MONTGOMERY, Pa. — About 1,500 people call the borough of Montgomery home. However, the Lycoming County municipality is now without a police department.
Last week, the borough council elected to disband its local law enforcement.
"It is a problem that small communities across the state are having reaching the financial obligations and the leadership obligations," said Montgomery Mayor Rocky Sanguedolce.
The borough will now be served by the Pennsylvania State Police in Montoursville, according to the mayor.
"I have no doubt they will be able to cover the borough's needs. We are a small borough. I think we are about a mile wide and a mile and a half long. I have no doubt state police can handle that."
Most people Newswatch 16 spoke with in Montgomery said they are either happy with the transition or just waiting to see how it plays out.
Dale Brendle thinks state police will be reliable.
"Everybody says it will take them longer to get here, but they will get here. I think it will be much more thorough with state police."
But Montgomery is not an outlier. According to Gov. Josh Shapiro, more and more smaller municipalities have begun to rely on state police.
"As local police departments across Pennsylvania struggle with workforce shortages, we know Pennsylvania State Police are being asked to do more," the governor said.
Gov. Shapiro also talked about a decline in state police applicants. In the wake of those comments, Mayor Sanguedolce is pleading for Pennsylvania government to give more law enforcement powers to sheriff's departments.
"Have the governor come in to small municipalities like this and further expand the role that sheriff's departments can take in small towns like ours."
The Pennsylvania State Police have already begun patrolling the Montgomery area.
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