They are pillars of the community who help keep crime off the streets and neighborhoods free of trouble. They are a safe place to turn when help is needed and an integral part of maintaining social order.
So when one police officer breaks the social contract of protection by making an illegal or unethical decision at the expense of the people he or she is sworn to protect, all representatives of law enforcement are placed under the public's microscope.
A series of incidents throughout the past year are raising discussions among law enforcement officials and experts:
- Old Forge Police Chief Larry Semenza and Capt. Jamie Krenitsky were charged in May with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and corruption of minors for alleged sexual relationships with the same teenage girl from 2004 through 2007.
- In April, Thomas Logan pleaded guilty to committing insurance fraud and killing big game out of season while he was employed by the Dickson City Police Department. He was suspended three times in 2011 before being terminated in November.
- In September, former Olyphant police officer Dean Argenta admitted to omitting details about a protection-from-abuse conviction on his job application.
- In July, a seven-year veteran of the Scranton Police Department was cited in three seperate meat thefts from Gerrity's Market on Meadow Avenue. Officer Derek Anderson was suspended from duty in August pending an internal investigation, after he was confronted by security during the third incident and admitted to the theft, according to the third citation.
Harry Dammer, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the University of Scranton sociology and criminal justice department and son of a retired New Jersey cop of 25 years, said there is a very small minority of police officers who act unethically or illegally - and unfortunately, those few can tarnish the name of law enforcement through their actions.
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," Dr. Dammer said. "Because the job is dangerous at times, they sort of rationalize that they can do what they want within their reason. Because they've protected society, they've put their life on the line, they can do what they want."
After the slew of allegations, accusations and terminations involving municipal police officers in Lackawanna County this year, some charged with offenses as serious as sexual assault to more minor infractions like lying on job applications, the push to promote ethical decision-making among officers is second only to officer safety on the job, Lackawanna College Police Academy Director Dan Duffy said.
"Education, training and experience is what build our credibility. When we do things that hurt our credibility, we're not doing our job to the best of our ability," Mr. Duffy said.
Other incidents include:
- Old Forge volunteer firefighter Walter Chiavacci also was charged with aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors involving the same girl allegedly involved with Chief Semenza and Capt. Krenitsky.
- Part-time Jermyn Patrolman Robert Flynn was dismissed from the department Sept. 13 after borough council said there were legal violations in obtaining and presenting his first aid card.
- Later in September, the state attorney general's office and state police launched an investigation into part-time Patrolman Stephen Fox for an alleged misconduct on duty in Throop. Mr. Fox was terminated from borough services in Throop, suspended pending further investigation in Olyphant and removed from the department in Archbald, but has not been charged.
The Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission, a state agency, revoked Mr. Argenta's police certification, and criminal charges against him were withdrawn in exchange for his turning in his police badge. Both Chief Semenza and Capt. Krenitsky were suspended by council in May, and their cases are bound for trial. Mr. Logan was sentenced to two to 18 months in Lackawanna County Prison in July.
"What it comes down to is they are human beings," Mr. Duffy said. "The majority of cops out there are doing the right thing. There are just a few officers out there in law enforcement that are giving us a bad name."
Trust issues
In light of the allegations and disciplinary actions, law enforcement experts, officials and policy enforcers agree that education, training and experience are key in combating poor ethical decisions, which can damage credibility and effectiveness when dealing with the public.
Dr. Dammer said there might not necessarily be more ethical blunders by cops, but more scrutiny from the public and media.
"Mistrust has been a problem in America since the Watergate days ... and this is a challenge for public officials of all types," Dr. Dammer said.
Bethel Park Police Chief John Mackey, board president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, said law enforcement officials are held to a higher standard as public servants.
"You have to be honest, you have to be truthful, you have to be beyond reproach. And unfortunately, when any police officer does anything wrong, it makes the whole profession look bad," he said.
However, he said he doesn't think the incidents in Northeast Pennsylvania are a reflection of any sort of trend across the state, just a series of incidents that rise and fall like regular crime numbers.
"It comes and goes in phases," Chief Mackey said.
Olyphant Officer-In-Charge Lewis Kline said he hasn't noticed any blowback from the community since Mr. Argenta gave up his police badge, and the department's officers all participate in ethics training as part of annual certification requirements.
"This wasn't a function of the Olyphant Police Department doing our duty," Officer Kline said. "I think everybody's well aware of what we have to do, what's right and what's wrong."
Ethics education
Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission guidelines changed in 2001 to incorporate a more inclusive use of ethics throughout the more than 700 hours of cadet curriculum, said Rudy Grubesky, director of training and curriculum development.
"We try to weave ethics and community policing into every single block of education," he said.
After graduation, there is also 12 hours of training mandated annually to maintain certification, which covers topics from quality in policing to career and personal survival in the technology age, he said.
"These are going to be difficult decisions; you're going to face ethical dilemmas throughout your career," Mr. Grubesky said. "Hopefully, the training is having an impact. Let's face it, police officers are held to a higher standard."
Lackawanna College police cadet Rodney Chaney, 23, of Taylor, said ethics and community policing was one of the first topics introduced in the academy's curriculum - discussing the consequences and benefits of good ethical choices.
"It's very helpful, in my opinion, to get an overview of what we're going to have to make a decision on in the future," Mr. Chaney said.
In the age of smartphones, video cameras and instant updates, he said instructors make sure the cadets know their actions will be observed by many.
"The cardinal rule for us ... (is) that we should behave appropriately because we're always on video camera," he said.
Academy instructor and Carbondale police Sgt. Joseph Laguzzi said he stresses to cadets that just because they will be wearing a badge, it doesn't mean they are above the law. They will be representatives of their communities who will shoulder the stigma of untrustworthy police officers when poor choices are made by other officers.
"When that trust level is violated, not only does it affect that agency, it affects everyone around in uniform," Sgt. Laguzzi said.
Mr. Duffy, also the former Scranton police chief, agreed, adding that management plays a key role in fostering an environment of accountability.
"What I believe we're seeing is supervisors and managers in law enforcement are holding each other accountable for their actions," Mr. Duffy said.
And even though training and education in the ethics department will aid a police officer on the job, what really determines whether an officer will go bad depends on the specific person - some people have character and some people don't, Mr. Duffy said.
That character will help determine an officer's success and credibility with the public on the job.
"There's a phrase in law enforcement: 'If you lie, you die,'â" Mr. Duffy said.
Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter