Nazareth Borough Council again vetoes police TV

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2012/06/nazareth_council_discusses_pol.html FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES Nazareth Borough Council is standing firm in its decision to forbid police from having a cable television in the police department. The council defeated 6-3 a motion proposed by Councilman Charles Donello to approve the reinstatement and use of a TV at the police headquarters. Donello and council members Michael Kopach and Cynthia Werner voted to allow the police department TV. Earlier this year, Mayor Fred Daugherty and some members of council sparred with Police Chief Thomas Trachta after the TV was banned in January. Daugherty said at the time that police officers were watching TV instead of patrolling during their shifts and that the TV was unauthorized department equipment. Trachta maintained that police used the donated TV to train and to keep aware of major issues in the area. He said after Monday night's meeting that it's a basic but valuable tool. This is the second time the council rejected a request to restore the TV. At its first business meeting in February, council overwhelmingly rejected another proposal by Donnello to reconnect cable to the TV at police headquarters. Trachta asked for a new TV for the department later in the month. Donnello said he told the chief he would bring the issue back to council to decide after it came up at last week's police committee meeting. Council Vice President Larry Stoudt suggested that Monday night's vote should be the last time the council weighs in on the matter. "I hope this council decides that council is running the borough," Stoudt said angrily. "Not the police chief, not the police department." Trachta said Monday the police department may be the only place for officers who work other jobs and go to bed immediately after their shifts to get caught up on news. He says he's not giving up. "Every single police department I'm aware of has one," Trachta said. "I will continue to push on with the TV. We need it." Daugherty has pushed for disbanding Nazareth’s police force or merging with neighboring police departments. The mayor has said the police department is too expensive for the borough to continue supporting. He swore in four, 32-hour part-time police officers Monday night. Council also unanimously approved a motion to approve the renewal of all borough insurances for a total cost of $286,625, an almost $78,000 increase from last year’s package. The borough's workers’ compensation and commercial vehicle insurer, Travelers Insurance, dropped it after paying $1 million in claims since 2009. Borough Secretary Paul Kokolus previously said most of the six municipal employees receiving workers’ compensation this year are police officers. Almost $65,000 of this year’s cost increase is due to workers’ compensation premium increases and the borough’s loss of insurability, Councilman Michael Kopach said. The borough is now buying its workers’ compensation insurance from the State Workers’ Insurance Fund.