The Wyoming Area Regional Police Commission met Thursday night at the Exeter Borough Building to further discuss establishing the Regional Police Department. This is the Commission’s fourth meeting since it’s inception in January after signing an inter-municipality agreement between Exeter, West Pittston, West Wyoming, Wyoming, and Exeter Township.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
First goal: Hire a police chief
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EXETER — The Wyoming Area Regional Police (WARP) Commission met in-person at the Exeter Borough Building Thursday night for the first time since its inception back in January.
The board, headed by Commission Chairman and Exeter Borough Councilman, Joe Pizzano, heard from Attorney Shannon Lapansky.
“Administratively, we are moving forward,” Lapsansky said, though she explained that no personnel actions have taken place as of yet. She explained through speaking with the Fraternal Order of Police, the determination was made to not finalize any legal documentation just yet. The FOP wants to “make sure it’s legally formed and sit down with officers.”
The first goal is to hire a police chief.
The Commission then heard from Greg Bean, the Consulting and Member Services Manager of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. Bean holds a background in regional policing, spending 20 years with Boynton Beach Police in Florida, where he also served as chief.
Bean explained the process of hiring a chief for the coming regional department:
• First: Advertisements must be made. Bean explained that their website’s listing get 8,000 views on open positions per month and sends 5,000 emails per month to job-seekers.
“We usually recommend 30 days,” Bean said. Once all resumes, cover letters and accompanying materials are received, they will be reviewed by experts who will then recommend six candidates and two alternates.
• Second: The selected candidates are interviewed either at one of the five municipalities involved or in Harrisburg. They are interviewed by three trained assessors and are then scored based on seven dimensions, including oral communication, management skills, and judgement. Members of the Commission are welcome to attend this process or receive recordings.
• Third: The WARP Commission then selects who they’d like to interview, minimizing the candidates. Background checks are also conducted, and a final determination is made.
Bean quoted this process as taking four months, though Pizano noted, “I think we can do this in two or three months,” though he clarified he didn’t mean have a chief hired in that time frame, but be talking about the best candidates.
Also on the agenda was a vote to approve Thomas Anderson and Associates to conduct a pension study. This was passed unanimously. It was also agreed upon unanimously that all five municipalities would contribute $2,000 to the $10,000 required.
Kendra Radle, Borough Manager of Exeter Borough, also offered that the Commission has applied for PCCD (PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency) Regional Policing Grant, which would secure $150,000 dollars to cover ‘start-up costs’, which could include uniforms, vehicles and decals, legal fees and branding. Radle also mentioned another grant announced today, with applications opening tomorrow that would secure another $500,000.
Pizano also offered that students in Wyoming Area’s computer design class are throwing around designs for logos and uniforms, and that input from current police is welcome and sought after.
The Commission will enjoy its break for the Easter holiday and reconvene afterwards.