As some of you may know, Allentown is once again in the market for a new police chief. The current one, Glen Dorney, is taking the top position in South Whitehall. He is probably doing so because although the department is smaller, a new interim mayor being selected next month could give him the heave ho anyway.
In my opinion the national searches were a disaster. First we brought in Chief Stephen Kuhn, who turned the department inside out and upside down. Next came Joel Fitzgerald, whose son ended up suing for violating his civil rights, after he was acquitted for pointing a gun at county detectives. The young Fitzgerald was represented by Jack McMahon, who would return to Allentown and defend Pawlowski.
I wouldn't mind acting mayor Roger MacLean appointing a new chief from within, and have the interim mayor appointed next month honor that appointment. MacLean is former chief himself, and spend his career in the department. No mayor, acting, interim or elected, has ever been better equipped to pick a chief.
ADDENDUM: The first version of this post erroneously stated that Stephen Kuhn was hired by Pawlowski. He was hired by his predecessor, Roy Afflerbach.
Once again this merry-go-round has started in the once proud APD. In essence, this slippery slope started during the Afflerbach administration and continued through the Pawlowski tenure. Both mayors tried to bring in outsiders, Afflerbach [Kuhn], Pawlowski [Fitzgerald], and they were both colossal failures. Kuhn was ran out of town and Fitzgerald followed the money.
ReplyDeleteThe inherent problem with APD was the loss of seasoned experience officers as early as 2000. Most of these officers were byproducts of the Howells/Stephens police regimes wherein cutting edge programs, policies and steady management ruled APD and the services they provided. The current crop of police administrators were hampered by the Pawlowski DROP retirement program that severely hurt the regular police maturation process and placed untried, unqualified and inexperienced police officers in administrative positions.
Prior to and during the great pension exodus, institutional knowledge walked out the door like pigeons flying out of the Vatican. Even though these former police leaders are too old, proteges that left are still relatively young. I am not advocating turning back the hands of time, but I do believe there can be a modicum of young and old to forge ahead to stabilize management, forward progressive policing programs and battle crime in neighborhoods; where it all starts. With a projected change in the police command, the opportunity for an interim mayor to exact change for the better has availed itself. If a candidate has a true desire to change the department's crime fighting ability, it must take affirmative steps to accomplish this.
Fire,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the informed commentary. Allentown had a 1st class police department before Roy came to town. From then on it was one disaster after another and poor choices followed by even worse choices. it has been a long frustrating 17 years.