PENN HILLS, Pa. — A controversial leadership change is underway in Penn Hills. On Monday night, Mayor Pauline Calabrese announced that Jason Bonace had been relieved of his duties as police chief. She said the decision was made by acting municipal manager Diane Fitzhenry.
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While some police officers and Calabrese are standing behind Bonace, others are in support of Fitzhenry’s decision. It comes after Bonace was placed on administrative leave earlier this month, leading Officer Kevin Nemec to create an online petition in support of his now-former chief.
“I think it’s unfair. I mean, he has done nothing wrong that I know of since he’s been there,” Nemec said.
On Monday night, Fitzhenry this statement to Channel 11:
“While Bonace’s commitment to community policing, public outreach and relationship building has been evident, the position carries substantial administrative, organizational and supervisory responsibility, and his weakness in those areas cannot be overcome. Additional information will be provided over the next several days and weeks, as we work to find new leadership for our police department.”
“Jason could well handle any situation, supervisor level. The issue may be some clerical stuff, when he was transitioning to chief, he got no training,” Nemec said.
In April, several Penn Hills detectives filed a lawsuit against the municipality, saying Bonace helped to create a fuel a hostile work environment. The lawsuit also states Bonace was not qualified to be police chief, citing municipal code that says one must have achieved the rank of lieutenant first.
“They’re all saying, well, he didn’t follow the rules [but] Chief Como, who was chief prior to him, was not a lieutenant either. He went from sergeant to chief,” Nemec said.
“Make no mistake about it - this action is politically motivated,” Calabrese said Monday night.
Channel 11 went to the municipal building to speak with Fitzhenry directly but were told she was not available.
In a statement sent to Channel 11, council member Shawn Kerestus said:
“The removal of Jason Bonace as Chief of Police is regrettable, however Manager Fitzhenry determined it was necessary following repeated violations of municipal policy. Claims that the decision was politically motivated are unfounded and simply political pandering. The Manager is responsible for holding staff accountable to all Penn Hills policies and procedures. Under the Penn Hills Municipal Charter, the Manager has authority over administrative staffing decisions, and I respect that authority. Any attempt by elected officials to interfere with or influence this or any other administrative matter would violate the Charter. Manager Fitzhenry has my full continued support. I wish Chief Bonace the best in his future endeavors.”
In a statement sent to Channel 11, Council member Alan Waldrom said:
“I support the manager’s statement. I believe it’s an accurate assessment of the situation. I reject the mayor’s assertion that there is political motivation behind the Chief’s dismissal and I’m at a loss to understand what her angle is there. Everyone supported the Chief and wanted him to succeed, but sometimes things just don’t work out the way you hoped they would and changes need to be made. I respect Chief Bonace for his community outreach efforts and, moving forward, I’m going to do my best to ensure that the progress made there is not lost, and that we continue to build upon it.”
Bonace and the Penn Hills Police Advisory Coard could not be reached for comment.
After this report aired, Calabrese spoke with Channel 11, explaining why she believes Fitzhenry’s action is politically motivated.
“The actions taken by the acting manager could have catastrophic financial ramifications for the taxpayers of Penn Hills. Chief Bonace could have federal and state protection as a whistleblower,” Calabrese said.
Calabrese said after being alerted to “red flags,” Chief Bonace began an internal review of the billing practices of the EMS Department, of which Fitzhenry was the director.
“At that time, [Fitzhenry] cut off police access to the Zoll EMS Reporting System, making it impossible for one of our police officers, who is also the assistant EMS director, to conduct the internal review. After the officer alerted Chief Bonace and myself that the billing practices could be a substantial loss to Penn Hills of upwards of $1 million, both I and Chief Bonace contacted the District Attorney’s Office, and Chief Bonace reported the matter to the State Department of Health, as well as other state and federal agencies. To me, the actions of acting manager Diane Fitzhenry smack of retaliation. She has a profound conflict of interest and I believe that as the mayor, I have a duty to protect the residents by trying to prevent a whistleblower lawsuit.”
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