MERCER COUNTY Cops try to cope with cost of repairs

Vehicle repair costs have already surpassed the total budget allocation for the year.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
FARRELL, Pa. -- Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Commission's beefed-up vehicle maintenance program is producing some beefed-up bills.
The commission, which provides police services for Farrell, Wheatland and West Middlesex, approved payment Tuesday of $9,502 for vehicle repairs for the first three months of the year, and the cost will go higher.
James DeCapua, commission chairman, said the commission has already incurred an additional $4,500 in vehicle maintenance costs this year. That brings the total to $14,000 -- $2,000 more than the commission budgeted for maintenance this year, DeCapua said.
New-car fund: The commission will have to tap $10,453 set aside for buying a new car to keep its fleet of six marked and two unmarked cars on the road.
The commission bought one new vehicle this year.
"I am hopeful the major expenses are behind us," DeCapua said, explaining that the new maintenance program turned up a lot of needed repairs.
The cars were taken to private repair facilities in the past, but the commission decided to take advantage of a Mercer County Regional Council of Governments (COG) offer to handle that task this year.
COG rates are half that being paid to private service providers, DeCapua said.
Complete inspection: Now, when a car goes in for something minor such as brake pad replacements, it gets a complete inspection, and those inspections have turned up some serious mechanical problems, DeCapua said.
One car needed a new engine, another a new transmission and a few thers needed differential and other big-ticket repairs.
The commission also instituted a daily inspection of each vehicle by the officer assigned to it.
The inspections are to be done at the start of each work shift so that any mechanical problems can be quickly found and corrected.
The officers are also responsible for checking the fluid levels in their vehicles at the start of each shift, he said.
Hoping for best: DeCapua said that since major repairs have been completed, he hopes the commission will now be faced with only routine maintenance costs.
The Fraternal Order of Police presented Police Chief Joseph Timko with a letter outlining its list of demands for the start of contract talks.
The terms weren't disclosed. The contract expires Dec. 31.