Retired NYC cop enters Morrisville mayor's race as write-in candidate

A retired New York City cop has joined Morrisville's mayoral race as a write-in candidate, telling Bucks Inq that he's running in part to quash the inner turmoil that plagues the borough's police department and government.

Bill Pepitone said his law enforcement background would help him put an end to the "adversarial relationship" between the borough's current mayor and the police department as well as the infighting between cops.

As we've written before, officers within the department are suing each other. One has alleged harassment from fellow cops over making too many arrests. Another has filed a hostile work environment complaint.

At the same time, the borough's current mayor is suing the borough manager, some council members and the former police chief. Rita Ledger, who lost her re-election bid in this year's Democratic primary, claims she has been denied access to police records and other information and that borough officials harassed her with sexist comments.

Morrisville, a small town across the Delaware River from Trenton, is currently searching for a new police chief since Jack Jones retired in December. Frederick De Vesa, a retired New Jersey judge, served as an interim police chief for two weeks but resigned last month because of the turmoil.

Pepitone, the write-in candidate, said:  "The mayor has to come in and establish a relationship with the incoming police chief and act as an intermediary. Right now it's an adversarial relationship that just won't work."

The Democratic candidate in the borough's mayoral race is David Rivella, an electrician and a borough councilman. He is one of the council members being sued by Ledger, the current mayor.

Rivella said he'll come to the job with first-hand knowledge of the police department's conflicts, which he has been privy too through executive session.

"The other two candidates don't have any idea what they're getting into," Rivella said.

The Republican candidate, Sandra Kitty Westrope, a psychologist, said the mayor has a limited role when it comes to the police department.

"I don't really see where being a retired police officer makes [Pepitone] a strong candidate," she said. "Basically, the mayor is supposed to represent the borough in public relations. It's time to get someone in there that's going to be the voice of the people."