FORD CITY STUDIES JOINING DRUG TASK FORCE

FORD CITY -- Despite their involvement in numerous drug arrests in
the borough, Ford City police officers are not a part of the
county's drug task force, and some council members think they should be.

"There has been drug activity in the borough and our officers alone
can't handle the problem," said councilman Homer Pendleton, who
requested the issue be brought to the table. "With all the talk of
meth labs and the known drug houses in town, we need to
do something to solve the problem."

Pendleton's recommendation to join the task force would allow the
borough to receive help through the county and the state attorney
general's office to provide training, along with providing
additional resources to help with drug investigations and arrests.

Councilwoman Renee Zacour agreed, saying that the additional funding
from the county and state would benefit the borough's efforts toward
eliminating the drug problem.

John Rudosky, councilman and former police officer and drug task
force member, said that even without Ford City being a member of the
task force, that the outside agencies are assisting the police in
drug investigations.

"By joining the task force, you would be taking our police officers
out of the borough and asking them to protect people in other
communities that may not have their own police force," he said. "To
have our officers in other areas is an incredible liability to the borough.

Several council members said they had varying information on the
liability issue, prompting them to agree to have the county district
attorney, Scott Andreassi, and a representative of the attorney
general's office come to the January meeting to explain the legal
aspects of joining the task force.

"I think it would be best to hear it directly from their mouths so
that we know what we are getting involved in," Rudosky said. "I want
to know exactly who is responsible, and to what extent, if one of
our officers is hurt or killed while out in another community doing
work outside their normal duties."

In other police matters, council voted to hire three part-time
police officers at a rate of $10.76 per hour, contingent on them
passing the required exams and background checks. The officers,
Andrew Andryka, Nicholas Black and Philip Young, would be hired on
a 12-month probationary period.

Council also decided not to forgive parking meter violations in the
business district during the Christmas holiday season because of
past complaints from business owners that vehicles were left in the
parking spaces all day, limiting the spaces for shoppers.