Grant may bring 911 cell-phone location capability

Sheriff defended practice of letting cops take cars home.
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County is applying for a grant that would enable county 911 phone operators to determine the location of calls from cell phones.
County commissioners signed a letter Thursday requesting an allocation from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency from wireless funds collected under a recently enacted tax on Pennsylvania cell phone users. The money would allow the County 911 Center to receive Global Positioning System information on the location of a cell phone caller and a call-back number.
County Public Safety Director Frank Janetti said PEMA will decide by June 1 whether the county will get funds. He said currently 911 operators cannot locate or identify the number of an incoming call from a cell phone.
He said he expects an allocation to be approved but said it could take a few years to get any money.
Janetti said counties have to compete with wireless providers for the funds. The cell phone companies can apply for funds for updating hardware.
Deputies' cruisers
Daniel Little of Hempfield Township asked commissioners why deputy sheriffs are allowed to take their cruisers home and whether this is costing the county money.
Contacted after the meeting, Sheriff William Romine Jr. said there are several reasons for the practice. He said sheriffs are on call 24 hours and this allows quicker response to emergencies in different areas of the county. He said each sheriff is assigned to serve papers to areas where he or she lives and that this saves travel time because they serve papers in their area at the end of the day and do not have to drive back to the courthouse. He said the practice also increases law enforcement visibility in the county.
Romine said the cars are only for official use and may not be used for personal trips except minimally, for example a deputy may stop for a meal while using the car on county business.
New officers
Commissioners also hired 26 correctional officers for the new county jail. Full-timers are: Nicole Kress of Sandy Lake, Raymond Borkowski and Tara Leksell, both of Stoneboro, and Joeleen Euard of Adamsville.
Part-timers are: Scott Quillen, Christopher Adams, Christopher Hartman, Mary Wright and Glenn Hedglin, all of Mercer; Josh Faler, Matthew Sharp, Patricia Gidzic, Brenda Pearce and Michael Strosser, all of Greenville; Kenneth Rogers, Jonathan Novelli, and Rickey Whenry, all of Sharpsville; Michael Prestopine and Richard Jones, both of New Castle; Joseph Mirizio of West Middlesex; Douglas Veverka of Conneaut Lake; Janet Patton-Newell of Farrell; and Pamela Thomas of Sharon.
Also Thursday, commissioners:
*Renewed a contract with Jovenall Insurance Co., Hermitage, for a builder's risk policy for the new jail. Contract amount is $25,200 for the one-year policy.
*Purchased service for $202 per day from Pyramid Healthcare, Altoona, for placement of youth from Children and Youth Services and Juvenile Probation for Ridgeview Chemical Dependency Program until June 30, 2005.
*Entered an agreement with Joe Holler Lawn Service, Sharpsville, for caretaking at Orangeville Cemetery, South Pymatuning Township, for $1,875 for April through September.