Hellertown’s longtime police chief, Robert Shupp III, resigned this week following an investigation into what borough council described as “discrepancies” in his payroll.
Council approved Shupp’s resignation at an emergency meeting held Friday evening, at which a statement about the investigation was issued.
The preliminary investigation “revealed that these discrepancies were not caused by clerical errors, but were more serious,” the statement said. “This is a matter the Borough Council and the Mayor take very seriously.”
In Hellertown, the Mayor “is the chief law enforcement officer of the Borough,” according to the borough website.
After deciding that “the best course of action is to have further investigation (of the discrepancies) investigated by outside officials,” council decided to refer the matter to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, the statement indicated.
“Because this matter has been turned over to state authorities, we will have no further comment until their investigation is completed,” it concluded.
Shupp, 47, of Bushkill Township, has been Hellertown’s chief of police since 2009 and a member of the department for nearly 25 years.
In 2020, his salary was $101,569, according to publicly available borough budget documents from 2021.
Borough council did not appoint an interim chief at Friday’s meeting, but councilwoman Liz Thompson made a motion to table the appointment until council and Mayor David Heintzelman have had an opportunity to speak with interested members of the department, Channel 69 News reported.
Until the appointment of an interim chief is approved, Ofc. Dominick Fragano is serving as the officer in charge of the department, the report said.
More information about the Hellertown Police Department may be found on its Facebook page.
Robert W. Shupp III has resigned as Chief of Police in the Borough of Hellertown following an investigation into what borough council has described as “payroll discrepancies.” Council issued a statement Friday about its preliminary investigation, which it said has concluded, with the results to be turned over to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office. (FILE PHOTO)
