POLICE Dumping of files prompts concern

The mayor says he's sure the police were careful.
GIRARD -- Several police files tossed into a trash bin will be reviewed one more time, just to be sure they're no longer needed, Mayor James J. Melfi said.
The records had been locked in a room since the police department relocated three years ago from its former Main Street quarters to the first floor of the new justice center, Melfi said.
Police reviewed the files over time to satisfy themselves they weren't active cases, were duplicate records or just weren't needed, he said. "We were careful."
Remodeling ongoing in city hall resulted in these files -- including "hundreds of mug shots" from the 1950s, '60s and '70s -- getting dumped over the weekend.
"It's material that should have been thrown out years ago but wasn't," Melfi said. "Just junk."
Janitor had permission
The mayor stressed that a janitor had permission to dispose of the material as remodeling goes on at that end of the building, which is attached to the justice center.
The city doesn't have a shredder that can handle such a large amount of paperwork, the mayor explained. Also, the bulk of the material was grant applications, old schedules and nonconfidential police material, he said.
The family of a missing Girard woman, however, learned of their disposal and expressed concern. Some of the documents are from the case of Charlotte Nagi Pollis, reported missing in March 1994.
The Nagi Pollis documents in the trash bin are believed to be duplicates already contained in the two or three large storage boxes police are keeping in the case, which does remain open, Melfi explained.
Her brother Ali Nagi Jr. brought the matter to authorities' attention.
Now, the trash bin is locked, and the items inside will get another review, Melfi said. "We're going to make sure that nothing was overlooked. It's that simple."