When Tarentum and Brackenridge police consolidated in 2023, there were some concerns from Brackenridge residents that the community would lose its daily patrols and coverage would lean toward the larger of the two boroughs.
A newly published report, presenting data from the first full year of combined policing, may help put those fears to rest.
The disparity in police response in the two boroughs is driven by populations, traffic patterns and call volumes — not by differences in enforcement philosophy or service quality, authorities said.
Adjusted for population and service demand, enforcement outcomes remain consistent across both communities, police Chief Bill Vakulick said.
“Our officers are committed to treating every call, every resident and every situation with the same level of care and professionalism,” he said. “The data reflects a department that prioritizes de-escalation, community presence and proactive public safety. We’re proud of the work our officers do every day on behalf of both boroughs.”
Together, the department serves about 7,500 people, with 4,300 in Tarentum and 3,200 in Brackenridge.
In 2025, the combined force responded to nearly 2,500 calls resulting in 242 arrests. Most were for traffic offenses, drugs, disorderly conduct, theft and criminal trespass.
Tarentum Mayor Bob Lang said the arrest and citation rates, when measured as a proportion of calls for service, are nearly identical between the two communities.
Police answered about 1,740 calls in Tarentum which led to about 160 arrests, or 9%.
In Brackenridge, officers responded to about 760 calls with about 80 arrests, or about 10.5%.
Brackenridge Manager Chad Edwards referred questions about previous years police coverage to Mayor Lindsay Fraser, as her job is to oversee public safety.
Fraser said there was no annual report for 2022 to compare the number of calls responded to by borough police prior to joining Tarentum.
She said that the decision to consolidate departments was difficult and not necessarily based on expectations of cost savings but the level of opportunity and resources.
When the two forces signed on to a five-year trial consolidation, the move was intended to be a regional approach to public safety that maintains community-based policing. The trial ends in 2028.
“As mayor, I was often bringing requests for equipment and resources from Chief McIntire and our officers to council, many of which weren’t possible given budget constraints,” Fraser said. “We knew that the Brackenridge department was underfunded.”
In 2023, the Brackenridge police budget was about $567,700.
This year, Brackenridge is expected to pay Tarentum about $672,400. In return, the borough has access to more resources, and Tarentum handles all the administrative work.
It also allows local officers to remain in Brackenridge, which wasn’t the case in the months following the on-duty shooting death of Chief Justin McIntire. The borough was left without enough officers to cover full-time shifts around the clock. It required help from state police to cover weekends.
“While the cost-savings may not be what some might expect, the level of opportunity and resources provided to our officers in the Tarentum police department is beyond what we could have offered in Brackenridge,” Fraser said. “Our community benefits from a more uniformly trained and comprehensively resourced department.”
The agreement formalized a consistent mutual aid policy between local departments and ensured continuity of service, Fraser said.
“And, the same officers that we know and trust continue to patrol our streets and respond to our calls with professionalism and compassion,” she said.
Lang said the report makes it clear that “police activity follows need, not geography.”
“Regardless of which borough an officer is serving at any given moment, the standard is the same,” he said.
