Officials in Pulaski Township are considering joining the Beaver Valley Regional Police Department for police coverage in the township.

A meeting to discuss the possible policing change was held Monday night where leaders say joining the regional department would help the township save money. Others say response times could be impacted. 

Pulaski Township's contract with the New Brighton Police Department is set to expire at the end of the year and township leaders and now considering a contract with the area's regional police force instead.

The contract being considered with the Beaver Valley Regional Police would be for 10 years. 

The regional police department already serves Rochester Township, Baden Borough, Conway Borough, and Freedom Borough.

During Monday night's meeting, some neighbors expressed concern about coverage, saying that they're worried about police potentially not being able to get to emergencies quickly enough. 

"I just don't think the whole system's gonna work," Samantha Bloom said. "I think that yeah, response times are a biggie. If New Brighton Police are down at headquarters five minutes away, if these guys are out on calls, then they're who knows where. Conway? Economy? They're coming a fifteen minute drive."

"It's just not ethical in my opinion," Bloom said. "I think there are bigger issues in Pulaski that need to be reviewed, rather than our policing."

Meanwhile, a member of the regional police commission said that the more communities there are in the pot, the more ability there is to afford coverage.

"The more communities we can get, the more savings we feel we can get to our residents," said Paul Abbott, vice chairman of the Beaver Valley Regional Police Department Commission. "We can hire more officers, put more officers on the road, and provide a better coverage than what we're getting now." 

"They can opt out with six months notification as long as the regional police are not meeting the standards that's written into the contract," Abbott said.  

The township board is considering whether to put the issue on the ballot next spring.