Move to bring Weaver back to Tamaqua police

Former Tamaqua Councilman Justin Startzel is worried about the future of his hometown after hearing of current council’s plans to abolish the full-time police chief’s position and replace it with a part-time chief or commissioner.

Startzel, who served on council from 2014 through 2017, is concerned the potential move to a part-time chief will have negative effects on the community and the police department, which was only returned to full strength in February 2017.

Former Chief Rick Weaver, who retired from the department at the beginning of this March, is rumored to be the person who will fill the part-time position, a rumor Startzel had confirmed by a current council member on Thursday.

“My concerns have nothing to do with Chief Weaver. He did a great job. I’m worried about switching from a full-time to a part-time chief,” says Startzel.

“We don’t have part-time crime. A full-time chief has traditionally been available 24/7 to answer questions and provide direction. In addition to administrative and supervisory roles, the chief has provided backup and made arrests in the past. How will that be possible if he’s only working 28-29 hours a week? Who will provide direction the rest of the week? The corporals? Will they be compensated for taking on some of the responsibilities usually reserved for the chief? How could this possibly benefit the residents of this borough?”

Five years ago, Weaver asked council to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan, a program available to those who have met the longevity and age requirements for retirement. The way it works is the employee “retires” but continues to work for up to five years (Tamaqua’s plan).

This caps the payments to their defined pension accounts. Payments are no longer paid into the pension account. Instead they go into a separate interest-bearing account.

When the employee stops working, they collect a lump sum from the DROP account, including any and all interest. It is totally unconnected to their pensions.

Mayor Nathan Gerace, who took office in January, says he wasn’t part of any discussions on changing the scope of the chief’s position. He was disappointed in the possibility of a part-time person leading the department.

“As mayor there are four priorities that are very important to me: public safety, opportunity, growth and blight. I was elected to be an advocate, a voice for Tamaqua residents. My job is to do what is in their best interests. A part-time chief does not fit the needs of the community.

“If there are savings, which I’m not convinced there will be, achieving it by choosing a part-time, limited authority chief is not in the community’s best interest. I believe there are many strong choices to lead our police department. My attempts to ensure we appoint a chief whose firm leadership would strengthen our police department have been met with the admonition that it is council’s job, not mine.

“It’s a matter of having a hands-on, full-time chief who is out in the community and out at our schools doing their best to make Tamaqua a safe, welcoming place to live. I haven’t been included in the conversation of selecting a new chief. I was never notified of extra executive sessions, those which occurred at times other than in conjunction with regularly scheduled meetings. Tamaqua is a place I love and I want to see thrive, and I feel a part-time chief is a step in the wrong direction.”

According to Startzel’s information, the new part-time position will be salaried, with no more than 29 hours per week, with a year-by-year contract.

Tamaqua Council President Dave Mace confirms “a borough committee has been exploring all of the options concerning the chief’s position. I expect a report and recommendation during Tuesday night’s regular council meeting. We will discuss that recommendation in public before taking any action.”

Efforts to reach retired Chief Weaver for this article were unsuccessful.

Startzel hopes the change isn’t being considered as a cost-saving measure.

“The community has been making progress on so many levels. Businesses and developers taking an interest in our town, partly because we have a full-time police department. We’re making strides with the drug epidemic. Why cut hours now? When it comes to public safety, you should never cut corners. It should never be about saving money.”

Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at 320 E. Broad St., Tamaqua.