Confusion and conflict at a Northern Cambria Borough Council meeting Tuesday night in reaction to the borough being sued by its own police chief.
“It’s obvious that we don’t know how to work together, and we have to work together,” said one concerned resident.
On August 31, Northern Cambria Police Chief Derek Stitt filed a lawsuit against Northern Cambria Borough, Mayor Lisa Mays, and a state trooper involved in a separate incident involving the borough.
This comes after Stitt was suspended in June after missing a meeting while being on vacation and having an alleged confrontation with borough manager Claudine Nagle. According to the lawsuit, Stitt is seeking monetary compensation for damages during his suspension.
On Tuesday, Northern Cambria Borough Council read an official statement at their meeting, saying that they are working to resolve the issue with Stitt.
“The council believes that Chief Stitt is a positive presence in the police force, and one that has certainly made improvements to the operations of our department,” said Councilman James Rocco. “We have done and will continue to do everything in our authority to back our police officers. That said, we intend to make every effort to resolve any concerns in a way that is best for the borough and the citizens of Northern Cambria.”
Meanwhile, Mays said she is against the lawsuit. During the meeting, she addressed the issue of Stitt’s attempted resignation. In August, Councilman David Ferguson claimed that Stitt and another officer attempted to resign, but their resignations were not accepted by council. During Tuesday’s meeting, Mays read emails between herself and Stitt in which she said that she accepted his resignation
“I feel that Derek Stitt’s lawsuit is frivolous, and it shows no merit for this community and the people that are named in his lawsuit,”
While council refused to discuss the matter outside of their statement, several residents shared their thoughts. Some said they have been following the issue for months.
“It all began when the police chief and the council decided not to follow the chain of command. It clearly states in the borough code the duties of the mayor and the council, but the council chose not to follow it,”