LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Freshly detailed police cruisers are coming soon to the Wyoming Valley that will be on duty for the communities of West Wyoming, Wyoming, Exeter, Exeter Township, and West Pittston as the new Wyoming Area Regional Police Department begins Sunday, with more than a year in the making.
"It's a historic day. We started at midnight last night with our first shift of officers representing the Wyoming area regional forest department. And this was a long time coming," said Chief D F Pace, Wyoming Area Regional Police Department.
For now, they will be using cruisers from the five municipalities the department serves headquartered at the former West Pittston Police Department until the former state police barracks is ready to transition into.
"And it's all come together, and here we are January 1, 2023. The Wyoming Area Regional Police Department is now serving these communities," said Chief Pace.
Chief Pace says this regionalization OF police departments is a trend seen around the country and will lead to better resources for residents.
"We have a number of officers that have come in from the existing municipalities that are now going to be police officers with the Wyoming Area Regional Police Department. In addition, we hired an additional 8 to 10 officers who are going to be beginning very, very soon. So we're going to have a very nice complement of officers, far more than the sum total of the previous five municipalities. Given some of the attrition that had occurred immediately before this new Regional Police Department got started," explained Pace.
The Chief says professionalism will be a priority within the department, as well as listening to feedback from the communities, which he plans to do through.
"Meet the chief events, listening session events, and we're looking forward to as many people coming out as possible, and we invite as many people to come out as possible," said Chief Pace.
To keep tabs on when these events will be taking place, Chief Pace says the Wyoming Area Regional Police Department will be taking over the West Pittston Police Department's Facebook page, and the events will be posted there.
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