confidential PAFT correspondence with the Board.  This relationship also includes Board members sharing highly confidential and sensitive information with these officers via email,” the union said.

The union alleged the township’s labor counsel, Obermeyer, Rebmann, Maxwell and Hippel, were allegedly “disinvited” to executive sessions when their legal opinions did not align with board members’ interests.

The union also chided the public for not coming to meetings, noting there are often “vacant meeting rooms.”

The union also cited a recent article from Broad + Liberty, which is described in nonprofit filings as a “digital media enterprise and public policy think tank,” that revealed Local 269 donated $214,000 to Supervisors Chairperson Jeff Dence and $76,000 to Vice Chairperson Jeff Boraski.

“Influence peddling is not an inference one could draw, instead, a conclusion,” the union wrote.

“Falls Township does not comment on personnel matters and cannot respond to specific personnel-related claims that PAFT has raised,” the township said in a statement when asked about the union’s claims.

Theresa Katalinas, the township’s spokesperson, said the supervisors have “authorized the Township Manager’s office to deal directly with all hiring, operations and management of personnel and the administration has recently met with PAFT to address their concerns.”

The union’s comments come as a federal investigation examines the township, tensions have run high in the police department, and the recent hiring of the former Tullytown Borough police chief as a human resources employee has raised concerns the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law was violated.

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