11/12/12 Community Outreach Meeting

This meeting was attended by Steve Pizzolo, Jim Ryder, and Justin Stottlar from council.  They mayor was there and also assistant manager Andrea Coaxum.

Here is a news article about the meeting.  Hope more residents show up at the next one, it is a great opportunity for dialogue!

By Thomas Celona
tcelona@montgomerynews.com 

Like it has been for months, the police shooting of a Quakertown man was a main topic of discussion at Perkasie Borough Council’s special constituent outreach meeting Tuesday, Nov. 13, with the mayor indicating an outside review is nearly complete.

Michael Marino Jr., 26, was shot and killed by a Perkasie police officer in Sellersville in July during a struggle in which the officers were attempting to restrain Marino. The shooting death of an unarmed man has sparked controversy in the community, with many questioning the justification for the use of deadly force.

Following the shooting, the Bucks County district attorney conducted an investigation, determining the shooting to be justifiable homicide, eliminating the possibility of criminal charges. The DA, however, did question some of the actions of the officers on scene.

The officers involved received counseling, including one who received counseling from the state police, and the officer who fired the shot underwent several psychological evaluations before returning to active duty, Mayor John Hollenbach said at the Nov. 13 meeting.

The next step in the investigation is for police Chief Joseph Gura to review the department’s policies, procedures and training in light of the July incident. News of that investigation has also sparked controversy among residents, with some questioning Gura’s ability to be impartial.
“That review is completed, but we are getting an outside source to review our policies, procedures and training,” Hollenbach said.

The outside review is being conducted by another police chief, but Hollenbach declined to identify who.

“It’s a very established chief,” borough council member James Ryder said, noting the chief is not connected with the borough or its insurance company.

That outside report is not yet complete but will hopefully be finished later this week, according to Hollenbach.

“His goal is to make our policies, procedures and training better,” Ryder said.
“I already know they’re looking at certain training opportunities,” Hollenbach said, but he declined to specify what type of training.

Ryder said the Marino family has given notification of intent to file a civil suit against the borough, but nothing has actually been filed to date.

Hollenbach’s report — which he said he was “sticking his neck out a bit” to do — came after both residents and council members complained about the lack of communication regarding the investigation.

Resident Andrew Rumbold said the point of council’s special constituent outreach meetings, which were also held July 10 and Sept. 11, was to create dialogue and allow council members to provide follow-up information to residents. While there had been dialogue, he said there had been no follow-up, as concerns about the shooting investigation were brought up at the prior two meetings.

“We haven’t heard any report on this police shooting. Nothing,” he said.

Ryder agreed with Rumbold, saying he had drafted a letter to both the mayor and police chief asking for the topic to be addressed at council’s Nov. 19 meeting.

“We have been waiting long enough,” he said. “Something needs to be done. We need a timetable of some type.”

After hearing Hollenbach’s report, however, Ryder said the mayor had addressed his questions.

Rumbold still criticized the lack of communication about the investigation.
“It’s not sticking your neck out; it’s communication,” he said. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. ... I think the communication could have been a lot better.”

“It could have been done quicker, I’d agree with that,” Hollenbach said.

http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2012/11/15/perkasie_news_herald/news/doc50a45534691a8534746981.txt