Deskins v. Borough of West Brownsville

• Decision Date: 22 April 1957
• Citation: 131 A.2d 101,388 Pa. 547
• Parties: Mell DESKINS v. BOROUGH OF WEST BROWNSVILLE, Appellant.
• Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Page 101

131 A.2d 101

388 Pa. 547

Mell DESKINS v. BOROUGH OF WEST BROWNSVILLE, Appellant.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

April 22, 1957.

Austin J. Murphy, Jr., Charieroi, for appellant.

William C. Porter, Washington, for appellee.

Before CHARLES ALVIN JONES, C. J., and BELL, CHIDSEY, MUSMANNO, ARNOLD, BENJAMIN R. JONES and COHEN, JJ.

COHEN, Justice.

In 1936 the Borough of West Brownsville employed a policeman for a two-year period to engage in the normal activities of police officer for the Borough, Every two years thereafter, at its organizational meeting in January, the Borough Council regularly acted on applications for this post and made appointments. In January 1956, Mell Deskins, who had held the position since 1950, submitted his application, as he had done in previous years, along with those of several others. The Council, however, deferred action on the application until February when it selected two others as special policemen. Deskins, relying on the Police Tenure Act, of June 15, 1951, P.L. 586, 53 P.S. §§ 352.1-352.5, thereupon petitioned the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County to order his reinstatement as a fulltime police officer. From the order of the court granting the relief sought, the Borough prosecutes this appeal.

The Police Tenure Act provides, inter alia: 'No person employed as a regular, full time police officer in any police department of * * * any borough * * * within the scope of this act, shall be suspended or removed except for the following reasons:

'(1) physical or mental disability * * *;

'(2) neglect or violation of any official duty;

'(3) violating of any law of this Commonwealth * * *;

'(4) * * * conduct unbecoming an officer;

'(5) intoxication while on duty.

'A person so employed shall not be removed for religious, racial or political reasons. A written statement of any charges made against any person so employed shall be furnished to such person within five days after the same are filed.' Act of June 15, 1951, P.L. 586, § 2, 53 P.S. § 352.2. (Emphasis supplied). partially endorsed and granted police tenure.

Legislation to the date of this Act 'only In boroughs, incorporated towns and townships of the first class, job tenure was limited to police forces of three or more members and in townships of the second class no job tenure was provided, whatever might be the size of the police force. Evidently to remedy an obviously inequitable situation, the Legislature in 1951 passed the Police Tenure Act, [cite. omitted], which extended tenure to police forces of less than three members in boroughs, incorporated towns and townships of the first class and to all police forces of townships of the second class, regardless of the number employed. This was an expression of public policy to grant job tenure to all police employed by such municipalities regardless of their political classification. The desirability of granting employment security has long been recognized as mutually beneficial to employer and employe.' Mr. Justice Chidsey in McCandless Township v. Wylie, 1953, 375 Pa. 378, 382-383, 100 A.2d 590, 592.

The Borough appeals on the ground that Deskins was not a 'regular full-time police officer.' That Deskins was a 'fulltime' employe is conceded, and the...