NORRISTOWN — It was standing room only inside Norristown Municipal Council chambers as more than 100 people showed up for a Tuesday evening work session, some voicing support for Police Chief Jacqueline Bailey-Davis and others for Fire Chief Tom O’Donnell.
People filled the seats, stood along the walls and stood outside the meeting room as council convened the regularly scheduled meeting. While no items on the agenda concerned either the police chief or fire chief, public comment dominated the championing of both O’Donnell and Bailey-Davis.
“To say that he’s anything less than an ambassador for Norristown says that you know nothing about Chief O’Donnell,” said Norristown resident Julie DeOrzio.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be heard and I’m here to speak on behalf of Jacqueline Bailey-Davis,” said commenter Tyree Wallace, of Philadelphia, describing the police chief as “a phenomenal woman, a phenomenal leader who cares for the people and people care for her.”
There was a charged atmosphere in the room packed with firefighters stating admiration for O’Donnell, while others had words of support for Bailey-Davis, expressing concern over the security of her position as police chief.
Bailey-Davis was hired as chief earlier this year. O’Donnell served six months as interim municipal administrator after the resignation of Crandall Jones in February. Several commenters referenced actions that allegedly occurred during O’Donnell’s time in the municipal management role.
Former Councilwoman Heather Lewis took aim at O’Donnell, castigating the decision to appoint him to serve as interim municipal administrator.
She recalled from a discussion with Lepera about O’Donnell that “by his own admission, he was not qualified to take that position, and since then it resulted in a plethora of bad decisions: invasion of privacy, sexism, racism, spending sprees unchecked,” she said, as murmurs could be heard from the crowd.
“I am sadly disappointed at the dismantling of all the good work that was laid out before you,” Lewis continued her address to council members. “Y’all were handed the keys to the city. All you had to do was keep on doing it. Y’all have the blueprint, and again, I repeat, if you don’t have the courage, and you haven’t found your voice yet, be careful before you pick sides because people are skilled at making others look bad.”
Residents took to the podium to defend O’Donnell.
“I stand by Chief O’Donnell because of who he has been for 19401, and will continue to do so because he has done marvelous work and will continue to do work here in Norristown,” said Norristown resident Netta Johnson.
“He will be the first to hold you up, and also hold you accountable, irregardless of your gender, race or anything else but your actions,” DeOrzio said. “He does what is right, and expects everyone else to do so as well.”
Others spoke with concern for Bailey-Davis.
“Council members who have voted to represent the people from Norristown seem to be working against that by the alarming decision to undermine our progress by dismissing our Chief of Police Dr. Jacqueline Bailey-Davis,” said Norristown resident Matti Yvonne Platts. “While it may not be on no agenda, the word has drifted to the streets that that is y’all decision.”
Bailey-Davis, a former Philadelphia police inspector, was sworn in in January as the department’s first Black woman chief.
She assumed the leadership role left vacant by former Chief Derrick Wood, who’d also worked for the Philadelphia Police Department. Wood had been hired in December 2021 following the departure of former Chief Mark Talbot, but resigned after a year on the job.
Captain Michael Bishop had been leading the department on an interim basis for nearly a year while municipal officials conducted a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.
“Chief Bailey-Davis faces the same micro and macro aggressions that have plagued Black female police chiefs all across this nation,” Platts said. “[These] charges stem from her actions to reform the department long marred by systemic racism and gender discrimination.”
“For decades community and the police department were at odds. I can personally bear witness to times where there was no trust in this community toward the police and no respect of the community for law enforcement,” Platts said.
Norristown resident blasts what she sees as mistreatment of police chief
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Platts gave an impassioned speech during a work session back in September where she expressed her frustrations with the municipality, her comments stemming from the removal of Bailey-Davis’ designated parking space in the Municipal Hall lot, located at 235 E. Airy St. Platts demanded the sign be returned, asserting how discarding it “is not just a minor issue. It is a flagrant example of sexism and racism.”
Norristown Municipal Council President Thomas Lepera told MediaNews Group back in September that signs designating parking spots for several municipal leaders were removed a few months ago to allow more space for constituent parking.
DeOrzio categorized the “theatrics that have gone on the last few months” as “embarrassing” as well as a “disservice to the men and women that live and work in this town.”
“To be a true public servant, you should find the furthest place in the lot to park, as I did tonight, and allow the people that you serve that aren’t able to walk as far park close to the building so they can do their business without more of a struggle than needed,” she said.
Vocal support of the police chief has continued with at least one public comment made about the police chief or her parking spot at each meeting since the Sept. 17 work session, according to a municipal spokesperson.
Former Norristown Councilwoman Mila Hayes touted Bailey-Davis’ qualifications, emphasizing “because of where she has come from, she has a deeper understanding of the root causes in a community like Norristown, and therefore, I believe she is the best chief that we need today.”
Platts again blasted local officials as she took to the podium on Tuesday.
“It’s apparent to me that actions of council are outright racist and sexist, and for even considering the ideal of dismissing our chief who has since day one been serving our community with love and respect and has been genuinely committed to her service,” Platts said.
O’Donnell declined to comment following Tuesday’s meeting.
Norristown resident James Daley shared during public comments his past experience working with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and told attendees that he’s known the fire chief for decades.
“Let Chief O’Donnell know that if he needs my services, they will be available,” Daley said. “This particular made up stuff … is an abomination and this is an unnecessary thing and a smear on this community.”
Following the meeting, municipal officials declined to comment on the fate of Bailey-Davis’ position as police chief, citing personnel confidentiality.
“I find it sad that we recently had a 16-year-old that was shot in the leg, and nobody’s coming out to talk about that or the increase in crime that we have seen in our community,” Lepera told MediaNews Group. “But instead we’re still continuing to talk about parking spaces and throw allegations of people’s character out there. It’s just a sad point in time for Norristown.”
He added, “I’ve known Tom O’Donnell my entire life as a Norristown resident, him being one as well. I’ve never seen any of the allegations that are being thrown at him to be true.”
Reacting to the public comments, Bailey-Davis told MediaNews Group “everyone is entitled to their opinions, and how they feel but for me, specifically, I know who I am, and I can’t be dismayed or baffled by some community members’ perspective with the innuendos and conjecture about me. They don’t know me, and there are people here who do know me — they see my work.
“I don’t really say much. I just try to go and do as much as I can because I came here to serve. I am a collaborator. I bring people together,” she continued. “Sometimes when … things have to be instituted for transformational change, there’s some hostility there, and it’s OK, but … I know I am treating people well, fairly and I’m doing the best that I can with what I have.”
