Kiski Township to add 1 full-time police officer

Kiski Township supervisors recently agreed to add one full-time officer to the police department, which has one full-time officer and a handful of part-timers.

“We’re losing part-time offers who are finding full-time jobs elsewhere,” Supervisor Chuck Rodnicki said.

“We pay our part-timers well, but if they get a full-time offer, they are going,” he said.

A similar scenario is playing out across the region as many police officers want full-time jobs, said Robert Synan, director of the Allegheny County Police Academy. After the academy’s graduation ceremony last week, four cadets landed potential full-time jobs, and eight to 10 cadets have leads on part-time jobs.

While it can be economical for local police departments to hire part-timers rather than full-time officers, Synan said, there are downsides.

“There’ a lot of work and logistics to keep the part-time labor force in effect,” he said, such as recruitment, testing, scheduling and the initial expenses of hiring a new officer.

Additionally, the turnover of part-time officers creates more work for departments that often scramble to find part-time replacements.

“I am seeing more departments offering full-time work,” Synan said.

Kiski Township has the resources to hire a second full-time officer,” Rodnicki said. The township’s current police force is made up of Sgt. Tom Dessell and six to seven part-timers. The goal is for township police officers to staff shifts around the clock. “You don’t want to rely on state police,” Rodnicki said.

While state police pick up calls for some communities when there aren’t local police officers available, it can take time for troopers to reach a community such as Kiski Township, he said.

State police have asked Kiski Township officers to cover incidents in Apollo when there aren’t officers on duty there, Rodnicki said. Regardless of the circumstances, Rodnicki wants to keep the township staffed with local officers ready for local calls, he said.

Anyone interested in the new police officer position should contact the township at 724-478-2737.