Connellsville to close police station at times
CONNELLSVILLE – Staffing and financial limitations have necessitated the closure of the city police station during certain hours. While officers will continue to patrol the streets and perform their duties 24 hours each day, police Chief Stephen Cooper said Monday that visitors to the building or those who telephone the station may find that no one will be available to immediately answer their inquiries.
“We are no longer going to have someone in the station 24 hours a day,” said Cooper. “Our main responsibility is to patrol the streets and that is what the officers will be doing.”
Those who visit the building will have access to a telephone that will put the caller in immediate contact with 911.
If it is an emergency, the county 911 agency will contact an on-duty officer who will respond to the station.
Anyone telephoning the station will be permitted to leave a message that should be police-related, It will be returned as soon as possible, said Cooper.
“We will not, however, return calls seeking information about the time of a parade,” he said. “Residents are going to have to read their newspapers to determine when and where events are going to be held.”
Since March, the station has undergone several security upgrades in anticipation of the closure.
Cooper said the restricted access hours would be determined by available manpower and funding.
Currently, administrative assistant Janine Brooks does undertake the duties during the week; however, Cooper said the department budget does not allow for the employment of building monitors for all remaining shifts.
“I will continue to use the part time (building monitors) for as long as the budget allows, but most of these people have other jobs and are not always available,” said Cooper.
The closure has also been impacted by the departure of city firefighters who until the end of March were manning the telephones. A pending contractual agreement with the fire department severed the past responsibility.
“I know that this will be an inconvenience to people, but I don’t see any other way to allow on-duty police officers to do their job,” said Cooper.