East Deer making progress to join police force with Allegheny Valley Regional Police

East Deer is getting closer to joining the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department.

Township officials discussed the status of the process during their meeting Thursday night.

The police board will consider East Deer’s application to join the force at a special meeting on Jan. 25. The move will become official if Cheswick Council and the Springdale Township commissioners vote to OK the merger at their meetings.

East Deer Commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani said if both municipalities greenlight the merger, East Deer’s next step would be to pass an ordinance and place its representatives on the joint police board.

Officials unanimously voted to approve appointing Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department Chief Mike Naviglia as East Deer’s interim chief during the transition period.

Taliani hopes to see the merger take effect as soon as next month.

“By merging, it gives you an opportunity to collectively experience different ways to save funding while exhibiting the service you are providing,” he said.

Taliani said consolidation will become the move going forward for many small municipalities with their police and fire departments because they have difficulty recruiting people and affording them.

“The model we have used for several years is no longer working,” he said.

East Deer voted in December to apply to join the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department.

Cheswick and Springdale Township merged their police departments to form the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department in July 2019. The consolidation altogether has saved both municipalities about $500,000 since the merger went into effect.

Taliani said East Deer expects to save nearly $55,000 this year after joining the Allegheny Valley force.

Recruiting police officers has been difficult for East Deer, which recently lost three part-time officers. Taliani said years ago the call for officers would result in 50 applicants. Now, it’s difficult to find even one, he said.

“This (the merger) provides potential for much more growth going forward that will be affordable to our taxpayers and provide the level of service we want our taxpayers to have,” Taliani said.

Correction: This article has been updated to say the Allegheny Valley police board will consider the merger on Jan. 25; the original version incorrectly said the board already approved it.