CURWENSVILLE – During public comment at Curwensville Borough Council’s meeting Monday night, part-time officer Matt Mallon spoke to council about decisions made regarding the police department.
Mallon asked why Mark Kelly, who was demoted about a year ago, was recently promoted to sergeant without an internal posting for the position, and why officer Joe Witherite has resigned.
Council Member Dave Donahue said discussion to have Kelly promoted was because of his knowledge and to further train Witherite, but Witherite didn’t want to work under Kelly.
He also explained that the promotion hadn’t taken place yet but had been discussed in a committee meeting.
Mallon questioned the committee’s decision, seeing as how the council had felt Kelly needed to be demoted before, and added that it looks as though the promotion has already taken place since things were changed in the office and Kelly is referred to as “sergeant.”
He said it could have been handled better.
Donahue also noted that when the demotion was reported in the media last year, it stated that Witherite was in charge temporarily and with this change Witherite wouldn’t have been demoted, he would have had the same position and pay, but he chose to resign.
Mallon stated that he wrote a letter to Witherite to support and help him, since he has years of experience in police work, and copied the letter to the police committee.
Mayor John Adams said the letter has valid points, but that Mallon didn’t follow procedure by going to his supervisor first.
“I did,” Mallon said, “I went to Joe [Witherite].”
“Then, you needed to go to me, not council,” Adams said.
Mallon replied that he went to the police committee, not council, with his copied letter to them. “You’ve never responded to the letter,” he said to the mayor.
Council President Sara Curulla added, “Don’t you think someone deserves a second chance?” adding that Kelly has made progress in the past year with the issues he was dealing with.
Mallon replied that it seemed Kelly had more than two chances, and after the discussion ended a moment later, left the meeting.
Council members said they didn’t want Witherite to leave, but that he had stated he didn’t want to work in a subordinate position to Kelly.
“None of us had anything against him, but he needed a lot of training,” Donahue said.
Council member Harriet Carfley added that some of the decisions council needs to make aren’t easy, but they are doing the best they can.
Resident Sean McCracken asked if council will be promoting one of the part-time officers, but Curulla said that with the budget right now, council is going to leave things as they are and revisit the matter later.
Later in the meeting under the police committee report, council accepted, with regrets, the resignation of Witherite and promoted Kelly to sergeant.
Council member Robert Moore abstained from both votes but didn’t give a reason.
Council members present were Curulla, Carfley, Donahue and Moore.