Meadville to take on Vernon Township Police Duties
Last Thursday, Vernon Township’s Supervisors approved a 20-year contract with the city of Meadville for the provision of coverage by the Meadville Police Department. Starting January 1st of next year, Meadville City Police will take over patrol and law enforcement duties 24 hours a day and 7 days a week within Vernon Township. Vernon Township itself will be phasing out its own department which has struggled to hire and keep qualified police officers. According to Meadville City Police Chief Michael Stefanucci, Meadville will see no change in services, but residents of Vernon Township will see an increased presence of officers and quicker response times to calls.
An informational meeting about the deal will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, October 24th. During that meeting, the police department will announce the rollout of a new Crime Watch program intended to benefit everyone under MPD jurisdiction. Until January 1st, Vernon Township will be patrolled by the Pennsylvania State Police.