North Strabane Police Study Includes Poor Results

Supervisors in North Strabane Township authorized a qualitative study to be performed on the police department in 2022. They received results of that study at their legislative meeting Tuesday night. The group that performed the seven month study consisted of Dr. James Lauria, current chief of police in Oakdale Borough and adjunct professor at Robert Morris and Duquesne Universities, Dr. Christopher Wydra and Dr. Michael Hummel both professors at PennWest California University. Township Manager Andrew Walz indicated the study was done on the police department as studies have been done in other departments in the past and even currently. The presentation was edited for time constraints and only reviewed department survey data and conclusions about the leadership of the police department. Tables showed poor results in the roles of chief of police and two of the four current sergeants and one lieutenant. Suggestions made by the study were to fire the police chief and reassign the two sergeants and the lieutenant deemed failures by the study. Conversely, the study showed that two of the sergeants on staff are regarded very highly and that the quality of the patrol officers and departmental training are regarded as strengths. Neither Walz or any supervisors commented since it was the first time that they had seen the study and they need time to study the results.