Tom Smith, administrator for the Evans City-Seven Fields department, said that like most municipal departments across the U.S., recruiting and retaining officers has become a challenge. Statistics from the state suggest that 83% of municipal departments are operating with fewer than 10 officers. In the Evans City-Seven Fields Regional Police Department, district court filings by officers have dropped by 65% since 2019, and one part-time and two full-time officers have resigned.

The council considered eliminating the three-person police department to solve their budget shortfall, but ultimately funded the department in the proposed budget, which is expected to come to a vote in June. Harrisville Mayor Gary Hughes said the very existence of the small police department in that borough hung in the balance as officials hammered out the 2023 budget.

Half of and the entirety of on Sunday were dedicated to the obstacles faced by municipalities that have police departments. According to a pair of articles in the Butler Eagle’s Sunday edition, a situation is brewing that has no easy answers.

Middlesex township police