Yeadon Police Chief Fears Being Fired After Mayor Claims Borough Council 'Wanted A Black Chief'
YEADON, Pa. (CBS) -- In Delaware County, the Yeadon police chief is worried he may be fired because of his race. But the borough council is denying those allegations.
The chief of Yeadon's 16-person police force says the borough's president offered him severance to quit or he'd be fired in an upcoming meeting. At issue is why he could be terminated.
"The initial reason from this counselor was they wanted a Black chief," Mayor Rohan Hepkins said.
"The mayor is lying," Yeadon Borough Council Vice President Learin Johnson said.
"Shennanigans is what I call it," Yeadon Council President Sharon Council-Harris said.
It's a war of words in Yeadon over the borough's top cop.
"I don't know what my future here is hour by hour," Yeadon Police Chief Anthony Paparo said.
Paparo fears his job is on the line after he heard some councilmembers prefer a Black police chief.
The borough has a population that's mostly African-American.
"I worked hard here to not let color of the skin be something that matters," Paparo said.
He says his department has been under budget and decreased crime under his watch, which the Yeadon mayor confirms.
"The man has decreased crime over the last three years," Hepkins said.
But the mayor recalls a phone call he had with Johnson just before she was sworn into office last month.
"'We need a Black chief. We want to have a Black chief and that nobody likes him and we want to replace him,'" Hepkins said of the call.
CBS3 showed our interview to Johnson.
"That's a lie," she said.
She confirms a call happened but race was never discussed.
"Notoriety with the police department. Chummy with the police department," she replied when asked what the mayor has to gain from this.
Johnson and Council-Harris insist their beef is because Paparo violated the union contract last year.
"We had a $387,000 fine from the FOP," Council-Harris said.
Paparo says the mayor and last year's council approved of the settlement with the FOP.
That's expected to be discussed at an upcoming special meeting of the borough council.
People CBS3 talked to aren't sure what to believe.
"I haven't heard anything negative about this police department," a man said.
"If he's doing what he's supposed to be doing, I don't have any complaints," a woman said.
"I'm invested in this community with my heart and soul and that's why this is just destroying me," Paparo said.
The Yeadon Borough Council has the power to fire and to hire.
Hundreds of people have signed a Change.org petition to keep the chief.
