Collingdale, a town in Pennsylvania, held a heated town meeting on Tuesday when their local leaders attempted to make a contentious hire for their new police chief. The hire in question was Raheem Blanden, a Chester police officer who is currently under criminal investigation. The meeting quickly turned into a heated debate when citizens expressed their outrage at the idea of hiring someone who is being investigated for a serious offense.
According to ABC 6, the city was set to finalize their decision to hire Blanden when tensions rose in the meeting. Blanden is being investigated for allegedly tipping off a suspect who was wanted for attempted homicide just five minutes before the police raided his home. Chris Eiserman, president of the Delco Fraternal Order of Police, expressed his concern over Blanden’s actions, stating that he had put his fellow officers in danger by warning the suspect.
When questioned about the investigation, Blanden denied any knowledge of it, stating to ABC 6, “I don’t know anything about a criminal investigation with the Criminal Investigation Division.” However, his denial did not calm the residents of Collingdale who were upset at the mere thought of having someone under investigation as their chief of police.
“How dare you even contemplate putting someone under investigation as our chief of police when we had a damn good chief of police,” exclaimed one Collingdale resident during the meeting. Mayor Donna Matteo-Spadea also expressed her disapproval, stating, “There is no way we should ever, ever think about hiring someone who is under investigation.”
Despite the backlash from residents and city officials, Blanden remained firm in his willingness to take on the role of chief of police. He believes that the focus should be on the council members rather than himself. “I think they are making me the focal point [in this meeting], but this is about the council members,” Blanden stated.
The decision to remove the previous police chief, Patrick Kilroy, was made in June by council members who cited a shortage of officers and excessive overtime as their reasons for voting in favor of his removal. However, Councilmember Felecia Coffee revealed that Kilroy had made multiple attempts to address the overtime issue by requesting the city to hire more officers and allowing for the hiring of part-time officers, but his requests were ignored.
'He's under criminal investigation': Tempers flare over Delco police chief candidate https://t.co/pHfzWoOjrF
— John Paul (@JPaulOnAir) September 18, 2024
The town meeting in Collingdale became a heated exchange as officials tried to justify their decision to hire someone under criminal investigation as their new police chief. The community’s outrage and concerns over the potential risks that this hire could pose to the safety of citizens and officers highlights the importance of thoroughly vetting candidates for such a crucial position.