North Franklin Township Police Department To Disband At End Of Year

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NORTH FRANKLIN (KDKA) – A Washington County police department will be disbanding at the end of the year.

North Franklin Township Council said they need a balanced budget for 2019, and they just cant pay for the four full-time officers.

That's why the council voted to cut the police department.

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

The officers will be paid up until the end of the year and will receive health insurance until the end of January.

The council members said this was a tough decision, but they had to make it.

Law says that a township can't approve a budget with a deficit. They said hiking taxes would have been the only other option to balance the budget and they didn't want to do that.

In the short term, state police troopers will patrol the township.