Delaware County community 'blindsided' by hiring of new police chief at public meeting
COLLINGDALE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Despite opposition from community members, several council members, and the mayor, the Collingdale Borough Council voted Tuesday night to hire a new police chief.
Pending a background check, the new chief of police in Collingdale will be Shanee Mitchell.
According to her application for the job, Mitchell currently serves as the police chief in Selinsgrove Borough, Snyder County, and as an adjunct instructor for the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute.
The application also states she served the Philadelphia Police Department, first as a sergeant and later as a lieutenant, from 2012 to 2017.
"At the end of the day, the FOP is willing to work with her," said Christopher Eiserman, president of the FOP Delaware County Lodge 27. "She's a retired lieutenant from the Philadelphia Police Department, so I'm sure she has a good background."
Tuesday's meeting in Delaware County picked up where the last meeting left off a few weeks ago, as the issue of hiring a new chief took center stage.
The meeting began with a passionate public comment about the council's search for a new chief after a controversial vote back in June to remove Chief Patrick Kilroy.
"All of these residents are here for a reason because we're upset," one Collingdale resident said during public comment.
Inside the community center, people voiced their concerns about the rumored hiring of Rhaheem Blanden as chief.
According to the Delaware County District Attorney's Office, Blanden, a former police officer in Chester, is under investigation for misconduct on the force.
"Why would you not let that investigation go through?" questioned Shannon Murphy of Collingdale. "If he is cleared, I will be the first one to sign that sheet and give an apology to everyone in this room."
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In a surprising turn of events, the council said Blanden was no longer a candidate for the job and proposed a vote to hire Mitchell instead.
Collingdale Mayor Donna Matteo-Spadea said she and a couple of other council members were taken by surprise with this decision.
"We were blindsided.We were handed a paper at the end of a meeting, and we were told this who they are picking and who they are voting on for a new police chief," she told Action News. "We need time to meet this person to know if she's going to gel with our force."
The head of the police union says he will be reaching out to Mitchell this week, in the hopes he can meet with her and see how Collingdale can move forward.
