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<p>HAZLETON &#8212; Acting police Chief Jerry Speziale will remain in his position as head of the city&#8217;s police department, at least for now.</p><p>Speziale was named to the position in January, originally stating that he would be assisting the city in that role for 120 days. Those plans seem to have changed.</p><p>He will also be still continuing in his role as head of the police department in Paterson, New Jersey.</p><p>&#8220;I decided to work with the Hazelton Police Department during a severe fiscal crisis at an hourly rate well below what I have ever received as a law-enforcement executive while continuing my responsibilities to the City of Paterson,&#8221; he said in an email. &#8220;I have not experienced any conflict during this time and both police departments are functioning well. I will evaluate how to proceed in the future. I deeply appreciate the trust and confidence that the leadership of these two fine cities has placed in me.&#8221;</p><p>In a phone interview on Tuesday, Speziale said he will rethink the issue in July.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m well liked by residents and I&#8217;ve been getting things done,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Under Speziale&#8217;s watch, several drug raids have yielded significant amounts of heroin, weapons and other drug-related paraphernalia, in addition to arrests that removed alleged criminals from the streets.</p><p>He is also supportive of the television program &#8220;COPS&#8221; coming to the city during the next eight weeks, which he said will showcase law enforcement &#8220;rescuing or saving someone&#8217;s life or a criminal being arrested.&#8221;</p><p>His tenure, though, has not been without controversy.</p><p>Councilwoman Grace Cuozzo has questioned by Speziale&#8217;s position, which has never been presented before the council for approval.</p><p>Cuozzo said that according to the third-class city code, department heads, including the police chief, serve with the &#8220;advice and consent of council.&#8221;</p><p>Presentation of department heads, originally appearing on the city council meeting agenda on Jan. 4 during Mayor Jeff Cusat&#8217;s inaugural meeting, never made it to the floor and were pulled from the agenda.</p><p>Cuozzo questioned why the director of public services, director of public works, director of community development, police and fire chiefs haven&#8217;t been brought before council.</p><p>In a February meeting in which Cusat and council members disagreed over the meaning of &#8220;advice and consent&#8221; language, council requested that city solicitor Donald Karpowich research the matter.</p><p>&#8220;I was advised that the matter was forwarded to the labor attorney,&#8221; Cuozzo said Wednesday morning. &#8220;But so far we have not heard back.&#8221;</p><p>Councilman David Sosar said he also was concerned about Cusat&#8217;s failure to appoint department heads, including Speziale.</p><p>Sosar said that after resolutions to appoint department heads were pulled from the Jan. 4 agenda, he anticipated that they would at some point come before the council.</p><p>Now he&#8217;s not so sure.</p><p>&#8220;I will wait and see what kind of course of action that Mr. Cusat will take,&#8221; Sosar said. &#8220;His plan keeps changing. I&#8217;m not trying to assume anything, I&#8217;m going to wait to see his decisions.&#8221;</p><p>Sosar, a professor at King&#8217;s College, said he believes he has a full understanding of the definition of &#8220;advice and consent.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the same at the local and federal levels,&#8221; Sosar said. &#8220;Advice and consent means that council gets to vote on what the mayor presents.&#8221;</p><p>Sosar did note that the city solicitor was presented by Cusat and approved by council in January, a fact which he said made the absence of Cusat&#8217;s presentation of other departments heads even more difficult to understand.</p><p>&#8220;His plan seems to be &#8216;I can do what I want&#8217;,&#8221; Sosar said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Cuozzo </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Cuozzo_mug_WEB-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Cuozzo </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Sosar_David_toned-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sosar </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Sosar_David_toned-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Sosar </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Speziale_Jerry_toned-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Speziale </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Speziale_Jerry_toned-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Speziale </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Hazleton’s acting police chief Jerry Speziale will remain in office at least until July