TITLE
A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, urging the General Assembly to explicitly authorize Second Class Counties to consolidate existing County, Port Authority and Housing Authority Police forces into a single law enforcement entity.
BODY
WHEREAS, Allegheny County currently maintains the Allegheny County Police, while the Allegheny County Port Authority and Allegheny County Housing Authority each maintain their own police forces; and
WHEREAS, although the Port Authority and Housing Authority police forces have limited jurisdictions, the County Police are specifically empowered to make arrests, serve and execute warrants throughout the County, and to perform the same functions as constables and police officers in cities of the first class on a countywide basis by 16 P.S. §4501(b);
WHEREAS, the Second Class County Code, 16 P.S. 4501 (a) specifically authorizes the creation of a County police force in Allegheny County; and
WHEREAS, although the Housing Authorities Law specifically authorizes the creation of Housing Authority Police forces in second class cities at 35 P.S. §1550(ee), and in first class cities at 35 P.S. §1550(ff), it does not appear to authorize the creation of such police forces in second class counties at all; and
WHEREAS, the Port Authority is specifically authorized to petition the Commonwealth for the appointment of railroad or street railway policemen at 22 P.S. §3301; and
WHEREAS, the various statutes authorizing the creation of these police forces do not make it immediately clear to what extent consolidation of the forces is possible;
WHEREAS, it appears that the consolidation of the Port Authority and Housing Authority Police forces, each of which requires its own equipment, uniform, maintenance, and other expenses, with the County Police, which could perform identical functions throughout the County, has the potential to have significant and favorable budgetary impacts for both the Port Authority and Housing Authority ; and
WHEREAS, it appears that such consolidation would aid in the enforcement of the laws of the County and Commonwealth by relying upon a single entity with countywide jurisdiction, rather than upon multiple entities with limited jurisdiction;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1.
Council hereby requests that the General Assembly act with all deliberate speed to explicitly authorize Second Class Counties to consolidate existing County, Port Authority and Housing Authority Police forces into a single law enforcement entity.
Section 2. Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance which shall be in full force and effect.
Section 3. Repealer. Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Ordinance.