News 12 has confirmed that the Spring Valley mayor has suspended the village’s police chief.
It’s not known why Mayor Alan Simon suspended Chief Richard Oleszcuk, but it came as the mayor removed the department’s school resource officer from Spring Valley High School.
It's unclear why Simon did that, but East Ramapo School Superintendent Clarence Ellis expressed concern about the removal. He says a school resource officer can build relationships with students.
The superintendent hopes the mayor and police department can resolve their differences quickly so consistency can be restored to the SRO program.
News 12 reached out to Simon but has not heard back yet.