North Allegheny school board approves district police department
McCandless, Pennsylvania, October 27, 2023
It’s been in the works for some time and now it’s official: the North Allegheny School District will establish a school police department.
The school board unanimously approved the motion Wednesday.
The district’s plan is to hire a police chief and a dozen officers.
While it was approved unanimously, some board members had concerns.
“Even in the hands of a trained police officer, firearms are still dangerous,” said member Elizabeth Warner. “Our own policy says possession of weapons in a school setting is a threat to the safety of students and staff.”
Currently, the district pays $200,000 to have two McCandless police officers patrol the schools.
Three public information sessions will be held to discuss the decision starting next Wednesday.
