Ford City Policing Broken Down to Numbers
Pennsylvania State Police Commander Sgt. William Myers speaks to Ford City Borough Police Committee members and community residents at a special public meeting last night at the Ford City Public Library. Troopers from the State Police barracks in Kittanning have policed Ford City part-time since the local department’s full-time budget was cut earlier this year.
by Jonathan Weaver
Ford City Borough council members first agreed to look for a police chief in March 2014, but that process is now taking shape.
If Borough Mayor Marc Mantini formally accepts a police pension amendment Council already approved by tomorrow, committee members will advertise for the full-time option and help them better understand possible salary expectations.
Mayor Mantini said at Mondays’ special meeting, however, that he needs more time to think about the amendment – which would ultimately allow Officer-in-Charge Sgt. John Atherton to retire and Sgt. Mark Brice to retire at year’s end. The two sergeants are Ford City’s last two full-time officers.
The riverfront municipality has not employed a police chief since Jan Lysakowski resigned in April 2006.
For about 90 minutes Monday evening, Police Committee members Vicki Schaub, Jerry Miklos and Beth Bowser and Borough Manager Eden Ratliff explained to more than a dozen residents the budget process in their decisions.
Last week, council members proposed a handful of ideas for the 2016 police department – such as budgeting $150,000 with a full-time chief and seven part-time officers, $115,000 for a full-time chief, four part-time officers and assistance from State Police troopers or contracting with Manor Township for part-time police.
Police Committee members have hourly wage estimates for the non-union, non-benefitted chief, but that figure is not finalized.
Miklos said the local economy is a major reason for the need for police options.
“We can’t continue to pay the benefits and wages we have in the past – you either put money into paying for Cadillac benefits for employees or you fix the town up,” Miklos said. “It’s very difficult to do both when people are on fixed-incomes here and can’t afford it.
“We’re trying to do more with less rather than what we’ve done in the past.”
Public Safety budgets have dwindled in the past three years – ranging from more than $512,000 in 2013 a full-time police department with Sgts. Atherton, Brice and Ron Klingensmith to $291,500 for 2015’s part-time department with Sgts. Atherton and Brice. Part-time officers – who were compensated more than $15 this year - were also employed by the department during the past three years.
Former State Police Trooper Skip Hefner said committee members should strive for a community connection between any possible part-time officers.
“We’re talking numbers: nine part-timers. We’re going to get nine people coming from areas that know nothing about Ford City,” Hefner said. “You can get 10, 12, but what is going to be the type of atmosphere you’re going to have with those people? That’s the issue.”
Schaub said she would like to see part-time officers work the maximum 32-hours per week to help create that atmosphere and community rapport.
If local officers are hired, committee members hope to hire part-timers already with more than a year of experience.
ARMNET Area Coordinator Frank Pitzer said County operations would not be compromised by Council’s decision between local or State police coverage.
“We’ll work the best we can with what we have,” Pitzer said. “There’s two full-time police departments now in Armstrong County, and we’re spread pretty-thin. But, we’ll work the best we can with what we have.”
State Police Sgt. William Myers – commander of the barracks in East Franklin Township – also maintained community coverage if Borough Council chooses.
Committee members hope to receive budget recommendations from Civic Research Alliance in a few weeks.
