Pocono News Section

Former Police Chief Avoids Jail

Former Police Chief Avoids Jail - Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 04:19AM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Wednesday June 09 2010

FALLS TOWNSHIP, WYOMING COUNTY - A former Wyoming County police chief, who was accused of falsifying his time-card, will not go to jail.

Jason Kizer, the former chief in Falls Township, learned his fate in court Wednesday morning.

Earlier this year, Kizer pleaded no contest to charges of tampering with public records. Kizer was sentenced to 12 months probation and 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

Kizer was police chief in Falls Township between January and August 2007. While on the clock, prosecutors say Kizer would also go to police departments in other counties and work there at the same time.

"He had worked with other municipalities in Lackawanna County I believe at the time," District Attorney Jeff Mitchell said. "The records simply didn't match up, so it became pretty clear that he was falsifying his records."

Investigators say Kizer's scheme went on for months. He allegedly pocketed thousands of dollars.

Business owners in town are shocked Kizer didn't get any time in prison.

"I'm surprised that he's not getting any jail time because he was a police officer," Wesley Jordan said. Jordan owns the Mill City Dairy Bar.

Police who live in Falls Township admit not much happens in their community, but they say this situation has been the buzz for the last three years.

"It cost us our police force. We have protection now from another area, but it's hit-or-miss," Jordan said.

District Attorney Mitchell says he's satisfied with the sentence handed down Wednesday morning. He just hopes all police officers are not given a bad name by this one incident.

"The vast majority of police officers do an excellent job, but they're human too I guess...and a few of them make bad decisions," Mitchell said.