In a column earlier this year, I warned of the danger of not vetting candidates for public office in Pennsylvania, citing two instances where the elected men had criminal records that would prevent them from serving. One was a Carbon County township supervisor-elect; the other was an Allentown constable-elect. Neither was seated. Now, there are other cases, both in Lehigh County.

Manuel Rodriguez ran unopposed and was elected constable in South Whitehall Township last November. His incredible story of deception confirms what I proposed earlier this year: Candidates for public office should be vetted before they get on the ballot, or, if they are elected via write-ins, the vetting should take place before they take office.

He served as constable in Delaware Water Gap since 2014, seeking re-election in 2019 despite living in Bronx, New York, which made him ineligible to run.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty in Monroe County in 2020. In 2021, Rodriguez moved in with his sister in the Allentown suburb, flew under the radar and was elected since he was the only candidate for constable on the ballot. As part of his agreement in the Monroe County case, Rodriguez agreed that he would not seek elective office in Pennsylvania or elsewhere. So much for that agreement.

Another case is pending in Lehigh County where Steven A. Wiggs was re-elected constable in Allentown’s 16th Ward, but law enforcement surveillance over a period of time confirmed that Wiggs rarely showed up at the address he gave in his sworn nominating petition and didn’t live there. A resident who does live at that address told investigators that Wiggs is a former neighbor who asked the resident whether he could use his address as a drop box for constable business. Investigators who tracked Wiggs’ movements say he actually lives in Newark, New Jersey, where he faces multiple charges including impersonating a police officer. State police said that Wiggs has worked as a security officer and bouncer in the Philadelphia area.

These unsettling additional disclosures underline the lack of vetting and oversight for constables, who essentially perform their duties as unsupervised independent contractors.

This is a train wreck waiting to open. If these power-hungry bogus cop wannabes get into dangerous situations with people on whom they are trying to serve warrants, who knows what might happen, but I assure you that the outcome will not be good.

It appears as if these scammers look around for a vacancy where no other candidate has filed for the constable position then get elected unopposed. Without the oversight I am recommending, no one is the wiser unless someone comes forward to blow the whistle. While this is what happened in the earlier Allentown constable case, this is the exception.

Perhaps the easiest way to solve this issue would be to appoint constables, who would be properly vetted and who have the necessary experience and background to fill these important positions.

Some legitimate constables I spoke to believe that manipulators of the system, such as Rodriguez, Wiggs and Nicholas Douglas in the earlier Lehigh County case, want to have a badge and gun and pass themselves off as legitimate law enforcement officers.

The office of constable is a throwback to old English law when there were no established police forces, so the belief was that locally empowered constables would serve in this capacity. There is a growing chorus of concern about constables and whether they are even needed in a modern society.

Today in Pennsylvania, a constable is a sworn law enforcement officer who can make arrests for crimes and disturbance of the peace not only in the district in which he or she was elected but anywhere in the state.

A constable most often carries out the orders of district court justices by serving warrants and mental health orders and also can transport prisoners, serve summonses, complaints, subpoenas, protection from abuse orders, as well as eviction notices.

Constables also stand guard at polling sites to maintain order and to guarantee that no qualified elector is prevented from casting a ballot. In fact, constables are the only law enforcement officers permitted at the polls on Election Day.

Constables must be certified by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to do work for the courts. Oversight of this requirement, however, is woefully lacking. While they must also receive firearms certification to carry a gun, constables are exempt from having a permit to carry a concealed weapon and are allowed to carry a gun without completing the training. Although constables primarily serve the courts, they are part of the executive branch of government.

Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin warned that some elected constables are “loose cannons.” Last year, Martin sent guidance to county police chiefs addressing concerns about some constables.

Among other things, Martin reminded the chiefs that constables are not police officers and can’t investigate crimes or stop vehicles. Constables must never identify themselves as police officers, Martin emphasized.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.