South Buffalo police stronger than ever, officials say, as they consider new station

About five years ago, the South Buffalo Township Police Department consisted of two officers and a single civilian SUV that was converted for police use.

On July 15, the municipality hired its fourth full-time police officer, at $23 an hour, who, unlike some of his predecessors, will patrol in a specially designed police vehicle. The municipality’s police force now has two Ford F-150 Responders and a Ford Interceptor.

South Buffalo has more than doubled its police spending in recent years, from $110,000 in 2018 to $250,000 in 2023, all without a tax increase.

The addition of Officer Ethan Miller is just the latest reflection of the township’s efforts to revamp a department that was once nearly invisible.

Township Supervisor Joe Charlton said the key to freeing up funds has been eliminating unnecessary expenses, such as contracts for unused software and multi-year capital funding.

“We saved a lot of money,” Charlton said. “It was just stuff we weren’t using.”

Recent investments in policing aren’t just about improving appearances, according to Supervisor Paul Bergad. He attributes the drop in daytime burglaries to the additional officer, hired in 2021, and a more active presence in the community.

Cadogan Township Supervisor David Round is a satisfied customer.

The township of 300 residents could never maintain its own police force, so it contracts out policing coverage to South Buffalo for about $20,000 a year, Round said.

The contract expires at the end of the year. Round would like the municipalities to reach a five-year extension.

“When you get something good, you want to hold on to it,” he said.

Today, South Buffalo is considering perhaps the largest investment ever made in its police force: a new precinct.

In 2022, the city moved its offices from the Iron Bridge Road building to a larger building on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus in the RIDC Innovation Park (formerly known as Northpointe Industrial Park). Police remained on site.

Officials want to build a building adjacent to Northpointe and relocate the police department there. That would cost about $750,000, Bergad said. He’s counting on state and federal grants to cover most or all of the costs.

Chief Jeffrey Kuntz, blunt in his assessment, said it was time for an upgrade.

“This is not a station,” he said. “This is a house.”