Selectman, Pennsylvania cop investigated for residency
Locals were surprised to learn in March that selectman William Baldwin, newly re-elected for a fourth term, was leading a police department in Pennsylvania and was facing drunk driving charges there.
Both roles had residency requirements, leading to questions about where Baldwin actually lived.
The Pennsylvania town’s rules require a police chief to be a “bona fide resident” within 15 months of being appointed. New Hampshire law also requires elected officials to live in-state.
Atkinson Town Clerk Julianna Hale consulted with the New Hampshire Secretary of State to look into the matter, but announced that nothing of concern was discovered.
Regarding his residency, Baldwin stated in a public letter, “I never had dual residency,” and “those that are closest to me knew my intentions. They knew the private conversations, motivations and terms that made this a temporary assignment.”
Middletown Borough, Pennsylvania, Council Chairman Ian Reddinger disputed that, stating, “he was not hired on a temporary basis,” but instead in the wake of a three-year interim police chief.
Baldwin was fired from the policing job quickly after his arrest, but has maintained elected office in New Hampshire.
The DUI charges were expunged in August, after he completed a rehabilitation program offered to first-time offenders.
By Breanna Edelstein