Editorial: Police protection needs to be present and consistent

The relationship between a community and its police department is a balance.

Sometimes it’s contentious. Sometimes it’s a relief. Sometimes it’s folksy and neighborly, like an old-school black-and-white television show.

But it is a seesaw that tilts back and forth as needed. The police should provide order. They should provide structure. They should be there to lend a hand in times of trauma like crashes and catastrophes. They should be there as a rigid wall to prevent criminals from escaping justice. Whether dealing with accident or intent, police should be present to stand between the people and the problem.

The key phrase there is “should be present.”

In many Pennsylvania communities, the police are not there — not because they are derelict but because there is no police department. From Hempfield, the largest municipality in the state without its own police department, to townships and boroughs with 100 people or less, there are communities that operate without a local law enforcement net.

Kiski Township residents woke up last week effectively without that safety net when their seven-person department dropped to just two overnight — a brand-new police chief and the school resource officer. Four police officers and the police secretary quit suddenly.

“I resigned because of the disrespect, animosity and discrimination from some of the supervisors toward some of the township employees,” said former secretary Darlene Veselicky.

“I do not deserve to be subjected to workplace hostility because I chose to do what is lawful and, not to mention, ethical,” said former officer Alex Cherevka.

We do not take the side of the officers or the township. Failing a court ruling, the issue can be seen as a workplace dispute. The employees say one thing. The municipality officials say another. It could happen at any business or organization.

But the people of Kiski and North Apollo? That’s another story.

The people, regardless of the struggles in the township office, need to be protected. They need someone to be there when there is a robbery or a domestic violence incident or a crash. They deserve to be helped and defended — and that help should be closer at hand than the state police who are already stretched thin.

Kiski Township is supposed to be hiring two new officers. That is excellent news for the people who are paying for police protection, and kudos to the municipality for acting quickly.

But providing the coverage consistently is important so that the people feel that reassurance. That consistency demands that whatever problems may exist be rectified.