Wise move
Good news surfaced out of German Township this past week as township supervisors approved a one-year contract with the Southwest Regional Police Department, pending a final review by their solicitor.
The service will cost the township $5,720 monthly and will be maintained on a trial basis. If at any point the supervisors want to back out of the contract, they can do so by giving the department a 60-day written notice.
The township became the second Fayette County municipality to contract with SWRPD during the past year as Point Marion Borough approved a similar pact last April. Increases in liability insurance rates had forced the borough to shut down its own police department. In passing its budget last month, borough council members said they were happy with the department and were hoping to renew the contract when it comes up this April.
Begun in 2005, the department provides police service for more than 15,000 residents in Point Marion, Belle Vernon and Newell in Fayette County; Coal Center and Union Township in Washington County; and Gray, Morris, Perry and Wayne townships in Greene County.
In the past, many local municipalities had their own police forces, but over the years as finances got tougher, they decided to disband their departments in favor of coverage from the Pennsylvania State Police.
But the state police are dealing with budgetary problems of their own, forcing them to operate with many unfilled vacancies. State police are also busier than ever in dealing with major crimes, such as homicides and drugs.
But that’s where the Southwest Regional Police Department can play a crucial role. Deployed in local municipalities, they can respond quickly and work effectively on a day-to-day basis with local residents.
It’s also much more cost effective for municipalities to become part of an already established regional police department rather than trying to start their own police department, especially when considering the cost of purchasing cars and other equipment.
In an interview with the 蘑菇视频 last year, John Hartman, chief of the SWRPD, said he can tailor plans to cover the needs of different municipalities, noting that some might want more traffic control, while others might want more foot patrols. Hartman added that the cost for coverage overall would decrease with more municipalities joining the department.
Hartman also stressed that his department works “hand-in-hand” with the state police, noting his department is not averse to relinquishing investigations to state police when it is a homicide or other high-profile crime. He said that his department’s resources are available to help out neighboring police departments and the state police should they request assistance.
State Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Township, deserves credit for making township officials aware of the the SWRPD and the services it offers. Mahoney has been a believer in the regionalization of police services, maintaining it can be a big help in reducing crime in the area.
Of course, it remains to be seen if everything can be worked out between the German Township supervisors and the SWRPD, and whether it can work for local residents in not just the short term but the long term as well.
But the supervisors deserve credit for at least trying to do something instead of sticking their heads in the sand and refusing to deal with the increasing crime problem which is affecting all communities in Fayette County.
The hope is that everything does work out and more local municipalities will avail themselves of SWRPD’s services. The ideal would be a two-tier effect with the SWRPD handling more routine items and the state police being available for the more serious crimes. That would be a win-win for everyone. The only losers would be the criminals, but it’s about time they started suffering some setbacks.