Damon has Union police in his sights

January 3, 2006

PAT LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

The first round of Clair Damon's battle against the Union Township Police Department starts Jan. 3.

Damon, a retired state police trooper, joins Kevin Guinaugh and Pat Angiolelli on the township's board of supervisors at 7 p.m. Damon ousted Supervisor Steve Galizia by 82 votes In the November election.

At Jan. 3's public meeting, the supervisors are expected to reopen the 2006 budget. In addition, visitors can expect to see Damon call for overturning the recently negotiated contract extension with the police department.

"It's not a slam dunk, but I feel good about it," Damon said of quashing the pact.

Passed in mid-November, the contract has infuriated Damon and critics of the department. The contract went into effect Jan. 1, picking up with the final year of the previous pact. Wage increases for this year are part of the previous contract. The new wage schedule starts next year and covers through 2011.

Using a reopener clause in the last contract, the Union Township Police Association approached Galizia about the extension.

"There's nothing that was done illegally," said Dave Kingman, the Fraternal Order of Police union representative, who assisted in negotiations. "We would always like to lock into a longer extension."

Heading into the new year, Union has two full-time officers, including Chief Joseph Lombardo, and three part-time patrolmen.

Lombardo's hourly wage increase will mean approximately $2,000 more per year.

The average increase for each of the last five years of the contract is 74 cents and 73 cents per hour, respectively, for the patrolmen and the lieutenant.

"Chief Lombardo is in the lower echelon (of pay)," Kingman said. "Hopefully, within five years, he'll be moving up (to) where he's in the middle of the pack."

Also at issue is a regionalization and disbanding clause. The contract language states the department must approve any effort to join another municipality. It also directs how pension payments are to be made if the department is dissolved, disbanded or laid off.

"This is a good, solid contract for the police department," Galizia said. "(The critics) just can't stand it, because we negotiated it."

Attempts to reach Lombardo were unsuccessful.

"As far as I'm concerned, the police department is not up to my standard," Damon said. "That is one thing I will request, to (oversee) the police department. Their policies will change. There will be consequences if they don't."

Damon and the department have been at odds dating back to 2002. After retiring from the state police, Damon joined the department as a clerk and secretary.

"I really took that job thinking I could be a big asset to them," he said. "They really bucked it all the way. I think they were intimidated."

Damon said he attempted to institute order and organization.

When the chief said to me, 'This isn't the state police.' I said, 'You're damn right it isn't. You wouldn't last five seconds with the state police.'"

Damon complained he regularly sees police cars at the station and not on the road. He also takes issue with Lombardo's priorities.

"I drive out (to Wal-Mart) two separate times, and there's our chief of police in uniform pushing buggies. If you want to be a buggy pusher, then quit your job and be a buggy pusher."

Galizia dismissed his rival's criticism.

"Clair Damon will never overturn this contract," Galizia said. "Him and his group is all about hiring attorneys and fighting in the court of law. That's what the people voted for. That's what they're going to get."

Copyright (c) 2006, New Castle News