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Union City council approves part-time police hire as chief warns of heavy call volume
Summary
Union City Borough voted unanimously to hire Kenneth Fye as a part-time police officer and heard that the department fielded 269 calls between June 1 and Aug. 13. The council noted budget constraints and the borough received community foundation grants for tasers and security cameras.
Union City Borough Council voted unanimously Aug. 13 to hire Kenneth Fye from the certified civil service list as a part-time police officer.
The move followed remarks from Mayor Robert Wolf stressing the importance of maintaining a local police department and his recommendation to add a part-time officer for coverage. “It’s important to maintain a Police Department in the Borough,” Mayor Robert Wolf said, urging the council to bolster staffing.
Council discussion centered on cost and coverage. Councilor Riley Cross and Councilor Matt Joyce said part-time staffing would reduce costs while improving coverage; Borough Manager Cindy Wells told council the budget had allowed at least $33,560 for wages and benefits and that a part-time hire would be less than that, depending on the hours worked.
Police Chief David Pernice briefed the council on recent activity and training. He reported the department handled 269 calls from June 1 through Aug. 13 — about 3.63 calls per day — including vehicle pursuits, protection-from-abuse matters, warrants, domestic incidents, drug activity and homelessness-related calls. He said some incidents can occupy an entire shift, citing a domestic call that ran from about 8:50 p.m. to 2 a.m. Chief Pernice also said he and Officer Shelly attended an Alert Active Shooter training July 24–25 and that the department received two grants from the UC Community Foundation to purchase four tasers and add security cameras covering another section of North Main Street.
The council approved the hire on a motion by Councilor Matt Joyce, seconded by Councilor Osborn; the motion carried unanimously.
Next steps: the hire will proceed from the certified civil service list and the council did not amend the salary line beyond the budget guidance given by the borough manager.
