The Ellwood City Council voted to eliminate the position of Chief of Police at a special meeting held on Monday, May 5. A short statement was released to the public the following day by council’s solicitor, Edward Leymarie, regarding the decision.
The position’s eradication seemed to have come as a surprise to most community members. Controversy over whether this special meeting was properly advertised immediately erupted.
In a meeting held to ratify the council’s decision prior to the scheduled meeting yesterday evening, Leymarie stated that last week’s meeting was announced twice in the Ellwood City Ledger.
Despite council’s justifications, Ellwood citizens continued to display concern over the exact reasons why the position was removed from the Ellwood City Police Department.
“As a taxpayer, I think we’re entitled to know why this has happened,” said resident Jeff Krosovic last night.
Former councilwoman Judy Dici also brought her thoughts to the table on why having a police chief is so important for Ellwood City. She listed a lengthy list of the Chief’s duties and accomplishments during his time in the community. This included:
Bringing the first bicycle patrol with two full equipped bicycles to the Borough.
- Getting Ellwood City back into the Drug Task Force.
- Initiating the “Active Shooter Training” in the Ellwood City Area School District.
- Beginning a night time business check for local businesses.
- Implementing the first Domestic Violence Assessment Program.
Dici also questioned council members on the research and investigation that was done before making the 5-2 decision to remove the job title.
No further information or answers were given by either Leymarie or the council involving the elimination. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. at the Municipal Building.
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