Wb Mayor Wants Union To Pay For Any ‘review’ Of Police Department

WILKES-BARRE — Mayor Tony George gave his conditional support for an outside review of the police department called for by some council members as the rift between the union and the chief widened over the disciplining and possible termination of two officers. The mayor Wednesday said he stands behind Chief Marcella Lendacky, the target of complaints and criticism about her lack of qualifications from the Police Benevolent Association even before George appointed her to run the department last year. “There is nothing to investigate,” George said, adding it comes down to the union being upset with the way that Lendacky manages the department. But the mayor set conditions on the independent review that council chairwoman Beth Gilbert and councilman Bill Barrett supported in response to the union’s renewed request for an investigation of the chief and department. “I have no problem with a review, as long as they (the PBA) pay for it,” the mayor said Wednesday. “We can’t afford it,” George said of his attempt to balance this year’s general fund budget amidst the city’s financial struggles. The mayor, a former city police chief, said he also wanted a say in who does the review.