What's Happening in North Versailles, PA…

The North Versailles has received a grant that will allow it to buy some new equipment, and has also hired a new employee.

In total, $3,759 of the funding was received form the Department of Justice. It will be put towards the purchase of seven new bulletproof vests. The town had originally applied to get $7,700, and the shortfall will be made up from township funds over the next year.

According to the police chief, all of the 29 officers who serve with the force have vests, but 7 of them will expire next year. They have a lifespan of five years, and deteriorate as they are used. He also noted that the funds must be spent over two years, and a reapplication for further funding from that source cannot be made until these have been used up.

An additional 25 Motorola portable radios will also be purchased with a total price tag of $24,908. This will come from the Justice Department’s Equitable Sharing Program. They will have both digital and analog capabilities, and will allow the police to have uniformity in their communication equipment. A printing company will be able to produce instructional handouts explaining the operational procedures for this new equipment that can be distributed to the officers who will be using them.

Along with the purchase of the new items, a trainee part-time emergency dispatcher was also hired.