BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      A Boardman Police Department dispatcher, Casey Englebaugh, has been relieved of her duties.
      Records of her job performance were obtained by The Boardman News after a request was made to Boardman Township, and then reviewed by the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office.
      Dispatcher Englebaugh’s record first came to the attention of the Boardman Police Department administrative staff on Jan. 3, 2017, when a complaint was lodged that she allowed an unauthorized person into the Mahoning County 9-1-1 center located in the police department.
      According to the complaint, the unauthorized person remained in the dispatch center “for over two hours, and was not on official business.”
      Englebaugh said an off-duty Lowellville police officer came to the dispatch center (near midnight) on Jan. 1, 2017 to bring she and another employee coffee.
      “It never crossed my mind that there would be any issue with it,” Englebaugh said, adding “I think he left around 3:00 a.m.”
      She was ordered to follow all proper procedures, policies and rules, and if she did not meet “expected improvement,” she could face “progressive discipline, up to and including termination.”
      On May 24, 2019, Englebaugh was informed of the findings of an internal investigation into her job performance by Chief Todd Werth.
      “As directed, Capt. [Ed] McDonnell has completed an internal investigation concerning allegations you violated Boardman Police Department policy,” Chief Werth said, adding after reviewing the results, “I have determined that the investigation substantiates that serious misconduct related to policies and directives on your part have occurred.”
      Capt. McDonnell’s investigation determined the Englebaugh “routinely did not assist other dispatchers in any manner during the course of workshifts.”
      “It is essential that the proper operation of the Communication Center be based upon working together and the willingness to work in a team environment. Failure to actively support your peers has a direct result on not only the efficiency of the Communications Center, but also more important the safety of firefighters, police officer and our community,” Chief Werth said.
      “A fundamental duty of a dispatcher is working hand-in-hand with your coworkers in the Communications Center (is) to not only provide assistance, but also act as a second set of eyes and ears to ensure important tasks are completed, promptly and correctly.
      “By choosing to operate in a vacuum and not assist other dispatchers, this process of ‘quality control’ in the center to ensure things are not missed speaks to your unwilligness to perform your duties, or to do so, only when you determine that is necessary,” Chief Werth said.
      Englebaugh was also cited with spending “an inordinate and significant amount of time on personal social media during her work times” that could potentially lead to mistakes; a lack of knowledge of rules and regulations, and as well, a lack of truthfulness “whether under oath or not,” centering around an anonymous letter that was sent to Boardman Township Trustees and their administration.
      Asked about Englebaugh’s termination as a Boardman PD dispatcher, Chief Werth said “We have outstanding employees working here for Boardman Township. We hold them to a very high standard based upon the important nature of their work. In the very rare instances where those standards of professionalism and willingness to work in a cooperative team atmosphere are not met, we are not going to shy away from taking actions to correct the situation. Holding people that work here accountable is an important part of maintaining the trust and support of the community.”