Etna and Reserve are considering creating a regional police force, the borough and township announced Monday, April 21.
In their announcement, the municipalities said they are at a very preliminary step in the process, which, if approved, would take several years to complete.
A regional police force “may be a more cost-effective option while also providing more training, specialty police services and advancement opportunities. This would lead to better recruitment and retention and provide a more complete service to the community,” the joint statement from Reserve Commissioners President Ronald Neurohr and Etna Council President David Becki said.
“When established thoughtfully and administered properly, a regional police force can provide many benefits to the officers and the communities they serve,” the statement says.
Representatives of several municipalities, including elected officials, managers and police chiefs, recently met to determine the level of interest in exploring a regional force. Of those, Reserve and Etna agreed to proceed.
“This is something that we wanted to reach out to some other municipalities who are in the same boat as us,” Reserve police Chief Brandon Morgan said. “It’s hard to recruit and retain good officers whenever there’s so many jobs available at larger departments where they have room for advancement.”
An Etna representative could not be reached for comment.
Millvale representatives attended the meeting, Mayor Brian Spoales said.
“While acknowledging the challenges that some neighboring departments may be facing in these areas, Millvale Borough Council wishes to emphasize the strength and stability of its own police force,” Spoales said. “The council recognizes the existing mutual aid agreement between Reserve Township, Millvale Borough, Etna Borough and Shaler Township as a valuable framework for intermunicipal cooperation.”
Millvale has nine full-time officers and “has maintained a consistent record of successful recruitment and retention,” Spoales said.
“This stable staffing level allows the department to effectively provide essential community services to the residents of Millvale Borough,” he said.
The joint statement from Reserve and Etna said the municipalities will submit a letter of intent to the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services at the state Department of Community and Economic Development asking for technical assistance.
The center provides technical and financial assistance to municipal police departments interested in regionalization. Grant funding is available through the DCED’s Municipal Assistance Program. Assistance from the center may include in-depth management studies to determine whether police consolidation is feasible.
If the request is approved, a feasibility study conducted by consultants would be the next step.
Etna and Reserve are separated by Shaler. That separation is something that would be worked out in a study, Morgan said.
Of the 41 regional police departments in 28 counties statewide, 12 formed in the past five years, according to the DCED. Studies in other areas have both recommended for and against regionalizing police services.
Morgan, who has worked in Reserve for 16 years and been its police chief for a year, said the township currently provides 24/7 coverage with a full staff of six full-time officers, including himself, and two part-time officers.
Morgan believes a regional police force would help with getting and keeping officers.
“I feel like we could provide better police services being able to recruit and retain more officers, better trained officers possibly,” he said. “We’d be able to provide better service. We’ll have more police officers out there. I know one thing most communities worry about is losing that small-town community police — absolutely not. If I have anything to do with it, it will be enhanced even further.”