Latrobe police get Taser, training funds, seek grant for body cameras

Latrobe police are working to upgrade their equipment and training with the help of donations and grants.

City council this week authorized application to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for a $33,530 grant to support purchase of body-worn cameras for the police department.

City Manager Michael Gray said the money, if approved, would outfit 14 officers with the cameras, providing an additional important resource for both police and the public.

“It’s a very essential tool for the police,” Gray said. “Most police departments have the body cameras.”

He said a 50% match for the grant will be figured into the 2021 budget.

Police Chief John Sleasman reported that a local business owner anonymously donated more than $24,000 to purchase 15 new Taser stun guns for the department, along with holsters, batteries and training.

With another donation, from the Living Hope Church of Whitney in neighboring Unity , Latrobe officers will receive an additional day of police training through North Carolina-based Dolan Consulting Group, whose other clients include the cities of Kansas City, Mo., and Asheville, N.C. That training is valued at more than $6,000, Sleasman said.

“We have so many people that are so generous and giving and help the community out,” said Latrobe Mayor Rosie Wolford.

Legion honors presented, received

At the city council meeting, Sleasman, a veteran, was surprised with a certificate of appreciation for his military service, awarded through the Army’s Freedom Team Salute program and presented by Don Jones and Randy Miller, representatives of the Latrobe American Legion post.

Sleasman served for a combined 21 years in the Army and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, advancing to the roles of tank commander and platoon sergeant. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he was deployed to Europe in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Wolford also presented a proclamation honoring Latrobe resident Leatrice Hill, 95, for her 45 years of volunteer work with the local Legion post. Hill served 18 years with the post’s auxiliary unit and has traditionally collected the top amount of donations, as much as $1,200 annually, through the post’s Poppy Program.