Rankin votes to approve agreement for regional police force
RANKIN, Pa. (KKDA) — Council members in Rankin passed a motion to form a regional police department with North Braddock and East Pittsburgh.
In a meeting on Tuesday, council members voted 5-0, with two absences, to form the regional department. According to Rankin Mayor Joelisa McDonald, the police chief is the only full-time officer in the borough. There are two senior part-time officers and two recent hires.
"We are mostly relying on state coverage for our evening shift," she said. "The response times aren't what we like them to be. Although we do appreciate their help, it's just not adequate for us to sustain."
McDonald said with the merger, she expects the community to see quicker response times and more familiarity with officers.
"These are some of the things they'll be getting training on too, community policing and making sure they're interacting with our residents in a positive way," McDonald said.
Now that North Braddock and Rankin have voted to merge police departments, East Pittsburgh, which does not have a force, still needs to decide. If leaders there vote in favor, a charter would need to be officially formed and a countywide search for a chief would begin.
"Our chiefs are encouraged to apply for the chief role," McDonald said. "I believe all of them have done so."
"We've already started some of our hiring efforts, with making sure we extend the invite to our existing officers so they can have the opportunity to retain their job," she added.
If all goes according to plan, this regionalized force could come to fruition as soon as January 2024.