Forward Township supervisor questions value of contract with Elizabeth Township police

Police public safety services are being questioned in Forward Township. 

The Forward Township Police Department was disbanded in 2022, and shortly after, the township agreed to hire the Elizabeth Township Police Department to provide coverage. But traffic enforcement has become a concern for one Forward Township supervisor, and recent changes in the township's contract are sparking some controversy. 

Forward Township Supervisor David Levdansky said during a township meeting in early August that a monthly "calls for service/arrest" report was given to supervisors, breaking down how many service calls, traffic stops, traffic citations, accidents and custodial arrests were made by Elizabeth Township police in July.

According to the monthly report, Elizabeth Township police made 12 traffic stops and issued one traffic citation.

"Last month's statistics just jumped out at me," Levdansky said. "That number struck me as rather low, and I look back on it and compare it to prior months and prior years, and it is."

KDKA collected the reports for traffic stops in Forward Township over the last few months. In January, Elizabeth Township police made 15 stops. In February, that number dropped to nine and then jumped to 62 in April. 

Levdansky said the issue led him to do some digging into the latest contract agreement between the two townships and whether what they're paying to Elizabeth police is worth the cost.

"I have concerns about enforcement of violations on our highways, especially for public safety and public concerns," Levdansky said.

According to the latest contract between the two townships, signed in February of 2026, Levdansky said periodic inspections of commercial vehicles by a Department of Transportation inspector were eliminated. He said all previous contracts included DOT.

"There's significant commercial tanker trucks coming and going on an ongoing basis," Levdansky said. "To prohibit enforcement of vehicle code violations is clearly not in the public interest. Maybe it's in somebody else's interest, but it's not in the interest of public safety."

KDKA Investigates called Forward Township Chairman Tom DeRosa to learn why DOT enforcement was eliminated. He refused to answer, only commenting that it was a decision between Forward Township and Elizabeth Township.

According to the latest reports shared with KDKA-TV, despite the change, police conducted at least six DOT stops since March.
Elizabeth Township Police Chief Ken Honick said one of his officers is also a DOT officer, and when conducting a regular traffic stop on a commercial vehicle, that officer has the responsibility and requirement to conduct an inspection on that vehicle, if needed.

Levdansky said with what appears to be fewer traffic stops and no DOT enforcement, he questioned how often police are policing in the township, reminding that Elizabeth Township police provide coverage to four communities, including Forward Township.

"Under the contract, we don't have guaranteed access to, say, for example, GPS data from their vehicles. If we had that, we would know exactly how many hours a day we're receiving coverage. We don't have that, so we don't know," Levdansky said.

According to the township contracts shared with KDKA Investigates, in 2022, Forward Township paid Elizabeth Township $375,000 a year for services, with the number increasing each year. The latest contract shows the township will pay the police department $500,000 a year and $530,000 in 2027.

"Our payments to Elizabeth Township have increased significantly, and yet what we're guaranteeing, the kind of coverage that we should be getting, is not spelled out in the contract," Levdansky said.

In the current contract, it states, "Elizabeth Township shall provide continuous twenty-four (24) hour police coverage within the territorial boundaries of Forward Township. However, the parties acknowledge and agree that in the performance of these duties, it may be necessary at times for the dedicated officer to temporarily cross into neighboring municipalities to respond to emergencies, pursue suspects, provide mutual aid, or otherwise assist with law enforcement matters."

"There's nothing to stop Elizabeth Township from assigning a police officer to cover Forward Township, Elizabeth Borough, and West Elizabeth,"  Levdansky said. "They could do that under the existing contract, and we wouldn't know because there's nothing in the language that requires Elizabeth Township Police Department to verify the coverage."

In a statement to KDKA-TV earlier this month, Honick said, "Just prior to the conclusion of the public meeting, Supervisor Levdansky made inquiries related to the monthly law enforcement services report submitted to each municipality. He specifically questioned the traffic stop-to-ticket ratio. Elizabeth Township Police have been providing primary police services to Forward Township since 2022. Related to traffic stops and traffic enforcement, the agency continues a trend that exceeds the statistics of previous police services in Forward Township related to traffic enforcement."

Honick added that the department uses "a variety of police presence and tactics" and traffic enforcement is "only one of the many tools."