Kiski Township residents balk at merging police force with Southern Armstrong

Some Kiski Township residents are questioning the potential benefits of the township’s police force becoming part of the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department.

At a community meeting this week, Southern Armstrong police Chief Chris Fabec told a crowd of about 50 people that Kiski Township would cut its police costs by nearly $250,000 if it merged with Southern Regional. He said the township’s annual contribution to the regional department, determined by population, would be about $529,000, compared with the nearly $775,000 it budgeted for police this year.

Brittany Hilliard, chairwoman of the township supervisors, doubted the veracity of the figures.

She placed the potential cost at $567,000, based on information from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Hilliard told TribLive that, when accounting for income, merging departments would provide only marginal savings. Kiski Township receives funding for its DUI task force, school resource officers and various other programs. In addition, North Apollo contracts police coverage from Kiski Township for $58,000 a year.

“At this point, I am against regionalization of our police,” Hilliard said.

Kiski Township resident Lisa Kuntz said she doesn’t see the need to merge, given recent investments in new officers, vehicles and a K-9 unit as well as a planned station renovation.

“I think we already have a strong police department,” Kuntz said. “We’re spending all this money, but then we’re just going to give it all to you guys.”

With Kiski Township police due for a new contract next year, personnel costs figure to go up if the department stays independent, said township police Chief Lee Bartolicius. Southern Armstrong’s union contract runs through 2027.

Kiski Township supervisors anticipate that spending cuts or tax hikes will be needed to balance next year’s budget.

But some residents don’t think regionalization is the best way to make ends meet.

“The township got put in this situation, but I think the township could possibly get out of this situation if we did it on our own,” said Kiski Township resident Jim Chikar.

With around 4,600 residents, Kiski Township would be the largest community to join the department. Gilpin and Freeport merged their police forces in October 2022 to form Southern Armstrong. Ford City joined at the start of 2023.

Leechburg, West Leechburg and Parks Township, which lack 24/7 police coverage, also have mulled regionalization following a free study through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Kiski Township declined to participate in that study but could participate in another.

Kiski Township offers around-the-clock coverage but has only one officer on duty from 3 a.m. to 7 p.m., Bartolicius said. A merger would make two officers available for 20 hours a day.

Southern Armstrong would go from 15 officers, including 11 full-timers, to 22 officers in a merger.

Kiski Township employs four full-time officers, including Bartolicius, and three part-timers. Apollo-Ridge School District would keep its two school resource officers.

“Anything that you currently have, you wouldn’t lose,” Fabec said.

Kiski Township’s police station would go to Southern Armstrong as a substation, as would any equipment bought or leased by police. If the township restored its force down the line, it would get those initial contributions back.

“You would get what you put in,” Fabec said.

Hilliard asked for specifics on how the township could back out of Southern Armstrong, if desired.

The department’s three member communities can leave only if they’re able to provide the same coverage at a 15% cost savings. Kiski Township could, however, negotiate that clause in its agreement, Fabec said.

Theresa Rodnicki, another Kiski Township resident, expressed concern that regionalizing would weaken the connection between officers and the community.

“We need our police department here and local and ready for us,” Rodnicki said.

Fabec said Kiski Township’s officers would benefit by joining Southern Armstrong, earning a $1.50-per-hour pay increase, better benefits and the continuation of their pension plans. That could make for longer-tenured officers, he said.

Southern Armstrong received a letter of intent to join from the township in October. Township supervisors then asked to pause that process until a new board took office in January, according to Charles Stull, Gilpin supervisor and chairman of the Southern Armstrong police commission.

Along with Kiski Township supervisors, the seven-member commission would have to approve any merger.

Nearly all favorable sentiments toward regionalization came from community leaders from towns that already have made the switch.

For Freeport Mayor Zach Gent, who serves as vice chairman of the Southern Armstrong police commission, merging forces has freed up money and attention for other efforts, such as hiring a borough manager.

“If you asked me two years ago, I would have introduced myself as the biggest skeptic,” Gent said. “I don’t regret for one second regionalizing.”

Gilpin has experienced similar savings, said Gilpin Township Secretary Sharon Long, who is Southern Armstrong’s financial officer. The borough used to routinely lean on its capital reserve fund to cover operating costs as it awaited tax revenue.

“I would be sweating it out in January, February,” Long said. “This year, I was able to put money into capital reserve.”

Fabec said it’s not uncommon for communities to balk at regionalization, but informational meetings tend to raise support for the idea.

“The biggest thing is the unknown,” Fabec said.