Posted: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 11:04 pm | Updated: 1:10 am, Thu Nov 14, 2013.
A retired New York City cop applied for the Morrisville police chief job this summer, but was rejected. On Friday, he told his potential employer he would run the much-maligned police department for a salary $30,000 less than the chief’s job is budgeted for with no benefits or pension.Bill Pepitone, a Republican, also ran for Morrisville mayor as a write-in candidate without a party affiliation, but lost in the Nov. 5 election.
“I want to protect Morrisville for my kids and other people’s kids,” he said. “Morrisville is not safe. (The police department) needs leadership. I have the experience that can clean up the department quickly.”
Pepitone applied for the police chief position in August. In September, he received notification by letter that he wasn’t selected for the position. Around that same time, Pepitone decided to run for mayor, he said.
Morrisville budgeted $84,155 for the police chief position this year. On Friday, Pepitone submitted a letter to the council proposing to do the job for $54,155 without benefits, which he estimated would save the town an additional $15,000, freeing up $45,000 in total from the budgeted amount. Part of his proposal is to put the money back into the police budget for resources.
“The borough is financially struggling,’’ he said. “Anyone who comes in will struggle. They will need resources,” he said, adding that he would use his retirement health care benefits.
Morrisville officials say there’s a process in place to fill the chief’s position and that it should be followed.
Pepitone, 46, recognized Wednesday night that he doesn’t have some of the qualifications that Morrisville officials are seeking in the next police chief, such as a bachelor’s degree or supervising and command level experience.
“I’m not arguing that I have the experience (that was advertised),” he said. “My argument is that my work experience should equal the formal educational experience that’s being asked for the position.”
Pepitone added that he has six years of supervisory experience as safety coordinator and academy instructor in the nation’s largest city. He retired from the NYPD in 2009.
In July, Morrisville hired CityBurbs Group, a consulting firm run by Lower Makefield police Chief Ken Coluzzi, to help with hiring a new chief.
Nearly 30 applications were received, none of which were seen by council, said Councilman Victor Cicero, who sits on the committee responsible for hiring the chief.
He said that paying $30,000 less for the job seems attractive at first, but it’s about having the right person to lead the police force, not about the money.
Cicero, who has experience being police chief in the borough, said that he’s confident in the process that’s in place, as well as the requirements the borough is looking for in a police chief.
Council President Nancy Sherlock said that there’s a process in place. If Pepitone is given a second chance, it wouldn’t just be unfair to the other applicants who didn’t make it to the next rounds, but it would also defeat the purpose of hiring a consulting firm, which has cost the borough money.
The consulting firm will select seven candidates. The top three will be interviewed by council, at which time salary and benefits will be discussed, officials said. The position is advertised for a salary between $85,000 and $90,000.
Pepitone said he understands the officials’ concerns with his proposal. And if he doesn’t get a shot at being chief, he will continue to serve Morrisville in other capacities. He may run for council in two years, he said.
“Ultimately, we need the best candidate and if I’m not it, then, that’s fine, but we need a chief now,” he said. “They have waited too long. They need to make a decision now.”
Pepitone has supporters in Morrisville.
Christine Putterman, who believes the borough has taken too long to hire a chief, on Sunday launched an online petition on www.change.org to get the council to consider Pepitone for the chief’s job. As of late Wednesday, there were 112 signatures, she said.
Her goal is to reach 1,780 signatures, which is 10 percent more than the number of people who voted in the mayor’s race, she said.
Putterman isn’t sure what she will do with the petition, but in the very least she will take it to council, she said.
Putterman argues that Pepitone should be given a chance because, although he may not have all of the qualifications asked for, he has leadership skills, integrity and practical experience.
“He may not have the degree that they want, but he has a tremendous applicable knowledge,” she said.
Putterman said Pepitone had a good showing in the Nov. 5 election, considering it was a last-minute campaign.
Pepitone received 457 write-in votes. He tallied more votes than the Republican candidate, Sandra Kitty Westrope, who got 410 votes. He came in second to Democratic winner Dave Rivella, who won with 676 votes. Rivella currently sits on council.
Putterman said that the police department is in trouble, and it needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.
The force has been without a chief since late December, when former police Chief Jack Jones left. Overseeing the small force since then has been officer in charge Lt. Thomas Herron.
The department is dysfunctional, critics say. An interim police department director was hired in July, but abruptly resigned after two weeks because he was not receiving cooperation from Mayor Rita Ledger. The borough is investigating the entire department. Officers are suing each other. Evidence and weapons aren’t being handled properly.
The department was recently criticized after failing to report apparent child luring attempts and a Halloween robbery to the public.
“Morrisville is currently facing two major challenges — a rising crime rate and a police department that has been rendered ineffective due to gross mismanagement, dangerous short-staffing and unproductive litigation,” Pepitone said. “As a decorated 20-year veteran of the NYPD who has front line experience in disorder control, counter-terrorism, anti-gang initiatives and police administration, I am uniquely qualified to transition the Morrisville police department into an efficient and effective law enforcement agency. I will make it clear that Morrisville is no longer a safe haven for the criminal element. The police department is a valuable asset, affecting not only public safety but economic development as well.”
Pepitone applied for the police chief position in August. In September, he received notification by letter that he wasn’t selected for the position. Around that same time, Pepitone decided to run for mayor, he said.
Morrisville budgeted $84,155 for the police chief position this year. On Friday, Pepitone submitted a letter to the council proposing to do the job for $54,155 without benefits, which he estimated would save the town an additional $15,000, freeing up $45,000 in total from the budgeted amount. Part of his proposal is to put the money back into the police budget for resources.
“The borough is financially struggling,’’ he said. “Anyone who comes in will struggle. They will need resources,” he said, adding that he would use his retirement health care benefits.
Morrisville officials say there’s a process in place to fill the chief’s position and that it should be followed.
Pepitone, 46, recognized Wednesday night that he doesn’t have some of the qualifications that Morrisville officials are seeking in the next police chief, such as a bachelor’s degree or supervising and command level experience.
“I’m not arguing that I have the experience (that was advertised),” he said. “My argument is that my work experience should equal the formal educational experience that’s being asked for the position.”
Pepitone added that he has six years of supervisory experience as safety coordinator and academy instructor in the nation’s largest city. He retired from the NYPD in 2009.
In July, Morrisville hired CityBurbs Group, a consulting firm run by Lower Makefield police Chief Ken Coluzzi, to help with hiring a new chief.
Nearly 30 applications were received, none of which were seen by council, said Councilman Victor Cicero, who sits on the committee responsible for hiring the chief.
He said that paying $30,000 less for the job seems attractive at first, but it’s about having the right person to lead the police force, not about the money.
Cicero, who has experience being police chief in the borough, said that he’s confident in the process that’s in place, as well as the requirements the borough is looking for in a police chief.
Council President Nancy Sherlock said that there’s a process in place. If Pepitone is given a second chance, it wouldn’t just be unfair to the other applicants who didn’t make it to the next rounds, but it would also defeat the purpose of hiring a consulting firm, which has cost the borough money.
The consulting firm will select seven candidates. The top three will be interviewed by council, at which time salary and benefits will be discussed, officials said. The position is advertised for a salary between $85,000 and $90,000.
Pepitone said he understands the officials’ concerns with his proposal. And if he doesn’t get a shot at being chief, he will continue to serve Morrisville in other capacities. He may run for council in two years, he said.
“Ultimately, we need the best candidate and if I’m not it, then, that’s fine, but we need a chief now,” he said. “They have waited too long. They need to make a decision now.”
Pepitone has supporters in Morrisville.
Christine Putterman, who believes the borough has taken too long to hire a chief, on Sunday launched an online petition on www.change.org to get the council to consider Pepitone for the chief’s job. As of late Wednesday, there were 112 signatures, she said.
Her goal is to reach 1,780 signatures, which is 10 percent more than the number of people who voted in the mayor’s race, she said.
Putterman isn’t sure what she will do with the petition, but in the very least she will take it to council, she said.
Putterman argues that Pepitone should be given a chance because, although he may not have all of the qualifications asked for, he has leadership skills, integrity and practical experience.
“He may not have the degree that they want, but he has a tremendous applicable knowledge,” she said.
Putterman said Pepitone had a good showing in the Nov. 5 election, considering it was a last-minute campaign.
Pepitone received 457 write-in votes. He tallied more votes than the Republican candidate, Sandra Kitty Westrope, who got 410 votes. He came in second to Democratic winner Dave Rivella, who won with 676 votes. Rivella currently sits on council.
Putterman said that the police department is in trouble, and it needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.
The force has been without a chief since late December, when former police Chief Jack Jones left. Overseeing the small force since then has been officer in charge Lt. Thomas Herron.
The department is dysfunctional, critics say. An interim police department director was hired in July, but abruptly resigned after two weeks because he was not receiving cooperation from Mayor Rita Ledger. The borough is investigating the entire department. Officers are suing each other. Evidence and weapons aren’t being handled properly.
The department was recently criticized after failing to report apparent child luring attempts and a Halloween robbery to the public.
“Morrisville is currently facing two major challenges — a rising crime rate and a police department that has been rendered ineffective due to gross mismanagement, dangerous short-staffing and unproductive litigation,” Pepitone said. “As a decorated 20-year veteran of the NYPD who has front line experience in disorder control, counter-terrorism, anti-gang initiatives and police administration, I am uniquely qualified to transition the Morrisville police department into an efficient and effective law enforcement agency. I will make it clear that Morrisville is no longer a safe haven for the criminal element. The police department is a valuable asset, affecting not only public safety but economic development as well.”
28 comments:
So guess he didn't get "over 500 write-in votes" like he's been lying about. And I guess in his brilliant "NYPD cop" mind, it is a smart move to go on record saying how weak we are OVER and OVER.
go away Peps......
Give him a break on the write in tally. People have lousy handwriting, can't spell, use "Bill" or "William" or "Billy" and "Pepitone" can be misspelled in even more ways. The unofficial count election night is very uncertain. Stay on focus that he's not qualified for the position and is still pushing for it.
Even lied about how many votes he received.
"Morrisville is not safe"
"clean up the dept"
"the borough is financially struggling"
"anyone who comes in will struggle"
Not to mention his entire campaign...By his own standards, he is part of the problem. He is sending a message (as he says).
"Pepitone recognizes that he doesn't have some of the qualifications"
"will continue to serve Morrisville in other capacities"
- more like will start to...
Enter the shameless plug for the online petition from Pepitone's campaign manager even though she "isn't sure what she will do with the petition". The "plan" was to find a way of continuing to perpetuate the persona that residents need Pepitone to those not clever enough to figure out that he is an under achiever with an ego problem.
I really cannot understand how anyone following his campaign would think this man has integrity. He has already proven quite the opposite.
I may be alone on this, but I don't think he deserves a break on spreading another lie to try to build himself up.
I agree about give him a break on the write in tally. Council needs to finish the established process and hire a chief. Quickly. Not hastily, quickly. It will not be Pepitone. That will not sit well with some. Don't be tight lipped, be above board, take the high road, is all you can do. Haters gonna hate.
Cynics gonna be cynical. Conspirists gonna conspire. Opportunists gonna opportunize. Politicians gonna politicize. Obstructionists gonna obstruct. You get the point.
Just keep the politicians out if education and educators out of politics.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Any more bumper sticker aphorisms to utilize as a governing philosophy?
"Honk if you're horny"?
The council is a joke, the Mayor elect IS THE PROBLEM
Had enough....moving out.
I grew up here. Can't stand to see how low we have gone and how much lower we are going.
Keeping the same group in again and again is the problem.
Bye
The CURRENT MAYOR and her OBSTRUCTIONIST allies on council are the joke and the problem.
The mayor and one council member are now gone.
Stay and watch what happens when there's some cooperation on council.
The council is a joke, the Mayor elect IS THE PROBLEM
to the person who wrote
"Had enough....moving out."
Goodbye, have fun, with your new neighbors and community no matter where you move. One less PITA to deal with here.
I can see how some would see Rivella as a problem. Jane Burger did - she still does.
Dave tries to get things done and that ticks off the obstructionists.
He's honest and that worries those who aren't, forcing them to make up even more crap to hide their own dishonesty.
Watching obstructionists stamp their feet at Dave's ability to raise money has been cracking me up for years. I love it.
Council not working properly? He works to change that too with new faces.
I am amazed at how he can take so much crap from people who know so little about him, how he tolerates his family being up for debate at any given moment by people who have no idea what they're talking about and his desire to improve Morrisville.
Keep up the good work Dave. You must really be worth a lot to Morrisville if people are still campaigning against you after election day.
Even as a Mayor elect Dave is a1000% improvement over the current Mayor. Hey poster above who's moving,can you take her with you. And see if you have room in your trunk for Jane Burger
if you go by the crime stats given out at the town watch meeting the other night, I'm not so sure about this whole crime wave
Hey, as long as we are packing people out of town, I have a few more to add to the list, please take Eileen D. Todd S, Ron, Jack, Steve W. and the Hellmans with you too. Oh, and don't let the door hit y'all on the way out. buh-bye!!
The idea that we're entrenched in a crime wave has been exaggerated by the TW group and Bill Pepitone (aka Brian Jones) to help him win the mayorship.
According to that article he might run for council???? God help us all - hopefully, he'll put his house back on the market...
I have decided to more too
My property value continues to plummet. Those that support the same people over and over must love the fact that almost 50% of our properties are now rentals. Really, you have to be blind not to see this. Attack, attack, attack. Seems all you can do. When someone tries to change things you find excuses to keep things the way they are. I wish Dave all the luck in the world. He is facing an impossible job with people who refuse to see what is right in front of them. This borough has potential. Until the political activists that wish to keep things the same move on, this downward spiral will continue. Good luck Dave...you will need it.
Instead of the negative. How about trying to help those that are frustrated and leaving stay? Losing more property owners does not help our borough.Stay and be part of the solution.
Lower MakefieldCops: Lower Makefield man assaulted, held gun on woman
Michael Martell of Lower Makefield is accused of assaulting, holding a gun to a woman�s head and sexually assaulting her.
Posted: Thursday, November 14, 2013 11:03 am | Updated: 8:22 pm, Thu Nov 14, 2013.
By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer
A 45-year-old Lower Makefield man has been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated indecent assault, among other charges, in connection with what police said was an attempted rape Monday afternoon.
Michael Martell was arrested Monday after police were called to a home in the 1400 block of River Road following a neighbor’s call about a bleeding woman who had been involved in an altercation, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The woman told police that Martel punched her, held a gun to her head and tried to rape her after they argued. The woman was able to escape the home and run to the neighbor’s house, police said.
Shortly after police arrived, a man — later identified as Martell — was seen leaving the home where the attack allegedly took place in a black Lincoln and driving north on River Road. While police were interviewing the woman, an officer saw the Lincoln pass the home south on River Road, turn around and drive past the home northbound, police said. Police stopped the Lincoln and took Martell into custody.
He was arraigned Monday night before District Judge Maggie Snow on aggravated assault, aggravated indecent assault, recklessly endangering another person and related charges. He was released from Bucks County prison after posting 10 percent of his $25,000 bail.
I agree leaving doesn't help stay and get involved learn the "facts" about what is going on and find a way you can help improve things. we need home owners who live in their homes then you have a vested interest in making things better. I understand most people work full time jobs some more then one but there are many ways to get involved even with limited free time.
laetitia posted at 8:43 am on Fri, Nov 15, 2013.
Posts: 3
This guy, the bank robber, a couple of child pornographers. Got to stop blaming everything on Morrisville and Trenton now, huh?
When I read this I knew that Pepitone's heroes would be the cops using NYPD tactics next time. Say no to Peps. http://levittownnow.com/2013/11/17/controversy-over-arrest-tasering-of-14-year-old-boy/
Oh geez...hadn't seen that before now.
Does age really play a role when the officers are chasing a suspect? He's obviously not a young child so I would think it doesn't. His face does look bad though. Don't really know how I feel about this one. I really don't think it was excessive force but I would think the officer's aim would be better than to hit the kid in the face.
I moved away in 2011. It saddens me to see my hometown continue down this path to disaster. You do realize that it's really not the current council you should be angry with. It's the people who ran Morrisville for the previous 15-20 years who left Morrisville in this situation. Keep in mind the same "leaders" manipulating the naive Mr. Pepitone and his well meaning but frightened followers are the only ones who will win.
The bashing of the police is all political but will have real crime consequences. Mr. Pepitone, please explain "operational security" to your followers. Every time you trumpet some lapse in police policy or procedure it leaves those same police officers you all profess to love and respect at a higher risk of some Trenton gangster looking to make an easy score. It's the same thing with listing in public where streetlights are out. Watch for crime spikes in those self reported areas.
Mr. Pepitone, if an old dog can provide some advice, perhaps you can tone down the New York attitude? I see a lot of rousing the troops rhetoric in your writing but not a lot of actionable suggestions. Unleashing an angry mob on city hall may not be your best bet.
THANK YOU. Maybe you could move back for a year or two!
Tonight will not be pretty. I will be avoiding even the repeats on TV.
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