Weissport appoints new chief of police
Matthew Williams is sworn in as Weissport’s part-time chief of police by Mayor Paulette Watson on Monday. Williams was appointed to the post at that time. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Weissport has sworn in its new chief of police.
Borough council, on a 4-0 vote Monday, appointed Matthew Williams as part-time chief of police. Councilwoman Brenda Leiby was absent.
The term of the agreement is from Oct. 21 through Dec. 31, 2020, at the rate of $16 an hour, not to exceed up to 20 hours per week, according to borough Secretary-Treasurer Jessica Ahner.
Williams, who started with the borough as a police officer on May 20, is the borough’s only officer, Ahner said.
Williams is a full-time officer with the East Union Township Police Department, as well as a part-time officer in Mahanoy City, where he serves as a school resource officer.
Williams has prior experience as a police officer and a deputy sheriff in the county.
State police will continue to respond to emergencies in the borough when Williams isn’t working.
The borough has been without a police chief since it terminated its former Chief of Police Brent Getz on April 1.
Getz, who was promoted to part-time chief of police in February, was terminated after being charged with raping a child when he was a teenager.
Gregory Wagner was also charged.
Both have both pleaded not guilty and are facing a joint trial in Carbon County Court. Getz’s defense attorney, Brian Collins, has asked the court to hold separate trials and bring in jurors from another county because of the large amount of news coverage.
Getz remains out on $100,000 bail. Wagner is currently jailed at Carbon County Correctional Facility on $250,000 bail.
Comments