Dear Editor: I retired from East Penn Township Police Department in 1996 after having given 15 yeas of the most important years of my life to that job. For the duration, I tried to build it into a full-time position, only to be held down by supervisors who had no vision. Yes, they paid me for 20 hours per week, although, I, like a dummy took the calls 24-7 from home! After retirement I have constantly received complaints about the police department activity.

I have passed them off and told the complainant to take it up wit the present board of supervisors.Today, however, (Monday, April 23, 2012 at about 4:15 p.m.) I was involved in an incident on Rt. 895, just west of East Penn Trucking Co. A rollback truck was in the process of loading a damaged vehicle. I was westbound and had to stop because a black car was parking on the right lane, partially into the highway. An unidentified man was stopping traffic with a flashlight. He had no identification to show he had such authority (such as police attire, safety vest, etc.). Immediately traffic began to line up behind me. Meanwhile, eastbound traffic was beginning to back up to a bad curve, formerly called "Semmels Curve" a scene of many bad accidents. Now it gets funny! What appeared to be an East Penn Township police officer was standing alongside a police car in front of the rollback. The officer was speaking to an unidentified man, and was not the least bit concerned with moving the now building traffic congestion! After a while, that police officer jumped into his patrol car and left eastbound, leaving the scene to said "unidentified traffic person!" Therefore, would it not have been more prudent to move said black car from the shoulder, alternate traffic flow and remove the risk of another rear end collision at "Semmels Curve."In conclusion, I now believe many of the complaints I have been receiving about East Penn Township police, (my Alma Mater!) may be legitimate. I appeal to the present sitting board to see that the police are properly trained to avoid a bad situation in the near future!Respectfully,Richard M. Gross, Lehighton