O'Hara, Blawnox eye police consolidation

O’Hara and Blawnox residents likely will be protected by one police department beginning in the new year.

Councils from both municipalities have reached a tentative agreement to consolidate departments, saying they are “looking forward to the combination.”

An announcement was posted Thursday to the O’Hara website.

Township Manager Julie Jakubec could not immediately be reached for comment.

The post said the new force will begin Jan. 1, pending approval by both boards in September.

O’Hara Council’s next regular meeting is at 7 p.m. Sept. 10; Blawnox Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11.

O’Hara, a community of more than 9,000 residents, traditionally has employed a robust department of more than a dozen officers while Blawnox has only a handful. Blawnox’s population sits at about 1,500.

When the sides met in April, manpower appeared to be the driving force of the discussions.

“Hiring police officers right now is very difficult,” Jakubec said at the time. “There are not a lot of people out there. … This just makes sense to see if we can work this out.”

O’Hara and Blawnox police already respond to calls in both towns as part of their mutual aid agreements.

Both local governments will need to execute a memorandum of understanding for the consolidation.

It was unclear whether Blawnox police Chief Patrick Goodman will retain a senior role in the new hierarchy and whether Blawnox will pay O’Hara a set amount each year moving forward for coverage.

Blawnox Manager Kathy Ulanowicz was not immediately available for comment. Messages left with both police departments were not returned.

A similar situation happened in two Alle-Kiski Valley communities last year, when Tarentum absorbed three Brackenridge police officers into its fold.

Schedules, pensions and administrative issues there are handled by Tarentum, while Brackenridge pays $435,000 plus an annual fee equal to 7% of the police budget, or $39,000, for 24/7 coverage.

Benefits touted in the consolidation include a focus on community-oriented policing and a perk in grant-seeking from county and state sources that prioritize shared services.

There, police vehicles were emblazoned with the names of both towns. It is unclear if that will happen in O’Hara and Blawnox.