Aspinwall police join North Hills DUI Task Force

The Aspinwall Police Department is the latest municipal law enforcement agency to join the North Hills DUI Task Force.

Council unanimously voted to authorize a cooperative agreement June 12.

The multijurisdictional police force can now do DUI checkpoints and other related activities in the borough.

Chief Dave Nemec said it is something his department has been looking forward to for a long time.

“We’ve been wanting to get into it for a while,” Nemec said. “We have approximately three officers that can join. We’re able to go to some things right now. Officers are excited about it because we get to interact with all the other officers on the task force.”

The chief said he and a couple of other officers did roving DUI patrols with state police about eight years ago.

He anticipates the task force to do a more stationary DUI checkpoint somewhere along Freeport Road by sometime next year.

“I think the whole benefit of it is getting people to slow down and getting people not to drink and drive,” Nemec said. “There’s no problem with drinking if you’re 21. We have no problem with that. It’s getting behind the wheel (that’s the problem).”

Borough Manager Melissa Lang O’Malley said joining the task force comes at no cost to the borough.

The task force is coordinated by West Deer police Sgt. Robert Petosky and Officer Thomas Trocki.

Salaries and other officer costs are reimbursed via grants to the task force through PennDOT.

“This grant funding comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” Petosky said via email. “We are currently working off of Year 1 of our three-year grant, which was applied for last year. This grant funding also covers Occupant Protection (Click It or Ticket), Aggressive Driving Enforcement (speeding, careless driving, reckless driving) and pedestrian enforcement details (crosswalks and bicyclists).

Aspinwall’s addition brings the task force up to 14 departments. Reserve Township is in the process of joining, too.

Other police departments in the task force include Northern Regional, McCandless, Ross, Shaler, O’Hara, Hampton, West Deer, Indiana Township, Blawnox, Franklin Park, Etna, Millvale and West View.

In other police matters

Aspinwall police will be doing speeding enforcement in various parts of the borough.

Nemec said they recently have had successful patrols along Fourth Street and Center Avenue.

People should expect to see an increased police presence at major intersections.

“There are a lot of stop signs through town. We know that,” Nemec said. “We try to strategically put (traffic details) through town where people may have a tendency to open up their car a little bit more if they’re in a big hurry. The whole thing is to slow people down.

“It’s 15 mph through town. We’re not here trying to bust people’s butts.

“Everybody needs to realize when they come through these small towns, there’s a lot of kids playing,” the chief said. “… We’re what, a half-square mile? It doesn’t take long to get through town. Speeding is not going to help.

“We’re going to be there to stop you if you’re going too fast.”