LACEYVILLE -- Newswatch 16 has learned that the police chief in the Wyoming County community of Laceyville is accused of driving under the influence while on-duty, wearing his uniform, and in a borough squad car.
Laceyville police's two squad cars sit idle in front of an empty mobile home that functioned as police headquarters.
And this week, no one in this borough in Wyoming County has seen police patrol Laceyville's streets.
"The only time newsmen ever come here is when something bad has happened," said Laceyville native Bonnie Baker when learning police chief Scott Perry was taken into custody Monday afternoon.
Multiple sources say a state police officer in the Bradford County township of Standing Stone pulled over Chief Perry, who was driving an unmarked squad car, and wearing his police uniform.
It has left people in and around Laceyville angry.
"He`s representing the community here, and that`s a bad example for all the people here, especially the kids," said Jeff Frank of Meshoppen. "What does that tell the kids?"
This is the second time recently Laceyville Police made news.
In June, the borough briefly suspended part-time officer Matt Chamberlain after a photo surfaced that appears to show Chamberlain selling a semi-automatic weapon from his cruiser while on duty.
Chamberlain later left the department, leaving Chief Perry the only cop in the borough, until this week.
"We do not have any police department," said Mayor Phil Brewer. "I just called the Tunkhannock State Police, they`re going to cover for us until this situation is resolved."
"We need to start all over with policemen in our town," said Bonnie Baker.
Mayor Brewer says the Laceyville Borough Council is scheduled to meet Friday night to consider disbanding the police department. It's now a department whose one member is off the job while state police wait for blood alcohol tests.