Poland trustees must explain their decision on police chief

What does Poland Township Trustee Mark Naples mean when he says "... the time has come for us to go in a different direction" in relation to his and his colleagues' decision not to reappoint 12-year veteran Carl Massullo as police chief?
Indeed, Naples' contention that trustees "just needed to make a change" could trigger all kinds of speculation as to what is going on in the Poland Police Department. But before such speculation takes on a life of its own, we believe the trustees have a responsibility to township residents to lay all the facts on the table.
After all, their search for a new police chief will invariably prompt comparisons with Massullo. What are the trustees looking for in a police chief that the individual who held the position since 1992 was unable to provide? Was there a clash of philosophies? Was there a personality conflict?
To further add to the mystery of Massullo's sudden -- at least from the public's perspective -- departure is Naples' comment that the chief "has done a good job for the community." So, his reward for doing a good job is an offer of a position within the police department at less money and a lower rank?
As chief, he was paid $29 an hour, received benefits and was given a car allowance.
Mutual agreement
Something just doesn't add up here. Naples says the decision reflects a mutual agreement between Massullo and the trustees and that the chief was not terminated. So what happened?
Residents have a right to know, especially since the Naples and his colleagues, Annette DiVito and Robert J. Lidle Jr., intend to conduct a search for a new police chief in the next few weeks. Trustees aren't sure whether they will promote from within the department or bring someone in.
"We will know within the next few weeks what our plan of attack will be," Naples says. Plan of attack?
Given the many unanswered questions surrounding the trustees' decision not to reappoint Massullo, we would hope that the search for a new chief is conducted under the spotlight of public scrutiny.
Residents have a right to be told if there are problems plaguing the department that need to be addressed urgently. On the other hand, they must be satisfied that Massullo's successor not only has the qualifications, but the experience to lead a department in a fast growing community.
We would urge the trustees to appoint a screening committee that would review the applications, interview prospective appointees and then make a recommendation to the board of trustees. Such a move would nip in the bud any speculation, if it arose, that the chief's departure was orchestrated so the job could be filled by someone pre-selected by Naples and his colleagues.
We have consistently called on government at all levels to conduct the business of the people in the open and have criticized those entities that feel the need to go behind closed doors to discuss the filling of positions as important as that of police chief.