Police Chief Scrambles to Staff Intersections for 5K Walk/Run

In hopes that no one gets “waffled,” Nazareth Police Chief Thomas Trachta is scrambling to find enough staff and volunteers to guard 30 intersections during Saturday’s , which will raise funds for .

At borough council's police committee meeting Monday night, Trachta said he was first informed of the walk/run on Sept. 13 -- a mere 11 days before the event -- by organizer Louise Krouse.

“It’s not her fault,” Trachta said. “She’s been very apologetic.”

Since finding out last Tuesday about the event, Trachta said he’s been “scrambling” to find borough personnel to cover at least 11 major intersections the walkers and runners will be heading through.

If more personnel don’t commit, “we’ll just have to roll the dice” on the other 19 intersections, Trachta said.

Trachta explained that he contacted Alan Siegfried, chief of Upper Nazareth Township police, but Siegfried said he knew nothing about the event, which starts and ends at the -- in Upper Nazareth.

“Siegfried wouldn’t commit [to covering any intersections],” Trachta said.

Mike Rinker, who is the emergency management coordinator for Nazareth and the chairman of the Upper Nazareth Board of Supervisors, said he would bring up the matter at his meeting Wednesday night if Siegfried does not.

Trachta added that two of seven traffic-control officers have committed to covering the event, and he asked Danny Keenhold, , if volunteer firefighters or fire police would be willing to assist.

Trachta also brought up the idea of hiring crossing guards.

“That would be $800 or $900 for something that’s originating out of Upper Nazareth Township,” said Councilman Michael Kopach.

“It’s only in Upper Nazareth Township for a couple hundred feet,” Rinker countered.

Councilman Larry Stoudt said the decision to hire crossing guards would be made after a more thorough discussion with the borough's fire department.

“There needs to be more accountability of council when approving these events,” Trachta said.

When Trachta began commenting on Nazareth Days -- there were scheduling conflicts and many close calls between vehicles and pedestrians around Center Square -- Stoudt interrupted him.

“Don’t blame council for what happened on Nazareth Days,” Stoudt yelled. “People overstepped their [boundaries] to do whatever the hell they wanted to do, and that’s not going to happen next year.”

Council president Dan Chiavaroli stepped in, adding that he and Councilman Frank Maurek had already discussed the situation and determined that a meeting between council and anyone holding an event in the borough would be held to sit down and iron out issues.

“The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, and that’s how you end up with all of these conflicts,” Stoudt said.

Stoudt added that council needs to stop “rubber-stamping” every event that comes across the desk at council chambers.

“We’re in this now,” Stoudt said. “There’s nothing we can do. You [have to] handle it the best you can, chief. We [have to] get that committee together in the first or second week in January.”

Stoudt hopes the process of event-approval gets revamped in January.

“Just sending a letter and council rubber-stamping it -- we can’t do that anymore,” he said. “We don’t have the personnel and we don’t have the cash. We committed to this fundraiser, and we’re going to stick to it.”