BREAKING NEWS....JIM TUNALL'S LETTER!!!

The following is the letter that will appear in the paper on Saturday. You will read it here first!! Special thanks for getting me the letter, you know who you are!!

I agree with everything Jim has to stay, way to stand up to the Good Ol' Boy network Jim. Thanks for your service. Jim is a man with integrity........

My name is Jim Tunall, I am a 39 year resident in the borough of Lewistown.During those years I have been a member of many many boards of directors in the community including Lewistown Borough's Planning Commission, Parking Authority and Revitilization Committees. I am a long timesupporter of the Lewistown Police department and supported the formation of the Mifflin County Regional Police Department. However, I havenever witnessed a board so totally out of touch with reality as the current Regional Police Board.

The total disregard for legal council following District Attorney Steve Snook's resignation as Solicitor in November of 2007 shows the level of professionalism at work in the board. The character assassination of both Chief William Herkert and Lt. Steve Knudsen in the unbelievable manner in which they were demoted, degradedand in Chief Herkert's case terminated, is deplorable. Only one current member of the board was involved whenHerkert was chosen from a field of over 50 applicants.

The county was facing an influx of street savvy minorities with drug connections, street gangs forming in nearbycommunities, drive-by shootings as close as Harrisburg and non-English speaking population growth. Chief Herkert brought experience to Regional Police that was not available within the rank and file to deal with these new challenges. He also brought a tough cop professionalism that was needed to deal with a growing force of 27 officers. The board today includes several members who are in their first year of elected office with no history of the Regional Police or understanding of municipal government. This band of rookies has led the board to thedecision reached to exclude Lt. Knudsen from leadership of the force and termination
of Chief Herkert.

I direct my questions and comments to Nelson Rieffannacht, representative of the Lewistown Borough Council on the Mifflin County Regional Police Board. Are you a "free agent" or a representative of the Lewistown Borough Council?When I was a boy growing up in the rural community of Kane, I learned a tough life lesson ....the kid who owned the game ball controlled the end of the game. It didn't matter how far into the game, if he went home, the game was over. Let me point out to you, Nelson, by defying the mandate of the Borough Council concerning Chief Herkert's termination, you have declared "game over".

Don't you realize the Lewistown Borough spends over a million dollars per year for regional Police service. Ad to that Derry Townships share and you will find that the two entities invest 83% of the funds necessary for the function of the Regional Police department. 17% comes from the combined support of the remaining fivemunicipalities: Armagh, Burnham, Brown, Union and Bratton. I strongly suggest that the obvious mission of the decisions made were to destroy the Regional Police System.

Further investigation of the members who voted for the termination shows many conflicts of interest. One member is a brother of a recently retired officer, another is a cousin of a current officer, another is from a municipality whose chairmen of the supervisors is a current officer and another is a cousin of a Regional Police administration employee.

In your case you voted in direct opposition to the Borough Council mandate. Do you have any idea of the legal implications of your actions? Is the Regional Police Board insured for the litigation you may well be facing? For what limit? You as a board appointed Sgt. Moyle as Acting Chief, passing over Lt. Knudsen. When questioned you replied that your reasons were personal and that you had been watching him for a year.

Nelson, there is no room for personal issues. I would like to know how you could be qualified to judge a 34 year veteran of the force and discredit his career by suggesting that the highest ranking officer on the force isn't qualified to lead the force. Sgt. Moyle's first official decision was to take three weeks vacation. Don't you find that a total lack of responsibility on his part? Or in reality is someone else leading the department?

Last week you presented a news release to the press to validate the board's action. At what cost to the regional Police was this boilerplate narrative prepared by the Philadelphia law firm? How much investment in their services has already been expended? Why not a local firm? I was recently lobbied by a prominent county elected official. His telling formal statement was a clear indication of one of the issues at play, "we don't need an outsider running the force, we need to promote from within".

Nelson, I feel you are being led by a desire to achieve one of three missions;
1. Destroy the Regional Police Force or

2. Rid the force of "outside leadership" or
3. Launch a personal political career by garnering free press or ALL OF THE THREE.

In conclusion, I enjoin you to surrender your position on the Mifflin County Regional Police Board of Directors at once. You have failed to listen to the mandate of the Borough Council and are operating as an individual with apersonal agenda. Please do the right thing and resign now.

I again would just like to call for the entire board to resign.