Township Police Rank Restructuring Still Not Decided

An ordinance changing the police table of organization was put on hold again Monday night because two council members were absent and one wanted to wait to see a presentation from the chief of police.

At the request of Lt. Richard Skinner at the previous council meeting April 11, council members .

Council President Fred Goetz said he attended a meeting with Councilman Joseph D'Urso, Mayor Janet Sobkowicz, Ciocco and Capt. Glen Hooper last week about the issue. Goetz said he planned to present a report to the council but wanted to table the vote on the ordinance until Councilmen Glenn Beckmeyer and D'Urso were present. Both were absent from the meeting Monday night.

Two members of the public wanted to speak about the police table of organization but were not allowed because public discussion had ended and the ordinance was not introduced for a second reading to allow for a public hearing. Goetz asked for a motion to re-open public discussion, but neither Council Vice President Steve Cascio nor Councilman Richard Hrbek made the motion.

Hrbek said he wanted to wait until everyone heard from police personnel to better understand the situation.

"It would be nice to have public comment but the bottom line is for us to make a decision, an educated decision, we need to know what their [police department] plans are," Hrbek said. "That's why I think we should table it."

Goetz told the residents that they would have the opportunity to speak about the ordinance when it was introduced for a second reading at a future meeting.

The ordinance, which was , would eliminate certain ranks by attrition, including captain, second class sergeant, patrolman first class and patrolman second class.