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Carmichaels police to provide coverage in Rices Landing

3 min read
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Outgoing Rices Landing Mayor Ryan Belski said one of his final goals in office was to provide police coverage for his small borough.

Belski, who resigned earlier this month because he and his family will soon be moving south, was able to accomplish that last wish before leaving.

Rices Landing worked out an agreement with Carmichaels Borough police for contracted services for part-time patrols, which began earlier this month.

The idea for more localized police coverage came about because state police are not always available, Belski said. He added contracted police coverage should make a direct community impact in stopping issues like the drug problem plaguing many Southwestern Pennsylvania communities.

Carmichaels police Chief Craig Miller said their officers have been patrolling Rices Landing since Aug. 1, and handled roughly five incidents since that time.

Work on negotiating the agreement took about a year, and Belski said he signed off on it earlier this summer.

He’s confident the agreement will be a benefit to the borough of fewer than 500 residents.

Carmichaels Borough Council accepted the one-year police contract at their July 11 meeting.

The Observer-Reporter requested a copy of the contract Friday, and borough officials said they expect to be able to provide it next week. Belski said he believed the annual contract was for about $36,000.

“Craig Miller is a great example of a police chief,” Belski said, adding he knew Miller when he led Cumberland Township police, and he thinks he will do a great job. Miller is also a school resource officer in Carmichaels Area School District.

It was an important achievement for Belski, who became mayor at 21 in 2010 and was instrumental in reviving the borough’s Riverfest, before he left office. So far, Rices Landing residents have been receptive to the police presence, he said.

Currently, Carmichaels Borough police are providing at least 16 hours a week in police services to Rices Landing, Miller said.

Miller added the two boroughs are near mirror images of each other, with similar populations and sizes, so it makes sense to share resources.

Now the department is working to get the word out about the agreement to see what issues Rices Landing residents are facing. So far, the major complaints have been drug problems and related thefts.

Carmichaels police currently have five officers, and Miller said they do not have set hours to allow for more patrol flexibility.

They spend about 40 to 50 hours in Carmichaels, and on-duty officers will respond to Rices Landing if needed while in Carmichaels and vice versa. Miller said this means both jurisdictions will get more coverage.

To contact Carmichaels police, call 724-892-0450. Miller said the number will ring to an officer if one is available. In the event of an emergency, call 911. The department’s email address is carmichaelspolicedept@gmail.com.

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