Westmoreland park police hired to work at Steelers training camp
Jun. 8—Westmoreland County Park Police again will help with security at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp this summer at Saint Vincent College near Latrobe.
Commissioners on Thursday approved a new deal for park police officers to patrol the three-week event, set to begin July 27, mirroring the pact approved last year.
The county paid officers more than $10,300 for 23 eight-hour shifts during last year's training camp, but the team wasn't billed until this week.
"Somehow, the Steelers weren't billed. They are being billed today," Controller Jeffrey Balzer said this week. "It fell through the cracks."
That also will include $1,150 for expenses related to use of the county patrol car.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said the team had no issue with costs billed for use of the park police at last year's training camp and planned to use county officers again this summer.
According to the 2022 agreement, the Steelers agreed to pay for patrol officers and a park police vehicle to be at training camp from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The county charged the team $56 for each shift worked and an additional $50 a day for the park police vehicle.
The contract for training camp was initiated by the Steelers, according to county officials. Citing security concerns, they declined to reveal the financial and operational details of this year's deal with the team but said the agreement carried the same financial terms as last year.
"We have a good relationship with them," Westmoreland County Park Police Chief Henry Fontana said.
The park police have jurisdiction on county-owned property, such as the courthouse in Greensburg, 10 parks and the campus that houses the county jail, nursing home and juvenile detention center in Hempfield. The department also has separate deals to patrol county-related grounds at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity, the transit authority center in Greensburg and community college near Youngwood.
Because training camp falls outside of park police jurisdiction, officers will work hand-in-hand with the state police, which have enforcement powers in Unity, where the college is.
"We are essentially assisting them," Fontana said.
The Steelers assignments won't impact the park police deputies at other county locations, he added.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .
