Jul 10, 2002 By Jackie Beranek 3 min read

UPPER TYRONE TWP. – Several residents told the township supervisors Tuesday they are not happy with police protection being provided by the state police at Belle Vernon. Dexter Road resident Carl Parker suggested that township residents begin calling the state police barracks. “I’ll bet if they got 75 to 100 telephone calls a day they would pay attention to us then,” said Parker. “I say if we don’t get any action, we should call the state police commander in Harrisburg and let him know that we are not being protected.”

The township has been without police protection, other than the state police, since March, when police officer Roger Adams resigned. Since then, Supervisor Chairman Jack Fullem and Supervisor Sam Killinger have tried to hire a part-time police officer but to no avail.

Killinger said five applicants were interviewed and two of them were viable candidates; however, all of the applicants have other jobs and can’t give the township the hours that the supervisors need.

“We could hire one or two of these guys but we would be in the same position we were in when we had Roger here in the township,” said Killinger.

“The new guys want a raise in salary and 361/2 cents per mile to police the township.”

In addition, Killinger said they would have to insure the officers.

“We’re a small township and we simply can’t afford to do it. Within the next couple of years the state is going to mandate that we provide sewage (service) in the township, and that’s going to cost between $4 and $5 million,” Killinger said.

The two viable police officers that applied for the job were from Apollo and Brownsville, which doesn’t make them local enough, he said. Killinger added that even if the supervisors were to hire the men, it still wouldn’t solve the problem.

“The reason we lost Roger was because of his hours,” said Killinger. “Because of his various jobs, Roger couldn’t be in the township whenever we needed him, and that situation will not change with new men, who also have other jobs.”

Dexter Road residents Bob and Esther Smetak echoed Parker’s concerns, saying that traffic on their road has increased three-fold since Adams quit.

Killinger suggested that they call the state police, but Bob Smetak said, “We did and we were told that they didn’t have anyone in the area to respond.”

In an unrelated matter, Smetak said a creek behind his home turns into a swamp whenever it rains. He asked the supervisors to do something about it, but Fullem said the problem is being caused by a nearby lumber mill and that the Fayette County Planning and Zoning Board approved that plan.