Council Approves the Hiring of Four Part-Time Police Officers

At the , Nazareth Borough Council unanimously -- and without discussion -- approved the hiring of four part-time police officers.

Mayor Fred Daugherty Jr., however, stood by his that the borough contract services from .

Referring to comments made by a resident about a worsening drug problem in Nazareth -- and after reading -- Daugherty said, "Council is continuing to try to move in that direction. If we can get some movement, I think things will improve greatly."

Neither members of the public nor council members had anything to say about the hiring of the four part-time officers or about Daugherty's comments regarding the contracting of services.

The following part-time officers were approved for hiring:

• Joseph Vrabel
• Joseph Nunes
• Daniel Dieter
• Scott Ledo

The hiring of the officers comes on the heels that Det. Fred Lahovski would soon be leaving the borough for a police chief's position in Forty Fort, a borough in Luzerne County with a population of about 4,600.

At council’s Sept. 20 Police Committee meeting, Trachta said he was strapped for officers because:

• A full-time officer is on workers’ compensation and is expected to be out until April 2012.
• A second full-time officer may be offered a police chief's position in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area -- Lahovski was sworn in about a month ago.
• A third full-time officer injured his ankle on the job.
• A part-time officer who works 32 hours a week asked that his hours be scaled back.

"I have been waiting over 10 months for the replacement of officers," Trachta said at the committee meeting.

On the contracting issue, Colonial Regional Chief Roy Seiple has said on several occasions that the Colonial Regional Police Commission is willing and ready to hold negotiations with Nazareth whenever the borough is ready.

Negotiations have yet to be held, according to Daugherty, because of "personnel issues," which are always discussed during executive sessions.