Borough approves advertising for additional police officers
SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah is seeking more police officers to bolster what Mayor Andrew Szczyglak called a “very, very short-handed” police force.
“I have to give [Captain] Travis [Bowman] credit,” Szczyglak said at Monday’s council meeting. “He’s trying to keep things together over there but its getting hard because we don’t have the manpower.”
Szczyglak asked council to advertise to hire more officers, which was approved. Councilman Michael Whitecavage raised the motion and Councilman James Burke seconded.
The department received 243 calls in December.
“That’s a lot of calls for our police department to answer,” Szczyglak said, “and then when they’re on a call and another call comes in, they’re not available.”
Bowman and Council President Joe Boris said the new police contract should help with hiring.
“The part-timers were $21.50 on the old contract,” Boris said. Part-timers are now at $26. “We’re really trying.”
He added that there is now a three year retention bonus.
Councilman Joe Gawrylik said that numerous other police forces are seeking police officers as well.
“We’re in a battleground for police officers,” Gawrylik said. “We’re going to have to pray and hope we get the guys in our department.”
In other police-related business, Boris said, with the dentist’s office in the municipal complex vacated, he believes council should consider renovating the police station and expanding into part of the dentist’s office.
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