East Pittsburgh Residents Concerned As Police Department Is Set To Disband
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EAST PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - At the end of the day, East Pittsburgh police officers won't be patrolling anymore because the department is closing for good.
The cars that will be patrolling East Pittsburgh starting on Saturday will look a bit different. That's because state police are taking over in a full-time capacity.
"State police have no connection to what goes into this town. They don't even know the town," said one Turtle Creek resident.
Borough council made the decision to dissolve the department during a monthly meeting.
The borough had been debating on disbanding the department for years because of how much it costs to keep it running.
Plus, the district attorney said the department did not have proper policies and procedures in place.
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Calls for the department's demise grew after East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld shot and killed unarmed teen Antwon Rose II over the summer.
"They shot a guy down in cold blood. That was wrong. I don't care how you look at it. They shouldn't have shot that boy. They need disbanded. They're not operating properly," one man said. "[State police are] adequate. They're professionals. They know what they're doing. They'll provide protection just as good as East Pittsburgh did. Probably better."
But, it's not just the crime some people are worried about.
"There are other things the police department should be involved in the community. They should be assisting those and serving the community," another man said.
