Police chief says Scott Neuhaus immediately placed on administrative leave
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Officer Scott Neuhaus
A Downingtown police officer was placed on administrative leave following his arrest on Saturday by Philadelphia Police at a downtown strip club, authorities said.
Downingtown Police Chief James R. McGowan said he was notified by Philadelphia Police about 2:30 a.m. that Officer Scott A. Neuhaus had been involved in a domestic assault and resisted arrest at Delilah’s. McGowan said he apologized to the Philadelphia lieutenant with whom he spoke, telling him that “this is not how the Downingtown department operates and this is not representative of our officers or the values we instill.”
McGowan said Neuhaus, 40, a seven-year member of the department who worked previously for the Coatesville Police Department, will continue to be paid; however, his electronic access to all department materials has been curtailed. McGowan said Neuhaus’s gun was returned to the department by Philadelphia Police, who confiscated it. “He’s entitled to due process,” McGowan said of Neuhaus, who began working in the fall as the school resource officer for the Downingtown district. “And he’ll get it.”
According to court records, Neuhaus was charged with disorderly conduct with obscene language or gesture, a summary offense. A hearing in Philadelphia is scheduled for Feb. 24, records said.
McGowan said that the department would conduct an internal investigation and that Neuhaus would have an opportunity to defend himself. A decision on Neuhaus’s future with the department will ultimately rest with Borough Council, McGowan said, explaining that he will make a recommendation based on the results of the investigation.
According to its website, Delilah’s bills itself as a “gentlemen’s club and steakhouse.” It boasts being “a premiere destination for business travelers, celebrities, and uninhibited Philadelphians,” with the world’s “most beautiful showgirls, barmaids, servers, shot girls and masseuses.”
