Pushak Out, Bukovinsky in As Cecil Township Police Chief

Cecil Township supervisors on Monday night promoted police Capt. Shawn Bukovinsky to the department's top position—a personnel move that came in the wake of former police Chief John Pushak being placed on administrative leave last month.

Supervisors voted in March to place Pushak on paid administrative leave while Cypher & Cypher conducted an audit. The audit examined a township account that had to do with the Department of Justice forfeiture program. In addition, special counsel appointed by the board to conducted a special investigation and reported that there had been unauthorized withdrawals and deposits in the account, which was started in December 2009.

The money in the account was to be used for sting operations.

In the end, the investigation found that all funds had been accounted for, according to the attorney.

Township officials noted that Pushak brought the account discrepancies to the attention of the township and fully cooperated with the investigation.

The attorney, as well as Cecil Township solicitor John Smith, indicated that limited information would be released on the move because it was a personnel matter, but that they wanted to "balance" the public's right to know with Pushak's due process rights.

The attorneys also indicated that Washington County District Attorney Gene Vitton had been kept aprised of the investigation.

Pushak's resignation/retirement was accepted unanimously.

"I did not make this decision lightly," Pushak wrote in his resignation letter, which cited family, health and personal reasons for his decision to conclude his 38-year career with the township.

That letter was dated March 5.

In a separate letter to board Chairman Tom Casciola, Pushak said he took "full responsibility for his actions" and said that he had believed he had authorization to make the deposits and withdrawls from the account.

While he volunteered to help the department in any way during the transition of leadership, Supervisor Elizabeth Cowden amended a motion to accept his resignation to include a caveat that Pushak not be eligible for any future employment in the township.

Supervisor Mike Debbis seconded the amendment.

The vote for Bukovinsky's appointment was 4-1 with Cowden casting the dissenting vote. She said it was nothing personal—that she had other concerns.

She said she would have preferred the board appoint Bukovinsky to the position of officer in charge for one year, and that he be required to move into the township upon being named chief.

"It has nothing to do with (Bukovinsky)," Cowden explained. "It's about the past."

Bukovinsky, flanked by his wife and two school-aged sons, was sworn in minutes after the vote to appoint him to chief was taken. His appointment was met with an uproar of applause from the audience.