NAACP probing racism by township police
NEW HANOVER >> The Pottstown chapter of the NAACP has alerted the township supervisors that it has opened an investigation into a complaint of “alleged racist taunts and retaliation coming from the police department in New Hanover.”
The notification came in person from chapter president Jonathan Corson, who told the board Monday night “there are some things we’ve uncovered that we think the board of supervisors should be aware of.”
Corson asked that the supervisors agree to sit down with the NAACP “to discuss what we have found.”
Corson also addressed the audience and said: “To the citizens here, if any of you feel that your civil rights have been violated, or you know of anybody whose civil rights have been violated, please feel free to reach out to members of Pottstown NAACP.”
Supervisors’ Chairman Charles D. Garner Jr. said the township “would be interested in hearing what you have,” but said the board would first like to consult its solicitor about the proper way to move forward.
“As you may be aware, we currently have an investigation underway,” Garner said.
That investigation was launched in the wake of a Sept. 12 expose by PhillyVoice magazine in which two former New Hanover Police officers outlined numerous instances of racist statements by Police Chief Kevin McKeon and longtime Sgt. William Moyer.
The officers, Keith Youse and Dennis Psota, both of whom have retired from the New Hanover Police Department, made a broad set of allegations of racist comments by McKeon and Moyer, as well as accusations of intimidation and retribution against them.
Both Youse and Psota also confirmed the existence of a book in which many of these comments were recorded, particularly those by Moyer.
Both former officers said they had been targeted by McKeon after falling out of favor with him.
“Once you get on the wrong side of the chief, there’s no going back,” Youse told The Mercury.
The township has hired the law firm of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman Goggin, with offices in King of Prussia, Allentown and Doylestown to conduct the investigation.
It confirmed that investigation in a statement read at the end of the Oct. 3 supervisors meeting.
In it, solicitor Eric Brown said the township supervisors “want to be as open and transparent as possible, or at least as much as the lawyers will let them be.”
“As previously stated, it would be inappropriate to discuss or disclose information that is part of an ongoing workplace investigation,” the statement read.
“The purpose of such confidentiality is to protect the integrity of the process, together with the due process rights and privacy of those involved. After a fair and thorough investigation, the board of supervisors will determine whether employment action may be warranted,” the statement read.
But as The Mercury reported Sept. 30, due to the confidential nature of the investigation, unless the board decides to take action, the public may never know what the investigation found. And even then, the public may only know what action was taken, not the details of the investigation.
“In the event the board finds disciplinary action such as termination or suspension or demotion is warranted, such action must be taken publicly as pursuant to state law,” the township statement concluded.
And that investigation may be incomplete from the outset, two former journalists now conducting an investigation for the NAACP said Monday.
Sandy Bauers, who worked for The Philadelphia Inquirer for 30 years, and her husband Robert Bauers, who worked for Bloomberg News for more than 20 years, both told the supervisors they have concerns about the investigation.
Robert Bauers told the board that he had met with John Gonzales, the attorney conducting the investigation, “and he seems very diligent.”
But Gonzales may not get the full picture because he is perceived as working for the township and people are afraid to speak with township police and township officials he said.
He also said the scope of the investigation Gonzales has been hired to conduct remains unknown.
Garner asked Bauers if he had any suggestions, and Bauer replied: “I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers, but I think you should talk to us.”
After the meeting, Bauers said he and his wife have interviewed about 15 people so far who have had issues with the township police. “People are afraid to call the police when they need them. That’s very big.”
Sandy Bauers said the U.S. Census shows that New Hanover only has about 650 people who are not white, and reminded the supervisors that 13 Philadelphia police officers were recently fired after posting racist Tweets on Facebook.
Corson issued the following prepared statement after the meeting: “The Pottstown Chapter of the NAACP has a good relationship with the Pottstown Police Department, also the
Montgomery County Chapters of the NAACP all have good relationships with the police departments within and near their jurisdiction. My hope is that the Board of Supervisors of New Hanover Township will meet with the members of the Pottstown NAACP, so that we can discuss the complaint that was filed with our chapter. The National, State, local chapters of the NAACP are not Anti-Police/ Anti Law-Enforcement etc.”
This article first appeared as a post in The Digital Notebook blog.