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WILKES-BARRE — The administration’s squabbling over the date of a police commander’s apology to an officer ignores bigger problems in the department, the head of the police union said.
The focus should be on the split between the chief and the men and women subjected to constant second guessing and questioning by the department leadership, said Sgt. Phil Myers, president of the Wilkes-Barre Police Benevolent Association.
“That’s what we’re dealing with every single day,” Myers said Friday. “This small stuff is what we’re dealing with every single day.”
He expressed his frustration on the heels of Mayor Tony George firing Patrolman Dan Duffy, a former Scranton police chief, instructor at the Lackawanna College Police Academy in Scranton and PBA vice president. Duffy was fired for an alleged threat contained in an email sent Sept. 16.
The firing followed a round of disciplinary actions against PBA members including Duffy and Myers for policy violations that led city council to call for an independent review of the department. The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association agreed to conduct an organizational assessment of the department and forward its recommendations to the mayor.
In his union role, Duffy defended a PBA member and in the email asked the mayor and city Administrator Ted Wampole to intervene and deal with the unprofessional conduct of Commander of Patrol Ron Foy.
Foy made accusations against the unidentified officer that were unfounded, according to the PBA. The PBA said Foy later admitted he didn’t have all the facts on why the officer was unable to work a special detail at Wilkes University.
The mayor showed a copy of Foy’s email from Sept. 15 that said, “My mistake.”
The Times Leader obtained a copy of an email dated Sept. 18 from Foy to the officer that said, “My apologies.”
“Whether he apologized or not is irrelevant,” said Myers.
Foy continues to jump to conclusions and considers officers in the wrong from the get-go, Myers said.
There was a very similar incident a few weeks ago in which Foy accused an officer of doing personal business with a police cruiser, said Myers. “He was actually on a call. He did nothing wrong,” Myers said of the unnamed officer.
The mayor said he viewed the first email as an apology even though Foy did not use the word. In the second email, Foy apologized after he received additional information from Wilkes University that the officer contacted the school to say he could not work the special detail.
The mayor still found fault with the officer for not working the detail, saying even though he called in sick for the assignment it’s his responsibility to find a replacement.
Despite what the PBA says, Foy didn’t go off half-cocked over the Wilkes detail because the officer didn’t show up, the mayor said.
In defense of Foy, the mayor said, “They don’t like his manner of supervision.”