Resident asks North Huntingdon commissioners to create police oversight committee

A North Huntingdon woman’s proposal for the township commissioners to create a police oversight committee of residents was met with a lukewarm response by township officials.

After praising North Huntingdon police officers and North Huntingdon EMS for their response to an emergency involving her son on Christmas Day 2023, Dawn Lewandowski said the township should create a police oversight committee composed of residents.

“This would give our community an opportunity to address their grievances with the police department, to a board that is not emotionally charged and can hold the board and police department accountable for their actions,” Lewandowski said. She said she offered it as a solution to a problem she sees for people who have a complaint.

Characterizing herself as a strong supporter of the police department, Lewandowski said she believes there is room for improvement.

“Within your police department, it leaves a little bit to be desired,” Lewandowski said.

Lewandowski said she has done research into similar police oversight committees into neighboring counties and national organizations of police and oversight committees.

Lewandowski mentioned the complaints that North Huntingdon resident Nicholas Carrozza has lodged at the commissioners meetings in recent months that the police department has mishandled an investigation into of a two-vehicle crash in July that injured his son and the mother of his son.

Chief Robert Rizzo has declined to comment on the investigation.

Commissioners Eric Gass and Tom Hempel said they like the idea. Hempel said he would be in favor of commissioners getting together to form such a committee.

A majority of commissioners, however did not express an interest in having Township Manager Harry Faulk explore the possibility of creating such a committee.

Commissioner Ronald Zona, a retired Pennsylvania State Police trooper and chief of the Westmoreland County Detectives, said he strongly opposes the idea.

Zona said that it would open up the police officers to somebody acting like a Monday morning quarterback, reading police reports about a situation that was completely different when it happened.

“I think you get people who don’t face those challenges on a daily basis,” making judgments on the actions of the police officer, Zona said.