Westmoreland vehicle tracking policy could put deputies in danger, sheriff says as he files lawsuit

Westmoreland Sheriff James Albert claims a new fleet policy that tracks the county’s 180 vehicles through GPS technology will put his deputies in danger.

The sheriff this week filed a lawsuit challenging the county’s updated fleet policy and is seeking an injunction to keep it from being enforced.

“I think it is a danger for multiple reasons,” Albert said, declining further comment.

According to the court filing, the sheriff’s office claims the policy approved by county commissioners in late June violates his authority as an independently elected official who supervises thesheriff’s department. The lawsuit also claims the tracking data collected by the county could be improperly used to monitor deputies who assist state police with drug investigations and serve protection from abuse orders.

“It provides an opportunity for an assailant to know the exact location of a deputy prior to an attack; it provides fugitives with information that a warrant is about to be executed,” the lawsuit states.

The revised fleet management policy requires all county employees, including elected officials, to log in to a GPS device installed in nearly every county owned or leased vehicle. The equipment provides real-time tracking of where, when and how employees drive.

Commissioners said the tracking will improve safety and efficiency. The county assigns vehicles daily from a centralized fleet. About 50 vehicles are assigned to staffers, who take them home each night.

According to Albert’s lawsuit, the county in late July rejected the sheriff’s request to be excluded from the GPS tracking requirements.

Public Works Director Greg McCloskey said about 30 vehicles are assigned to the sheriff’s department. McCloskey referred all questions about the lawsuit to the county solicitor’s office.

Westmoreland County Solicitor Melissa Guiddy declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

Albert is one of three elected officials, along with District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli and Coroner Tim Carson, who are assigned take-home vehicles from the county’s fleet.

The district attorney’s office also is seeking a waiver to be excluded from the fleet tracking requirements, claiming that the tracking could put detectives and other office personnel at risk.

In a letter requesting the waiver, Ron Zona, the district attorney’s office chief detective, said GPS is a risk to investigations.

“Information obtained from GPS may also be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and Right-to-Know requests, which could jeopardize investigations. It would also reveal the locations of detectives and the district attorney who all routinely respond to serious incidents and put them in danger,” Zona wrote.

The county has yet to decide on the district attorney’s waiver request.

Spokeswoman Melanie Jones said the district attorney’s office is not considering legal action related to the policy.

“The district attorney’s office is confident that the commissioners respect and understand the safety and security of the office and its entire fleet. Due to the nature and responsibility of our work, we would never want the integrity of an investigation compromised,” Jones said.

The county fleet policy allows “de minimis” personal use. Employees assigned take-home vehicles are required to submit mileage logs each month that detail how the cars and SUVs are used.

A TribLive investigation last year found logs were not routinely submitted and, when they were filed, contained only basic information such as total miles driven each month.

Take-home vehicle usage became an issue in late 2022 when Ziccarelli crashed her county-issued SUV on snow and ice covered roads. The late night crash resulted in about $33,000 in damage to the vehicle.

Ziccarelli said she had been visiting a friend, who was mourning the death of a relative.