Uniontown's police department is in crisis. A force built for 18 officers is down to just 12, with two more preparing to leave. And amid the collapse, the chief abruptly resigned. 

Sources tell KDKA the situation here has been deteriorating for months. Uniontown's police department has been shrinking and now the chief of police has officially resigned, accepting a better-paying job as the chief of police at Robert Morris University. His exit comes at a time when the department is already stretched beyond capacity.

The force is designed to operate with 18 officers plus three more assigned to the county's booking center. But now the city is down to 12 officers, with two more on their way out soon. Sources inside the department say the reasons are clear: higher pay and stronger benefits in surrounding police departments.

"I don't want to live in fear," one resident said. 

"I live alone, I'm 86 years old, so take it from there. I would like to be comfortable and not be all stressed out," she added. 

The staffing shortage became so extreme that Uniontown had to relinquish the booking center back to the county because it didn't have the manpower to staff it. And now the shortage has left the city unable to fill its own midnight shift. Until further notice, from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., state police troopers are responding to 911 calls inside the city.

Residents say what worries them most is the potential for slower response times during critical overnight hours.

"That's going to be a big problem and all that, and then if you handle the business yourself, you get in trouble," said another resident. 

State police in Uniontown cover a large territory and while stepping in to help, calls to 911 will have to be rerouted to state police dispatch first, creating an additional step in an already urgent situation.

KDKA reached out to the mayor and city solicitor several times but didn't hear back. State police say they'll continue covering the midnight shift indefinitely.