Crescent Police Drop Charges Accusing Commissioners of Threats

Crescent Police have dropped unfair labor practice charges in which they accused Crescent officials of threatening to disband the police department if they requested additional benefits in ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.

Teamsters Local 205, which represents township police, said in a complaint that members of Crescent’s Board of Commissioners told a police captain they would eliminate the police force if union members “were to request anything beyond the existing contract benefits in the next collective bargaining negotiations.”

R. Anthony DeLuca, an attorney representing police union members, said police and the township reached a “phone conciliation” earlier this week regarding the charges but that contract negotiations between the parties continue.

“Without admitting to any wrongdoing, the township said (it) would cease and desist with the threats,” DeLuca said.

A hearing on the charges had been scheduled for April 20. 

Crescent Police filed the complaint with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board on November 17. In it, Crescent Police Capt. Ken Longerman said he was told during an Oct. 12 conversation with commissioner Jerry Keller that he and commissioner Bill Cook would "have the police department disbanded and that the  would handle police duties in Crescent Township” if the union did not comply with township proposals during contract talks.

In its complaint, the union said other police officers had heard similar remarks from township officials. Crescent employs three full-time and nine part-time officers. Interim Chief Martin Zimmel has led the department after former Chief Todd Miller in September 2011. 

Crescent solicitor Richard Start, Longerman and Cook, who is president of the board of commissioners, could not be reached for comment. Keller declined to comment. 
Click the media in this article to view the full documents from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor.