After months of discussion, the committee exploring a merger of Leechburg and nearby police departments is in what one committee member called “the last mile” of deciding the future of policing there.
A draft charter agreement that would define how a merged police department would operate was presented to Leechburg Council members this week.
In August, Leechburg Councilman and committee member DJ Zelczak said officials of Apollo, North Apollo and Kiski Township signed letters of intent to explore the idea of merging police coverage.
Apollo and Kiski Township have their own departments. North Apollo contracts police coverage from Kiski Township.
Parks Township, which previously formed a committee with Leechburg and West Leechburg to look at combining police departments, remains in the group of communities interested in exploring a merger. Parks Township Supervisor Mary Ralston is chairing the merger committee.
West Leechburg has since removed itself from the discussions.
“There are two things the steering committee has been working on for some time,” Zelczak said. “One is the charter agreement and the other is a budget.”
No formal action regarding the charter draft has been taken. Officials from each community can review the draft and ask questions about it.
“I’ve read most of it and it’s put together very well, but I’m not an attorney,” said Leechburg Council President Tom Foster.
Although the committee would not release the proposed charter because it’s only a draft and could change, Zelczak gave a broad summary of what it includes.
The charter agreement gives an outline of what the authority’s jurisdiction would be, details the police district boundaries and states where the police force’s headquarters would be located. A financial formula to determine what each municipality will pay to operate the department is included.
The draft covers what a regionalized police commission to oversee the department would look like in terms of things such as how many members of the commission would represent each town involved.
Solicitors from each municipality also will review the draft.
Steering committee members met with police officers from each of the municipalities to gather their insight and perspectives in drawing up the proposed charter.
“It was very productive, and we’re looking forward to working with them even more,” Zelczak said.
Zelczak said the steering committee has a budget number in mind, but a budget can’t be created until they know which municipalities agree to join.
He said there’s no set timeline for when communities need to commit to the plan.
“Every community is trying to move their decision-making as quickly as possible in a responsible manner,” Zelczak said.
After a charter and budget are approved, the steering committee will host a meeting to hear the public’s thoughts.
“We’re in that last mile in terms of the steering committee and our duties as a steering committee,” he said.