The town of Collingdale, Pennsylvania was in for a heated town meeting on Tuesday when it came time to discuss the hiring of a new police chief. The contentious hire in question was Raheem Blanden, who is currently under investigation for allegedly tipping off a suspect wanted for attempted homicide. The decision to hire Blanden, a Chester police officer, as their new chief was met with outrage from residents.
During the meeting, which was reported by ABC 6, tensions ran high as community members expressed their disapproval of Blanden’s potential hiring.
“How dare you even contemplate putting someone under investigation as our chief of police when we had a damn good chief of police,” one resident shouted.
Blanden’s involvement in the ongoing investigation was brought to light by Delco FOP president Chris Eiserman, who stated that Blanden had called the suspect five minutes before police raided his home. This action, according to Eiserman, put every officer involved in danger.
Despite the accusations and outrage, Blanden denied any knowledge of a criminal investigation against him as he left the meeting. “I don’t know anything about a criminal investigation with the Criminal Investigation Division,” he told ABC 6.
'He's under criminal investigation': Tempers flare over Delco police chief candidate https://t.co/pHfzWoOjrF
— John Paul (@JPaulOnAir) September 18, 2024
But for many residents in Collingdale, the mere fact that their potential police chief was under investigation was enough reason to reject him for the position.
“How dare you even contemplate putting someone under investigation as our chief of police when we had a damn good chief of police,” Mayor Donna Matteo-Spadea expressed during the meeting.
Another resident echoed this sentiment, stating, “There is no way we should ever, ever think about hiring someone who is under investigation.”
Despite the pushback from the community and concerns over Blanden’s ability to lead the police force, Council President Ryan Hastings refused to comment on why he believed Blanden was the right choice for the position.
Blanden, on the other hand, remained adamant about his qualifications and willingness to take on the role of chief. “I think they are making me the focal point [in this meeting], but this is about the council members,” he said.
Council members had voted in June to remove the previous police chief, Patrick Kilroy, citing a shortage of officers and excessive overtime as the reasons. However, Kilroy had previously attempted to address the overtime issue by suggesting hiring more officers. His requests went unanswered, according to Councilmember Felecia Coffee.
“He’s been making that request since January, numerous times. He’s asked, ‘Can civil services be enacted?’ to no avail. He’s asked if you can hire part-time officers,” Coffee stated.
Despite the heated meeting, no decision has been made regarding Blanden’s potential position as the town’s new police chief. The backlash against his potential hire serves as a reminder that the community has a voice in the hiring process of those who hold positions of authority and trust. The decision to hire a new police chief is not something to be taken lightly, and the concerns of the community must be heard and considered.
Like DEI vs most qualified in Government? Vote Blue.
If he did as implied he needs to be in jail too.
Truth for sure must happen nationwide