Ross commissioners president defends police chief after 'no confidence' vote from union

Dan DeMarco, president of the Ross Board of Commissioners, defended his police chief at Tuesday night’s meeting following a “no confidence” vote from the township’s police union.

A letter sent earlier that day from the executive board of the Ross Township Police Association announced that 27 officers voted in favor of the no-confidence vote and six voted to support Chief Joseph Ley’s leadership.

Ley declined to comment Tuesday night.

The letter said the vote was taken as a result of the “recent controversies” facing the department.

The controversy stems from an alleged incident Jan. 26 during the department’s 7 a.m. roll call involving video of a teenage boy performing a sex act.

The letter accuses a police sergeant of having the video on his personal cellphone and showing it to other officers while joking and laughing.

Union officials accused the chief of minimizing the gravity of the incident when it was reported.

DeMarco refuted that claim.

“Any allegation that Chief Ley failed to promptly investigate the allegations is false,” DeMarco said. “He prepared a report regarding the allegations in the letter and other witness information he received and presented a report to the board of commissioners during an executive session.”

DeMarco said the commissioners received an email Jan. 30 from officer Jason Moss, president of the RTPA, with a summary of the Jan. 26 incident, allegations against the sergeant and displeasure with the investigation by Ley.

“Based on the severity of the allegations and the fact that they involved a Ross Police sergeant, on Jan. 31 the board of commissioners instructed the township manager in executive session to proceed to ask an outside law enforcement agency to investigate the allegations,” DeMarco said.

DeMarco said the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office and the state Attorney General’s Office have been notified and an independent investigation is underway.

He also stated inaccurate information has been disseminated via social media and some media outlets “because not all of the facts have yet been included to accurately determine the truth.”

DeMarco declined further comment beyond his prepared statement.

“It is the policy of Ross Township not to discuss personnel matters with the public or the media,” he said. “Accordingly, a statement regarding any discipline or the employment status of any police officer will not be provided.”

Other commissioners declined to comment and no one from the audience or online commented on police matters during the public comment portions of Tuesday night’s meeting.