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Would you be concerned if you lost $6,000. of your budget and ready access to a tool that improved the efficiency of your police department? So would I. However, as reported in the Nov. 10 edition of the Sun-Gazette, that does not appear to be the case in Old Lycoming Township.
At their Nov. 8 meeting the township supervisors could not explain why the Central Processing Center was suddenly being moved. It has been housed in Old Lycoming Township for nine years, through three police chiefs and two district attorneys with no difficulties. Suddenly months after the fourth chief arrived it is being moved to DuBoistown.
Chairwoman Linda Mazzullo is quoted in the article "that the township only received revenue for one year." Does that mean Old Lycoming Township no longer needs the $6,000 rent paid by the district attorney? Supervisor David Kay, who sits on the regional police commission had no comment relative to the move. If Central Processing remained at Old Lycoming Township that would have increased the efficiency of the entire new Lycoming Regional Police Department. Increased efficiency was a key selling point made by Chief Nathan DeRemer in his March 2022 news release. The township manager had no comment about this topic during the meeting. The final quote by Chair Mazzullo, "That is something we would have to ask the district attorney about why they made that change." Correct, but no one has asked the question.
A right-to-know request was filed at the district attorney's office requesting documents that pertained to contact between that office and Old Lycoming Township/Old Lycoming Township Police related to the Central Processing Center. Here is what was revealed:
Oct. 20 at noon: Township Manager Matthew Aikey inquires via e-mail if the Processing Center will continue being housed in Old Lycoming Township. He states, "it appears to be a good partnership and has worked well." He closes with, "please get back to me as time allows." Chief DeRemer is copied with this e-mail.
The response from the district attorney's office came at 2:48 p.m., Oct. 20. "We are no longer going to be utilizing the Old Lycoming Township Building for our Central Processing Facility in 2023. Please reach out to our director of central processing, Joe Hope or Chief County Detective Mike Simpler with any questions or concerns." A copy of this was also sent to DeRemer.
On Oct. 26, a notice, authorized by Hope, was e-mailed to all police chiefs, which would include DeRemer, that effective November 17, 2022 the processing center would be in DuBoistown.
On Nov. 23, Staff Officer Kenneth Brown of Old Lycoming Police, responded to a request from The district attorney's office. That response by Brown was the Oct. 26 email referenced above. Attached to the response was a statement from Brown stating in part, "I asked the township side and they did not receive anything from Central Processing letting them know they were moving." The e-mails received by Aikey and DeRemer refute that statement. They were in fact put on notice on Oct. 20 with the opportunity to speak to Hope or Simpler. As of the writing of this article, neither of them has been contacted by Aikey or DeRemer. Further, if no one on the township side knows about the move it is due to those two not advising anyone about the move.
Now, even after receiving these e-mails, we still do not know why the processing center was moved. But, what we do know is two people in management, Aikey and DeRemer were clearly aware and could have contacted Hope or Simpler to discover why this was happening. As of Nov. 26, no call has been made, no one has been held accountable for whatever precipitated this move, and no attempt to mitigate whatever caused this move even though "greater efficiency" was a cornerstone of DeRemer when he arrived in March 2022. Due to this move Lycoming Regional Police will be operating at a less efficient level, and Old Lycoming Township looses $6,000.00 of Easy Revenue!
One would think Aikey and DeRemer at a minimum would have contacted Hope or Simpler. With something this critical the supervisors should have been briefed as well as the newly formed Lycoming Regional Police Commission. All parties could have requested a meeting with Hope and Simpler. But, no that did not happen. Even now, Old Lycoming Supervisors should request a meeting to find out what caused this move so disciplinary action could be taken.
Are some officials concerned, but they know exactly the reason for the move and do not want anyone else to know. We the citizens may never know why Old Lycoming lost $6,000 rent and Lycoming Regional Police lost the easy access to the processing equipment. Once again, an issue cloaked in darkness, just as the entire regionalization process was in secret. This seems to be a continuation of that same pattern of conduct except now even the township supervisors do not know what is transpiring.
Many citizens of Old Lycoming Township have begun to pay more attention to our local politics and to hold our government officials accountable. I would encourage other citizens in Old Lycoming Township, and for that matter every other municipality in the region, to pay more attention to their local officials and their decisions.
James Sortman is a former district judge and police officer with the Old Lycoming Township Police Department.