Columbia council hears praise, criticism of police department

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

At Tuesday's Borough Council meeting, residents praised Police Chief Holly Arndt, pressed for answers about the thousands of dollars in coins stored in the police evidence room, and criticized the lack of communication between the police department and borough government.

Thompson: . . . an understaffed department with inadequate administrative support, no policy and procedure, and serious gaps in legal guidance.

Much of the discussion centered on Arndt's October 13 statements to council. Resident Robert Thompson said Arndt described an understaffed department with inadequate administrative support, no policy and procedure, and serious gaps in legal guidance. He said she also flagged parking revenue stored in the evidence room and a police checking account that dropped off the borough's books in 2021.

Thompson said the account dated to the period when Jack Brommer was police chief and Leo Lutz was mayor. Arndt, he said, told council she would not use the account until it was audited. "And thank God for her good judgment," he said.

Thompson asked each council member to commit on the record to oppose retaliation against Arndt, and urged council to give her "the authority, the staffing, the professional support needed to address the problems she reported." He said state law places the police department under the mayor's direction. He added that the manager's office "carries its own duty to provide responsible police leadership and I believe budgetary oversight." He called for Lutz's resignation.

Evidence-room coins

Sweigart: "Coins collected for the borough belong in the borough bank account, not an evidence locker."

Jesse Sweigart, editor of the Columbia Chronicle, said Arndt told him 21 bags of parking-enforcement coins were in the evidence room. He estimated each held about $1,000.

"Coins collected for the borough belong in the borough bank account, not an evidence locker," Sweigart said. He also said Arndt took over a police bank account "with no record of where it came from and what it was used for," and requested an audit that he said had not occurred.

Sweigart said released records show police radios that don't work, a license plate reader shut off after its subscription lapsed, and body-camera storage 92 percent full. He said Arndt wrote that the signed copy of her own contract was held by the borough manager and never given to her. He added that Brommer served as both police chief and interim manager for eight months.

"To be fair, none of this proves anyone stole anything," Sweigart said, "but it shows money and records that no one outside of the building has checked." He called on council to refer the coins and the police account to the Lancaster County District Attorney.

Doutrich: "We must have a lot of money if we can let it sit around like that. It could be in the bank maybe working for us."

Resident Frank Doutrich asked whether the coins were still at the station. Council President Eric Kauffman said they were, adding that parking enforcement collects the coins, but the bank does not accept them, so the borough arranged for an armored-car company to pick them up. "Loomis said it's out of their norm to do that but they are scheduling a truck," Kauffman said, and that Arndt is aware of the situation.

"We must have a lot of money if we can let it sit around like that," Doutrich said. "It could be in the bank maybe working for us."

Communication and policy

Robinson: The police station and borough building are literally connected, but "they don't communicate."

Resident Rob Robinson said the police station and borough building are literally but "they don't communicate." He said police staff told him there are "underlying problems within the community's leaders."

Robinson said he has called police more than 20 times about noisy neighbors, and others have called 10 to 12 times. A second-in-command at the department told him to keep calling, he said. Councilman Ethan Byers explained that repeat calls create the record needed for the borough's three-strikes disruptive-conduct process, in which police reports go to the codes department, which writes to the landlord.

Frederick: Things "may not have been done perfectly to ensure that there is a smooth transition into the new police chief." 

Resident Scott Frederick said he had supported Brommer "as of the PD." He said he later learned Brommer "was a little lax" with police policies, and that things "may not have been done perfectly to ensure that there is a smooth transition into the new police chief." 

Another resident, Keith Williams, apologized for saying at the October 13 meeting that no officers had shown up to a call on October 12. "Yes, they were," he said.

Complaints of inaction

Mascia: "None of the police would take a police report."

Resident Julie Lynn Mascia said police have not responded to a long-running dispute involving a protection-from-abuse order. "The police won't investigate anything," she said, and "none of the police would take a police report." She also said she had gone to a detective repeatedly without result. She said she has evidence against three officers but did not name them. 

Lutz and Arndt were not present at the meeting. Kauffman said Lutz was hunting and Arndt was on vacation.