Talks Opened with Residents
Providing police services to residents has become more difficult over the past few years as there are not enough personnel available to staff our department. A possible solution to staffing issues in both Swissvale and other municipalities may be to regionalize or combine services with other departments to continue to provide effective high-quality services to residents. In order to begin discussions and educate the public, Swissvale Council held a public meeting on January 23, 2023 to explain potential regionalized services, the benefits of these services and to answer questions from the public. The meeting was held at the Swissvale Fire Department and was well attended by residents. Representatives from the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments (TCVCOG) and C.O.N.N.E.C.T. were also present to share regionalization trends in our region and provide insight into the potential process. Swissvale Borough Council has not yet taken any action to pursue regionalizing. Next steps will include an in-depth study by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) regarding the feasibility of regionalizing with surrounding departments. The full presentation is available to watch via our YouTube channel.