Canonsburg to Hire Two Part-Time Police Officers

Council on Monday unanimously voted to hire two part-time police officers.

Councilman Rich Russo made the motion, which was seconded by Councilman Joe Graff. It passed by a 9-0 vote.

This is the first time in borough history that part-time officers are being hired in the department—and police Chief R.T. Bell said it was a positive move that will help improve public safety in the community.

The two new police officers will help supplement the 15 full-time members of the force.

Canonsburg Mayor David H. Rhome, who oversees the police department, said the two new members will likely be in place by April 1, which will help with scheduling and also "bolster manpower."

"It's going to allow the police department to move forward with additional initiatives," he said. "They will help allow us to implement additional programming."

Rhome used drug-awareness outreach, traffic monitoring and the certification of an officer to deal with weights and measures as examples.

"It's all for the safety of our community," he said, adding that the implementation of the new staff came about as the result of a collaborative effort that spanned his office, council, Bell and the full-time members of the police department.