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Thursday, March 23, 2017

Allentown's Police Chief Resigning

There's a new name in the long list of people to leave Allentown City government since a federal pay-to-play investigation was announced. This time it's the police chief, Keith Morris. According to informed sources, he is leaving to assume control of a police department at a local college.

Up until now, Chief Morris' entire career in law enforcement has been with Allentown.

He has a Master's Degree in criminal justice from DeSales University and also attended FBI National Academy Police Executive Development school and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really could not blame a guy for moving from being the chief of police in Allentown to the cushy collegiate life. Not at all.

Anonymous said...

Seems like a decent guy who knows when it's time to leave a rotting administration. Why attach an honorable career to a pending train wreck.
I applaud him for his service and wish him the very best.

Anonymous said...

Wishing him all the best. No one with a career in local government would want or should want to have Allentown tied to it for too much longer. Trying to get work elsewhere will become more and more difficult once the Mayor is formally charged and sentenced.

Anonymous said...

I'd bet it has little to do with the current state of affairs in Allentown, and more to do with what police officers do all over this area. And that is to take advantage of double dipping the pension system. By being chief for such a short time, he was able to boost his pension from the city. Now, he'll go off to a less stressful job and another pension. If he plays his cards right, he'll make more when he retires than what he's making now.

Anonymous said...

PENN STATE BOUND

Anonymous said...

I wish him luck. How would his recent "big" increase factored into life long benefits? Do they sill allow the process of cashing out unused vacation and sick time and factoring it as salary?

Anonymous said...

A good guy who left before being tainted by the bile spilling out of City Hall.
The top cops all knew that criminals ran City Hall.
Next to fall?
The Mayor followed by the "First Lady".

Anonymous said...

Wasn't he just hired as Police Chief ?

Anonymous said...

Knowing that working for "Fed Ed" is the hardest job in the world, I would support anybody leaving that tyrant. Smart move, growing his salary and pension, taking a college job where your kids can qualify for a free tuition almost immediately, and leaving the City before his mentor is taken to jail. "Fed Ed" hasn't done any major proactive law enforcement projects since he has become mayor. Despite the national crime index for Part One [1] crimes dropping over the years, the rotund one wants to take credit for any corresponding drop in Allentown. He is a joke who has consistently refused to fill the budgeted ranks of the APD, underpaid his former Police Chiefs, [MacLean & Hanna], and brought in a minority Chief of Police to help his political career desires. "Fed Ed" has gone through four [4] Chief's of Police since 2013 and until last year, has passed the 215 manpower allocation set in 1991. Now that is progress! Good luck Keith, you deserve it.

Anonymous said...

With Fran going states wittness the feeding frenzie goes full bore wild.
I'm impressed with your mayor, he can tell a bald faced lie with the very best of them.
I must be because he has Jesus on his side.

Anonymous said...

Bernie the chief made a good decision to leave cause he is one of fed ed boys he controlled him if you notice everytime there's an event the chief and his assistants are wright behind fed ed our city needs a chief that doesn't lie and speaks the truth about crime rate is down just because the mayor told to say that next the feds should clean up apd

Anonymous said...

@9:10

It's hard to take somebody like you seriously with grammar and sentence structure such as that.

" his assistants are WRIGHT behind fed ed" ???

Yup, you've got a clue lmao

Anonymous said...

I know what I'm talking more then you I see in my own eyes everytime the mayor is at an event the chief and his assistants are behind like his little puppets what the true hurts you must be an apd guy don't worry police station next to be cleaned up from the corruption have a nice day

Anonymous said...

@9:35,
Did you type that all in one breath?

Anonymous said...

I saw the immigrant rally on channel 69 and I thought I heard him say all legal immigrants are safe in Allentown. Did I miss hear him or could this be the reason for leaving.

Anonymous said...

The two reasons the chief leaving is first he got his nice raise and second he never intended on moving into the city and hope fed Ed would cover for him.now maybe the person that should have been the Chief initially Gail Strauss will get the nod.she more qualified then the other assistant chief

Anonymous said...

@10:51

Gail Strauss? LMFAO!
You can't be serious! She should be happy she is where she is. Personally, I think she should be a meter maid and not an assistant chief.

Anonymous said...

A yes man says goodbye.

Anonymous said...

A home football game at State College on a Saturday is no cushy gig.

Anonymous said...

anon@ 10:51
Chief Morris made a good move due to the FBI investigation and for the benefit of his family. He was no longer able and/or willing to tolerate Fed Ed and have his reputation ruined.

Assistant Chief Gail Struss will also not move from the Coopersburg/Upper Saucon area. Assistant Chief Glen Dorney is an excellent selection. Unfortunately, he will have to tolerate Fed Ed and his liberal and reverse discrimination agenda until Fed Ed is finally soon-to-be indicted.

Anonymous said...

That's the worst selection the mayor did to put Dorney as intern chief more corruption in the department. He should of put chief Strauss better selection at least she's more qualified then Dorney let see how fast he will put his boys up to higher position .thus department is going to be more racist then it was remember this chief Dorney black lives do matter

Anonymous said...

Just so everyone knows Dorney not live in the city either.

Anonymous said...

None of the police command staff lives in the city. Only a few of the entire police force lives in the city.

Anonymous said...

Who's Ed going to use for a uniform prop at special photo opps now?
We've got a real problem on our hands.

Anonymous said...

Bernie if you want my opinion no command should be working if they are not a city resident.

Anonymous said...

Bernie you should interview chief Dorney and ask him how much incidents he covered up in the department lately

Anonymous said...

I don't see many redeeming qualities in any of the personnel in the current command structure. In addition, we all know about the two outside carpetbaggers [Kuhn & Fitzgerald] brought in to allegedly improve the culture of the APD. A house cleaning would be in order, however, litigation would impede any major changes. Therefore, look back into the past, [pre-Afflerbach], and resurrect past proven leadership who can cultivate a new climate without political interference. Solid police programs can once again capture police presence in neighborhoods where it all starts and advancement is open to all within; not just the political hacks kissing the mayor's ass.

Anonymous said...

No Mayor will ever give up total control of the police department

Anonymous said...

Bring back Chief "Pappy Yokum" Steffanic.
Resurrect proven leadership.

Anonymous said...

A loss for the city, and another disappointment for the taxpayers. Morris most likely was going to leave within the year, since it is doubtful he would have moved his young family into Allentown. So, his salary was raised for this short time of service, and we taxpayers will now fund his pension based on that higher salary. And what happens with our fire chief when his year is up? Will he move to into the city as required, or also take the pension and run?

pathfinder said...

I believe Fire Chief Laubach will take his pension rather than move into the city. City Council needs to visit the use of city owned vehicles. This will help insure that when a person is nominated to bureau head status they are already a city resident. They should only be assigned to employees that are city residents. If the person is not a city resident the vehicle stays within the city and they can use their own vehicle to commute to and from work as all of us do. The excuse that they are on call is not valid. There is already on-duty command staff at any emergency scene. The couple of extra minutes required to get to your city owned vehicle will not make a difference.