Masontown council restores police force after voting to layoff entire department
During an emergency meeting on Saturday night, Masontown borough council voted 6-0 to reinstate its police department after council initially voted on Monday to lay off the entire department, citing budgetary reasons as the leading factor for the decision.
The abrupt vote, however, sparked near-immediate backlash from the community.
The police department employs two full-time officers and four part-time officers, according to Masontown Borough Police Chief Timothy O'Barto.
KDKA-TV reached out to all council members on Wednesday. Only two answered calls. Councilman Mickey Upole told KDKA-TV that he had nothing to say. Councilman Gregg Adamson said the layoffs weren't his idea.
"We're trying to cut property tax down," Adamson said. "There's not high crime in the area. I've lived here all my life."
O'Barto, however, said the police force is a necessity in the borough.
"We have every type of crime that a major city has in our borough. We have homicides down to the smallest internet cryptocurrency cases," O'Barto said.
Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele released a statement earlier in the week about the anticipated reversal, saying, "We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from the community for our police, which was instrumental to this reversal."