CLERK DOCKED FOR SALE OF POLICE GUN
DELMAR - Thelma Hastings, a town clerk here for 15 years, was suspended from duty for six days following the disclosure that she accepted $10 from former Police Chief Charles Cullen as payment for his service revolver.
The action was taken in behalf of the joint Maryland and Delaware town council by Town Manager Robert Martin, who discovered a record of the payment entered in the town's financial records.
The council in effect, reimbursed the clerk for four of the six suspension days. the action will result in the docking of two days pay.
According to Mr. Martin, the matter of whether the outgoing police chief, who retired in March, could purchase his service revolver, a standard practice for state police, was discussed and vetoed by the council.
The transaction was then made, Mr Martin said, in April, following the council's adverse decision. He said the gun has been recovered and the money returned.
Mr. Cullen, explained he had made an informal request to purchase the gun, for a token amount, as a memento last December from the council. He said that apparently a motion was made sometime after that to reverse the decision, and he was not aware of it until just last month.
He sympathized with Mrs. Hastings, saying he thought she had done nothing wrong, and added, " I don't want the gun. I wouldn't want it if it was gold plated,"
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