Former Yeadon police chief speaks to Action News a day after being fired
Anthony Paparo had led Yeadon's police force since 2018.
YEADON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A day after he was voted out of his job as police chief in Yeadon, Delaware County, Anthony Paparo spoke out about his next steps.
"This wasn't how I saw my career coming to an end, and I'm not going to accept the fact that it has ended," Paparo told Action News on Friday.
Paparo had led Yeadon's police force since 2018. But in a heated Borough Council meeting Thursday night, members voted 4-3 to fire him.
Paparo says he had been scheduled to give a safety presentation at a local school on Friday morning, but it was canceled.
"Part of the things I do for the community is I go around to the schools and do active shooter presentations for the safety of the kids and the staff," Paparo said.
He continued, "I got a call this morning telling me that I was not welcome to come back."
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Paparo's supporters say some of the council members wanted him gone in favor of hiring a Black chief in a predominately Black community.
But those who voted to fire Paparo said he violated union contracts, costing the borough $380,000 in overspending.
Paparo says that money was spent on training part-time officers and protecting residents during the unrest following the death of George Floyd.
Paparo planned to speak with his attorney on Friday about his options.
"Sadly, I don't know that I will get my job back. I think that this council will move quickly to replace me, and then what happens with the next guy?" asked Paparo.
But Paparo has no plans to disappear.
"There's a L.O.V.E. Garden in Community Park that I started, and I'm not going to let that fall apart, so I will be here in the spring with my tiller working with the community to get that going," Paparo said.
The council voted to make Lt. Shawn Burns interim police chief.
