The mayor of Collingdale Borough, in Delaware County, is calling for back up amid an officer shortage in the community and, beginning this week, the Pennsylvania State Police are going to answer the call.
According to a statement from the Pa. State Police, on Sunday, Collingdale's mayor, Donna Matteo-Spadea, sent a letter to the State Police in Media asking for overnight police patrol and investigatory coverage on evenings from midnight to 8 a.m., beginning on the night of Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024.
“It broke my heart to write that letter and ask for help," Matteo-Spadea told NBC10's Aaron Baskerville, who suggested she seemed emotion during a recent interview. "I am emotional. It’s very emotional for me. It’s emotional for all of us. We didn’t want this to happen.”
State police officials said they will work with Collingdale Borough officials and members of the police department there in order to address an "extreme staffing shortage" that has lead to police there not being able to safely and adequately meet full-time police coverage requirements.
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Borough officials told NBC10 that, in a few days, Collingdale will only have six officers on the streets and two detectives in house.
Some, Matteo-Spadea said, have left for what she called better opportunities, and she noted that two years ago Collingdale had at least 25 full and part time officers.
Through this effort, the mayor said, State Police troopers will soon help answer 911 calls and respond to emergencies.
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But, those troopers would be coming from Media, Delaware County.
“I wanna be safe when I’m going outside with my child, when I’m going to work. Everybody wanna feel safe, so bringing in state troopers is pretty good," Collingdale resident, Tiffany Salley, said of the mayor's decision.
However, some in the community oppose the move. In a statement on social media, Collingdale’s council president, Ryan Hastings, claimed the mayor called in law enforcement support for political reasons.
And, he claimed, the mayor "has consistently failed to consult" the Borough council's public safety committee members or the community's new police chief -- who was hired amid controversy earlier this month.
The Pennsylvania State Police have said they will provide police coverage to the community until the time that police staffing needs are met.
Mayor Matteo-Spadea said the community will likely need support from the Pa. State Police for the next three months.
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