Arnold councilman champions regionalizing New Kensington, Arnold police forces

If New Kensington and Arnold are able to share a school district, the cities should also be able to share a police department, according to an Arnold councilman.

“It’s time,” said Aaron Moore, who was elected to Arnold Council in the 2023 election.

He said he received positive feedback to a “feeler post” he put out on social media, leading to him creating a petition on change.org seeking support for regionalizing the cities’ police departments.

Moore said the petition had collected 50 confirmed signatures as of Wednesday.

“It needs to be brought to the community’s attention and how it would benefit both communities. That needs to be a serious discussion with more community input,” Moore said. “It just makes sense. We already have the same school district.”

Arnold Mayor Shannon Santucci, a former Arnold police officer and chief who ran for office with Moore, said regionalization should be considered.

Previous attempts to do so went nowhere, she said.

“I would like to see that happen,” she said.

Arnold’s police force now has six active full-time and two part-time officers. Its chief, Josh Stanga, remains suspended without pay as he faces an upcoming trial on theft and other charges after allegedly failing an “integrity test” staged by state police.

The police department went to 12-hour shifts last year as part of an effort to reduce overtime costs.

Santucci said she and New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo had a conversation where the subject was touched upon, but they have not yet had an in-depth discussion about it.

“It’s safe to say Tom and I have a great relationship,” she said. “I would assume I’ll get the opportunity to sit down and talk about it, see what the pros and cons are on both of our ends.”

Guzzo chairs the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council, which includes representatives of eight communities in northern Westmoreland County, which he says is “always searching for ways to benefit all of our communities by doing things together from a regional perspective.

“I have spoken to Mayor Santucci about this issue, and we will continue to see what makes the best sense for both of our cities,” he said. “The safety of our citizens is always a priority, and I will always look at ways to enhance it and do what is in the best interest of our citizens.”

Combining police departments — long a nonstarter in many areas — has become more attractive in recent years as municipalities face rising costs and fewer people interested in becoming police officers.

In the Alle-Kiski Valley:

• The Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department began operating in Cheswick and Springdale Township in 2019, with East Deer joining it in 2022.

• The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department was formed in 2022 with the merger of Gilpin and Freeport, with Ford City joining in 2023.

• Brackenridge disbanded its police department in 2023, with neighboring Tarentum taking in its three officers and patrolling the borough.

• O’Hara police began patrolling Blawnox beginning this year after O’Hara absorbed Blawnox’s police force.

How a combining of New Kensington and Arnold’s police departments would happen has not been determined, Santucci said, as any discussions are in the early stages.

Moore said he favors regionalization instead of a takeover, as Tarentum did with Brackenridge, because dissolving Arnold’s department would leave its community without a voice.

Regionalizing the departments should include the creation of a governing board with representatives from each city’s council along with community members, Moore said.

“There’s no reason now that there needs to be two chiefs and two police forces,” Moore said.

With 2025 being a local election year and seats on each city’s council up for grabs, Moore said it’s the right time for the discussion.

“It’s time to make some decisions that benefit the community,” he said. “For far too long, folks have coasted in these positions, running uncontested and not thinking of real solutions. It’s time to think of some real solutions and something that actually benefits the community.”