Petitions delivered seeking removal of Frackville police chief, mayor; council defends chief
New patrolman’s pay also questioned
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Frackville Borough Council meets on April 12, 2023.
FRACKVILLE – Around 150 people signed two petitions seeking the removal of Frackville’s mayor and police chief, the latter whom the borough council president said “is doing exactly what he was contracted to do.”
The petitions were delivered to the sound of applause from a standing-room only crowd at Wednesday night’s council meeting by Nicole Russell. In Pennsylvania, borough mayors are generally in charge of the police force, according to state law.
Russell has been one of multiple outspoken critics of Chief Paul Olson, whose tenure has seen the police department lose every full time officer on staff, who, combined, had 31-years experience.
At a special meeting the morning of Holy Saturday, council approved the hiring of Joseph Murton as a full-time patrolman at a starting rate of $66,200. At the time of hiring, Murton was a full-time patrolman in Port Carbon and formerly a patrolman in the Pottsville Bureau of Police.
Council also approved advertising to hire full and part time officers at Wednesday’s meeting.
Murton’s hiring was criticized by multiple residents and former officers, as the starting rate is, officers say, well above what Frackville previously started patrolman at. Additionally, Murton will receive healthcare coverage for himself and his family, the need for which a former officer cited as their reason for leaving.
Ex-Patrolman Devin Dellock said at Wednesday’s meeting the pay rate is in line with a Sergeant’s salary under the most recent police contract, which Solicitor Mark Semanchik said no longer applies following the resignation of all signatories.
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Semanchik said after both Saturday’s and Wednesday’s meetings that the $66,200 salary is Frackville’s current starting salary for the patrolman position. Though, when asked by a resident if every new officer hired would make that figure, Council President Ron Jordan said no.
“It depends on how much service they have, how much experience they have, things like that,” Jordan said.
“The borough will negotiate with regard to new hires,” Semanchik added in response to the resident.
Jordan and Semanchik said the higher starting rate is to compete with agencies near and far, including new school police forces in Shenandoah and Mahanoy City, security guards, and much higher paying municipalities in Berks County.
“The starting salary for a patrolman in Schuylkill County is much more than it used to be,” Semanchik said.
Locally, $66,200 is higher than the starting patrolman salary in Shenandoah, Mount Carmel, Hazleton, and the starting salary for a Pennsylvania State Trooper, according to hiring ads posted online or to information available to the Sentinel.
“What if a new officer comes here and applies for a job, what does he start at,” Ron Leim asked.
“He starts at 80% of the patrolman’s salary, under the old contract,” Semanchik said. “A new officer, right out of the academy.”
When asked for clarification on conflicting statements after the meeting, Semanchik reiterated that the starting rate remains $66,200.
“You want us to have officers, but yet, don’t hire officers,” Jordan said to the crowd regarding the controversy over Murton’s hiring.
Regarding Chief Olson, Jordan said, “From a contract standpoint, council believes the chief is doing exactly what he was contracted to do.”
“We will continue to work on [achieving] a 24/7 operation,” Jordan added. “Our goal is to have four officers and a chief, just like we had before.”
Jason Kline told council at one point, someone broke into his home and took him at gunpoint and would have killed him had the gun failed to go off.
He called police, Frackville was not on duty, and state police took 27 minutes to respond.
“This is unacceptable,” Kline told council. “These games that you’re playing, they have real consequences.”
“I’ve lived here for 20 years. I played ball with some of your kids,” Tylor Blackwell said. “Semanchik, you coached my sister in biddy basketball. I have no personal vendetta against anyone on council.”
“This is the first time that I don’t feel safe in my own hometown,” Blackwell added, saying that police never responded to an attempted break-in at his neighbor’s home.
“As a registered voter of this borough, I genuinely feel like not only did the chief let us down, but also the mayor as well,” Blackwell continued. “This isn’t a joke at this point.”
Paul Dellock also questioned what shift Olson typically worked, noting that the night shift is when police coverage is most often needed. Olson responded saying he works “all different hours. Some nights, some days, some weekends.”
Prior to delivering the petitions, which Russell said garnered 154 signatures for Olson’s removal and 152 for Mayor Kim Phillips removal, Russell read a prepared statement.
“We are a community in great distress,” Russell said. “We are a community in harms way. We are a community that has voiced our opinion about these matters, and we are asking you, here and now, to hear our cries and do what we elected you all to do.”
Russell said Olson “destroyed our police department with his actions against our officers.”
She said she plans to reach out to the district attorney’s office or state police, as well as legislators, regarding his accused “dereliction of duty.”
The residents in attendance were not entirely a united front against Olson or Phillips.
“It was stated that we’re all here to complain about the police. I’m not,” Karen Domalakes said. “I want to thank council for taking all of this [backlash.]”
Domalakes questioned Russell’s impartiality, claiming she ran against Phillips in the last mayoral election.
According to the 2021 general election results published by the Schuylkill County Election Bureau, Phillips, who had won the nomination of both parties, had received 736 votes versus 75 write-in votes. Of those write-ins, Russell received one. Her husband, Brian Russell, received 36, the highest write-in total.
Nicole Russell also did not appear on either mayoral ballot for the 2021 primary. Brian Russell came second to Phillips in the race for the Republican nomination, receiving 156 votes to Phillips’ 330. The Russells both ran for a Republican nomination for a seat on council, with Nicole receiving 240 votes and Brian receiving 238, the bottom two vote-getters in the Republican primary.
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