Bald Eagle Supervisors pass police traffic enforcement ordinance
By Christopher Miller
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – After five years in the making, Bald Eagle Township Supervisors voted unanimously to approve Mill Hall Borough Police to provide police coverage in the township.
“We are contracting with them for 10 hours a week to provide primarily traffic enforcement police coverage in the township especially in the areas of Homestead Drive and Central Mountain High School,” township supervisor Steve Tasselli said.
Township resident Dave Walker attended the meeting to speak with the supervisors about why they should not contract with another police force for coverage.
“I’ve worked where part-time departments are implemented with full-time departments and 99.9% of the time it is a bad idea,” he started. “Why would we throw money at another police department when we have State Police and Keystone Central School District working in this township?”
“I am here as a resident, and I know it’s not a lot of money to start, $5,000, but we already have two full-time departments, why aren’t we asking them to cover here and there,” Walker asked. “I don’t think it’s been thought out out fully, I don’t think all of the avenues have been pursued, I think it is throwing money at a problem and that is not my idea of fixing the problem.”
“We aren’t unhappy with the state police in any way, shape, or form,” Supervisor Tasselli said. “I didn’t even know KCSD had a police force out there until I was out at a football game and I saw all of their cars out there. We had numerous meetings about this, and yours is probably the most thought out conversation we have had about this.”
The ordinance spells out that the MIll Hall Borough Police will be providing traffic-only enforcement.
“I’m already paying for state police, the KCSD officers driving by in their vehicles, why would I want to pay for police coverage,” Walker said.
Similar to Bald Eagle Township, Loyalsock Township in Williamsport does not have their own police department and relies solely on state police to cover the Golden Strip area, which is similar to Hogan Boulevard and all of the stores in Mill Hall.
“They don’t want to spend the money on a police service because they’re getting that service for free from state police,” Walker said.
“It makes a lot of sense to us for this presence, and we are only signing a year’s contract, so if it doesn’t work, please come back and talk to us,” Tasselli said. “Your points are well taken and valued.”
Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance. The signed contract will then go back to Mill Hall Borough to review and will be up for a vote to approve at their meeting on Tuesday, October 22.
