Collingdale Borough does not have the resources to fully staff its police department overnight, so Pennsylvania State Troopers will be responding to overnight calls starting Oct. 31, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY.
The troopers from the Media station will be on duty at the borough between 12 AM and 8 AM.
The borough’s police department is experiencing an “extreme staffing shortage” stated a state police spokesperson in a Monday release.
That means existing officers cannot safely provide full-time coverage until more officers are hired and trained.
Collingdale Mayor Donna Matteo-Spadeo worked with state police to provide the extra manpower..
“The Pennsylvania State Police will continue to work with the Collingdale Borough and Collingdale Borough Police Department to coordinate and provide the necessary police coverage to the residents of Collingdale until the full-time staffing requirements have been met,” the press release said.
Matteo-Spadeo told community members they should still call 911 right away if there is an emergency.
Back in June, Collingdale Borough Council demoted then-Police Chief Patrick Kilroy over excessive overtime costs.
In October, Collingdale officials hired Shanee Mitchell as the new chief, who was previously chief in Selinsgrove, Snyder County.
Read more about Collingdale’s police staffing problem at WHYY.
