Folcroft Cops Deserve Justice

This was posted in the Daily Times. Disgraceful to say the least,that this Truscello guy thinks he's above the law. If I were a Cop in Folcroft, I'd be pissed! Editorial: Officials who spied in Folcroft deserve ouster 09/23/2004 Hundreds of police officers and their supporters stormed Folcroft Borough Council on Tuesday night, demanding to know why borough officials placed electronic surveillance equipment in their own police department -- and what is happening with the county’s criminal investigation of the matter. As an attention-getter, it was a first-rate demonstration. But a more disturbing indicator of the collapse of the Folcroft government came last month. That’s when Folcroft police moved a homicide investigation to the neighboring Darby Township police headquarters -- because they were afraid any interviews that took place in their own police station could be compromised by surreptitious monitoring by outsiders. That paranoia and accusations reign supreme in the borough can be laid at the feet of the borough manager, Anthony Truscello, a longtime Republican power in the town and its former district justice; council Vice President Joseph Zito; and his council colleagues, who say the action was necessary to investigate complaints of cops sleeping on duty. Their wildly irresponsible decision to bug their own police officers has not only rendered their town a laughingstock but has imperiled every police investigation since the spying began. What’s to stop any enterprising defense attorney from subpoenaing all the audio- or videotapes made in the police department to bolster a case in court? Nothing. Who would beresponsible? Truscello, Zito and company. And who will pay? The taxpayers of Folcroft, of course, who already involuntarily shelled out nearly $10,000 for the surveillance equipment in the first place. (They’ll also foot the bill for the litigation certain to be filed by the Fraternal Order of Police, which would seem to have a very legitimate claim on behalf of its members of invasion of privacy.) The crowd was so large, and so incensed, on Tuesday night that Truscello at one point called the state police to ask for protection. That’s how bad things are in Folcroft: The former district justice -- who is still certified by the state to sit on the bench as a senior district judge, and whose daughter Debbie is the town’s sitting district justice -- had to call the state to ask for protection from his own police department. Tuesday’s protesters wanted to know what the county District Attorney’s office was doing about the investigation, which has been in its hands. County detectives, armed with a warrant, hauled out the bugging equipment last May. They got no answers that night or the next day, when a spokesman for District Attorney G. Michael Green would say only that the matter is still being examined. The criminal justice system takes its own time, as any good police officer knows. But the fact that no criminal charges have been filed doesn’t excuse the fact that a gross injustice has occurred, irrevocably rupturing the bond of trust between the people, their police department, and their elected officials. Dismissals and resignations are in order, starting with the borough manager and council leadership. It’s time to clean house in Folcroft -- and, this time, not just of electronic surveillance equipment. ©The Daily Times 2004