Councilman voices displeasure with police
MASONTOWN – Councilman Joe Volansky voiced displeasure with the borough police department Tuesday and made a motion requesting police Chief Rich Barron be present for the next council meeting. Council approved Volansky’s motion, voting unanimously to request the chief’s presence at the next meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb 13 in the municipal building.
Council members Bob Brown, Carole Daniels, Frank McLaughlin and Harry Lee were present for Tuesday’s meeting. Charles Popovich Jr. and Thomas J. Salonick were absent.
Volansky said speeding is a problem in the borough and that the police department, headed by Barron and Mayor Thomas Loukota, is doing noting to curtail the problem.
“I’m tired of getting calls and complaints,” Volansky said.
Volansky said he’s made requests “on behalf of some residents of Masontown” to the mayor and the police department, asking that the officers use VASCAR equipment to catch speeders.
Volansky said he also asked that the officers, in the police department’s monthly report to council, specifically say where the VASCAR is being used.
“We’re not asking too much of these guys,” Volansky said, referring to the police department.
Volansky said officers, according to the police report council received, only issued 24 traffic citations during the month of December and that VASCAR wasn’t used on any of them.
At 24 citations per month, Volansky said that means each officer is averaging one citation per week.
“This police force is a joke,” he said.
Volansky said he will encourage residents worried about speeding to come to the council meetings if the police department doesn’t begin to take care of the problem.
McLaughlin, who is chairman of the police committee, said he and Barron have been working together and hope to figure out a way to number the painted lines used for VASCAR so that the officers will be able to be specific when saying where the equipment was used.
McLaughlin said he and Barron have also talked about painting more lines on the streets so VASCAR can be used in more places.
Nonetheless, Volansky said Barron and the other police officers are borough employees and that they need to do what is requested of them by their employers, meaning council.
Volansky said council needs to consider passing a motion requiring the police department to file citations and reports in specific ways if the mayor is unable to get officers to comply with council’s requests.
“Let’s take this out of his hands,” Volansky said, referring to the mayor’s control of police officers.
Neither Barron nor Loukota were present for Tuesday’s meeting.
Barron, reached by phone following the meeting, said he will attend the next council meeting.
“Right now I have no comment without being at the meeting,” Barron said, adding that he will speak to Loukota about the issue.
“I will be at the next meeting,” Barron said.
As for other matters, borough engineer Russ Mechling announced the Redevelopment Authority of Fayette County received nine bids for the demolition of Masontown High School.
The county is paying to have the building torn down, Mechling said.
In other business, council announced water will be shut off Feb. 13 to any residences that have outstanding and delinquent water bills.