South Strabane police chief asks supervisors for more officers
South Strabane Township police Chief Donald Zofchak said on Tuesday the heroin epidemic in Washington County and an increase in retail theft has placed increased demands on the township’s police officers, and asked supervisors to consider hiring more patrolmen next year.
Zofchak presented supervisors with a 2015 final report that shows an increase in thefts, drug-related arrests and the number of complaints to which police responded.
In 2015, police responded to 4,135 complaints – 525 more complaints than in 2014 – and reported nearly 600 thefts, up from 450 the previous year.
“It’s stunning. The township continues to grow, especially the retail area, and we’re dealing with a heroin epidemic that causes, among other problems, an increase in thefts and related crimes,” said Zofchak.
Zofchak is concerned about the increase in the number of incidents police responded to in 2015.
“If you compare our workload with our neighboring police departments, they don’t deal with half of what we do, and we have fewer officers with the exception of Chartiers,” said Zofchak.
Zofchak praised the performance of South Strabane’s police officers, and said they have done an excellent job handling the increased workload.
Zofchak noted the township’s clearance rate is very good, and said there have been significant increases in both traffic citations and written warnings.
“The heroin issue is totally out of control. The job is getting complicated, but this is still a good community to live in,” said Zofchak. “Hopefully, it’s my thought that in the near future we move more full-time officers to deal with what we’re handed here.”
Supervisor Laynee Zipko said the township should consider doing “anything we need to do to protect our citizens.”
Said Supervisor Bob Weber, “I appreciate what you and your officers do around here.”
South Strabane’s police department has 19 full-time and part-time officers, who patrol more than 23 square miles, including heavily traveled parts of routes 19 and 40, and retail locations including Trinity Point, Strabane Square and Tanger Outlets.
Also Tuesday, supervisors adopted an ordinance amending the firefighter pension plan with the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System. The township’s nine full-time firefighters voted in 2014 to join the International Association of Firefighters union. The township negotiated with the IAF for seven months until March 2015, when the firefighters sought arbitration. The pension changes were part of the aribrator’s ruling.
Supervisors had approved proceeding with changes to the pension plan in January, and held a public hearing before Tuesday’s vote.
According to the new plan, which applies to current and newly hired firemen, firefighters can retire at the age of 55 after 10 years of service. Previously, they could retire at age 65.
Other changes allow firefighters to opt for early retirement after 20 years of service, instead of at the age of 62, and the benefit accrual rate was changed to 1.5 percent per year of service, up from 1 percent per year of service.
The annual minimum municipal obligation will increase from $35,737 to $149,931.
“I have great reservation with some of the things the arbitrators did,” said Supervisor Edward Mazur, who voted against the ordinance. “That contract, as a whole, put it to this township so bad our tonsils should be itching.
In another matter, supervisors appointed Darryl Price to fill a vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Board.