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Wilkes-Barre Mayor Fires Police Union Vice President Over ‘Threatening’ Email

WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre police officer is off the job after sending what the mayor felt was a threatening email regarding the performance of another...

WILKES-BARRE -- A Wilkes-Barre police officer is off the job after sending what the mayor felt was a threatening email regarding the performance of another commander.

According to that Facebook post, Wilkes-Barre Police Union Vice President Dan Duffy is out of the job as a Wilkes-Barre police officer.

Mayor Tony George fired the former Scranton police chief Wednesday night after receiving what he calls a "threatening" email from Duffy.

This isn't the first time the city's administration and police force have gone head to head.

The police union says the firing of Officer Duffy is another example of the witch hunt against union officials and members of the department.

A post on the union Facebook page shows the former Scranton police chief was fired after sending what Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George thought was a "harassing" email.

In that email, Duffy accuses a police commander of acting unfairly over an attendance issue with another officer, writing, "the manner in which your commander is acting is unprofessional, inappropriate and insulting to the profession."

Duffy went on to say this wasn't a personal attack on the commander but if the city doesn't do something now, it could seriously hurt in the future, writing, "your failing to act on a problem 'laying in wait' may be a costly one, both tangibly and intangibly."

No one at city hall would speak to Newswatch 16 about this, saying city officials do not comment on personnel matters but in the email, Mayor Tony George fired back saying, "I do not appreciate being threatened," and that the commander acted appropriately because, "as far as he knew, the officer failed to show."

This is the latest clash in the ongoing battle between the administration and the police force. About two weeks ago Wilkes-Barre City Council decided to look into how the police force operates.

"It's an unhealthy situation. it's dysfunctional, obviously. I think that's a kind word with where we're at now," said council member Bill Barrett. "We need to do something about it."

The union plans to appeal officer Duffy's firing.

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