Bellefonte looks to hire 2 full-time officers. ‘We need to move forward,’ acting chief says

Bellefonte is prepared to extend full-time job offers to two police officers, a move that would help shore up a department that’s lost more than one-third of its manpower since the start of the New Year.

One offer would bump part-time borough police officer Andrew Hurd to full-time, while the other would bring in Penn State police officer Lisa Larkin.

Hurd joined the department in June. Larkin was one of six finalists for the 2022 Centre County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award.

Extending the offers was unanimously approved Monday by Borough Council. The selection of Hurd and Larkin was recommended by acting police Chief Bill Witmer, who was appointed to the top spot in the department earlier this month after a series of resignations.

In his first public comments since being appointed, Witmer struck a tone of resolve and belief in his fellow officers. The department believes the borough should — and will, Witmer said — maintain a “high level of police service.”

“I’m going to ensure that we sustain that,” Witmer said.

He also thanked the borough’s leaders for an opportunity to “lead this department in the right way.” Council responded with applause.

“I know the last couple weeks, last couple months have been hard on us. We’ve done the best we can at this time,” Witmer said. “My message to the department: From now on, we need to move forward, put it behind us. There’s only one way to go — it’s forward. That’s what we’re going to do from this time on.”

Council also authorized borough Manager Ralph Stewart to begin the process of hiring a long-term police chief. It has not been decided if Witmer’s pay will be modified while he serves in the interim, Stewart wrote Monday in an email to the Centre Daily Times.

Witmer, a nearly 20-year police veteran who was once was the quarterback and a pitcher for Bellefonte’s high school teams, said after the council meeting that he plans to apply for the position.

His grandfather was a sergeant with the department over the course of three decades, so, Witmer said, “my family name is in the police force.”

He was nominated for the 2018 Centre County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award and once drew praise from the FBI for his role in an investigation of a man a federal prosecutor described as a “ticking time bomb” who fantasized about bombs and guns.

His work, an FBI senior supervising agent said in August 2022, prevented violent crimes that could have put people at risk. He celebrated Witmer’s tenacity, diligence and dedication.

“I’m closing in on my 20th year in law enforcement. I’ve worked in several different places. I have new ideas. I believe I have good leadership skills,” Witmer said when asked why he think he’s the right choice to lead the force. “I think I can take this department in the right direction.”

He largely declined to speak publicly about the fresh ideas he has for the police department, but said “it’s going to be more community-oriented.”

“I do have some good ideas, but I’m not going to comment on them now,” Witmer said. “This is an interim position. Hopefully I can make it full-time after I display my leadership skills.”

Even if Bellefonte names a police chief and the two officers accept their offers, the department would still be down one full-time officer.

Officer Robert Igoe retired in January. Officer Matthew Pollock resigned in February and officer Jason Brower was slated to be potentially fired in March if he did not voluntarily leave, which he did when he resigned.

Police Chief Shawn Weaver resigned earlier this month after leading the department for more than 18, writing in a statement to the CDT that it was “time for me to end my service.”

Bellefonte Mayor Gene “Buddy” Johnson — who oversees, but does not make job offers for the department — told the CDT he’d like to see the borough get back to its full complement of police officers.

Borough leaders have stayed mostly silent about the reasons for the officers’ departures.

Part of a Right-to-Know request for records related to Pollock’s resignation was denied in part due to records that relate to a criminal investigation. The nature and extent of that investigation is not known.

When asked last month if his office is investigating any allegations made against either officer, Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna deferred to state police at Rockview. A message left with a department spokesman has not been returned.

“We won’t comment on matters that are under investigation unless there is a public issue that needs to be addressed,” Cantorna wrote last month in a text to the CDT.

Bellefonte is the smallest of the five municipalities in Centre County that employ a local police force, both in number of officers and coverage area.

Council’s next meeting is scheduled for May 6.