EBENSBURG — State officials are investigating the feasibility of creating a regional police department in Cambria County, which currently includes participation from departments in Blacklick Township, Ebensburg, Nanty Glo and Vintondale boroughs.

According to Cambria Township police Chief Ray Clossin, Cambria Township is also planning to participate in the study. Officials there were working to develop their letter of intent on Monday, which still needs to be formally approved before it can be sent to the state Department of Economic and Community Development, he said.

“A lot of these agencies would have to travel through Cambria Township to get to some of the other smaller agencies,” Clossin said, adding Cambria Township is one of the largest townships in the county. “That’s basically what they want us involved for, so we’re going to send our paperwork back to DCED.”

DCED press secretary Justin Backover said the study began earlier this summer.

Its primary objective is to “identify key areas related to the feasibility of establishing a new regional police department to help ensure the community’s needs are met in both an effective and efficient manner,” he said.

Most recently, Ebensburg Borough joined the study after officials voted to approve their participation at the Aug. 25 council meeting.

The meeting’s agenda stated, “It is important to investigate this due to the challenges of recruiting and training law enforcement officers, the high costs of maintaining a small department and the staffing issues arising from the need for 24-hour coverage.”

Ebensburg Borough police Chief Joe Loughran said he thinks creating a regional police department would be “a tremendous asset to the area.”

The biggest benefit, he said, would be the increased police coverage for all municipalities involved. The municipalities would share the costs associated with the department, he said, noting there would be many other benefits, which include strengthening existing police services in the areas of administration, supervision, training, investigation, patrol and specialty services.

The Ebensburg Borough Police Department is fully staffed with six full-time and five part-time officers, Loughran said, noting the department is unique to the area as it provides 24/7 coverage for the borough every day.

The average hourly rate in Ebensburg is $31.64 for full-time officers and $27 for part-time officers, Loughran said, noting the rates vary based upon experience. There are also longevity bonuses paid annually, he said.

“Our officers are our most valuable resource, and we treat them that way,” Loughran said, noting there are no retention contracts in the department currently. Full-time officers are currently in year two of a four-year collective bargaining agreement, he said.

The training costs for each officer vary depending upon the officer’s experience, Loughran said, adding the cost is based on previous or current employment, equipment needs and other factors.

A regional department would bolster the ability to attract additional officers due to the opportunities presented by a larger department, he said.

Expanding resources

Ebensburg has been able to retain its officers due to emphasizing training and professionalism in addition to the borough’s pay and benefit packages, Loughran said, adding the borough may lose a part-time officer on occasion to another department that can offer full-time employment.

“That would be another benefit of a larger, regional department,” Loughran said. “We could potentially hire those part-time officers that want a full-time position as full-time officers.”

According to Backover, DCED data indicates that municipalities utilizing regionalized police services generally report lower costs, an increased number of combined officers, higher salaries, improved officer retention rates, greater morale, expanded patrol coverage, faster response times, fewer part-time officers, reduced overtime, enhanced administration, higher levels of supervision and training, decreased duplication of services and access to potential regional police grants.

“With proper and effective governance, administrative and operational structure, regional police departments provide benefits to municipalities, like these in Cambria County, that decide to consolidate their police services,” Backover said.

The timeline for the study’s completion is flexible and dependent on a variety of factors, Backover said.

Once it’s completed, DCED will report the study’s findings to the municipal bodies that submitted letters of interest. DCED will make recommendations, but the next steps are strictly within the control of the municipalities, Backover said.

“The decision-making portion of the process is in the hands of the local governing body,” he said. “The feasibility study ensures thorough analysis and planning so that regionalization meets the unique needs and circumstances of each participating community.”

David Steffen, former police chief of the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department, is spearheading the study for DCED, officials said.

Steffen said the Northern Lancaster County department, which formed Jan. 1, 2012, began with three municipalities and a sworn staff of 23 officers. It has since grown to four municipal partners with a staff of 36 officers, who serve more than 45,000 residents, he said.

Prior to that role, Steffen was a long-serving member of the Northern York County Regional Police Department, an agency with over 65 members and a population of over 90,000 residents.

“I was able to apply that experience to the NLCRPD and now both agencies enjoy a unique working and professional relationship across county lines,” Steffen said in an email.

The single most important element to a regional police department’s success is the constant and seamless communication between key stakeholders, such as township and borough managers, elected officials and professional service providers, Steffen said.

Attempts to reach officers at Nanty Glo and Vintondale boroughs, as well as Blacklick Township, were not successful.

Cambria County Emergency Management Agency Director and 911 coordinator Tom Davis said he knows “very little” about the study’s specific details.

From the 911 dispatcher side of things, Davis said officials will “do everything that we can” to work with the municipalities involved, if they decide to consolidate into one police department.

“If this does go through, we’ll do everything that we can to make sure that we provide as smooth of a transition as we can for them,” Davis said.