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Wolf budget proposal includes fee for state police protection

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf's 2017-18 budget proposal includes a plan to charge communities without their own police force $25 per resident for state police protection.

According to Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE, Westmoreland County is home to 136,330 people in 26 municipalities served strictly by state police, the most of any county in Pennsylvania. Hempfield Township is the largest municipality in the state without local police, with a population of 42,300.

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Under Wolf's proposal, Hempfield Township residents could pay $1 million for coverage.
 
State police provide the sole coverage for 50 percent of all municipalities in Pennsylvania, TribLIVE reported. The cost is currently covered by taxpayers statewide and underwritten by the 50 percent of municipalities that also have their own police force.
 
Per capita, Greensburg is paying $286, Jeannette $223 and Mount Pleasant $75 to maintain their own police forces. 
 
John Sarnese, of Mount Pleasant, said he likes having his own local force and doesn't want to be footing the bill for coverage he said he doesn't rely on.  
 
“I do believe we're already paying for it, and I'm not sure that we should pay additional to pay for it,” he said.
 
In an area like Youngwood, where talk of resurrecting a police department pops up often, city council members said it’s more feasible to rely on state police - even with a charge. 
 
"Government is pretty simple: You either raise taxes or cut services. So Youngwood Borough would be a tax increase or cut something else to pay the $76,000 to Pennsylvania,” Youngwood City Council President Lloyd Crago said.
 

Cox Media Group

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