Morrisville Borough suspended one of its police officers at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Council voted to suspend officer Bradley Smeltzer for 10 days without pay “on the dates designated by Chief Ciampa that will proceed April 2025.”
The item of course was not originally listed on Tuesday night’s council meeting agenda. Council had to first approve amending the agenda and then voted to add the suspension to the official meeting docket.
The reason for the suspension was not discussed or addressed, however borough attorney Randy Flager, when providing the solicitors report, did mention “police matters” were discussed in executive session, prior to the organizational meeting.
Smeltzer joined the department a little more than 10 years ago (April of 2024).
This is the first disciplinary action, while the department has been under Ciampa’s leadership, taking the helm last July. Ciampa did not mention the suspension during his report to council, instead he gave an accounting of the department’s successes since he was hired to lead the department.
The last borough police officer suspended is now disgraced ex-Corporeal Michael Pitcher who was subsequently terminated and later found guilty of harassing a Lower Makefield couple almost three years ago. Pitcher was sentenced to six to 23 months of prison time for unlawful use of a computer, official oppression, terroristic threats, and harassment.
Since Ciampa’s hiring, the drama quotient coming out of Morrisville about the police department is adding to increasingly better outcomes than in past years. Council, the mayor and the residents seem to be pleased with the myriad changes that have occurred in the borough’s police department. The Smeltzer suspension could just be a one -off.
