Palo Alto council members held off Monday night on approving a proposal from Saint Clair for that borough to provide it police coverage starting in 2025.
Last Thursday, Saint Clair officials approved a proposal to send to Palo Alto that would have its police force cover the borough. Palo Alto said earlier this year that it wasn’t likely going to approve an extension to its current inter-municipal police agreement with neighbors Port Carbon and Mechanicsville.
Palo Alto council members cited a lack of coverage in their borough and declining roster size of the Port Carbon force as reasons for seeking a new police force to cover the borough.
Saint Clair initially said it wanted Palo Alto to sign up for 10 years if it were to provide police coverage. However, the preliminary proposal approved last week by Saint Clair shrank that commitment to 5 years.
The preliminary proposal would also require Palo Alto to provide notice one year in advance if it planned to back out before the end of the 5 years.
On Monday, Palo Alto Council President Brian Dries said Port Carbon did submit a proposal to the borough to continue the police arrangement that’s been in place.
But it doesn’t seem as though he or fellow council members are entertaining it.
Council members said they’re not “against” Port Carbon but, as Mayor John Deatrich said,’ that police department has “become a victim of circumstance,” meaning they don’t have the means to provide the same type of service as Saint Clair, both in manpower and technology.
“I don’t see moving forward that it’s going to get better,” Deatrich said.
Palo Alto council members didn’t vote on the proposal that Saint Clair approved last week because they hadn’t received it.
That means, barring any special meeting which would have to be called, council members in Palo Alto won’t vote on what Saint Clair proposed until next month to get the deal in place as their current arrangement with Port Carbon and Mechanicsville expires.
Saint Clair stipulated that any considerable changes to the proposal it approved last week would require council approval.
READ MORE:
Saint Clair Council OKs Agreement to Provide Palo Alto with Police Coverage
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