By Nancy Lowry
Judge Dominick Motto’s order barring intoxicated prisoners from the Lawrence County jail could take a toll on local police departments.
New Castle police chief Tom Sansone said the city is in better shape than most municipalities since it has its own holding cells.
“The order does not impact us as much as the townships, but if we have someone in a cell we must pull manpower to keep an eye on whoever is in the lockup.”
However, Sansone said, since the jail started to accept intoxicated individuals nine years ago, the city has seldom used its jail cells except on an emergency basis.
Ellwood City also has holding cells. But that department, like New Castle, will also have to pull officers off the road to watch prisoners kept in the lockup, Sansone said.
Since the jail is equipped to accept prisoners, Sansone said he is at a loss to understand why there is a problem now after nine years without issue.
“I can understand some of the judge’s reasons, but (his ruling) is a hindrance to us,” the chief said.
ALWAYS CHARGED
Sansone added that he heard that Motto had been told that some police departments were checking intoxicated people into the jail but not filing charges. New Castle officers have not done this, he said.
“IF someone arrested for public drunkenness faces a summary offense, that is the same as a traffic ticket,” he said. “We issue a non-traffic citation to the individual, and when we take him or her to the jail, they arrive with their copy of that citation which is given to jail personnel. When they are released, they get a copy. They present this to the district judge who gives them credit for time served. But we never take anyone without paperwork.”
He added that if a person is over a specific blood alcohol limit, officers also transport them to the hospital for medical clearance before the jail accepts them.
Sansone said not every intoxicated person picked up by police is taken to jail.
“If we arrest someone for public drunkenness, we try to find a family member or friend we can take them to for the night to watch them. But a lot of these people live alone. There is no one and nowhere they can go. We’re concerned about protecting them for their own safety and others.
He said his officers will continue to take people off the streets, but need a place to keep them.
For the city police to keep them in the city’s holding cells is depriving the taxpayers. The people are not getting police protection if the officers have to watch people in the city jail, he said.
A couple of local chiefs said they are under the impression the jail would no longer will accept any individuals arrested after 10 p.m.
For the past nine years anyone arrested after 10 p.m. sits in jail until 8 a.m. when police have them arraigned by a district judge.
Motto stressed his order does not cover individuals charged with more serious offenses.
“They are charged when they are admitted to the jail,” he said. “Even if they have not been arraigned, the police have listed charges and filed an affidavit of probable cause or complaint.”
ANTICIPATE OVERTIME
Other police departments anticipate they will face growing overtime costs if the jail no longer accepts drunks.
“We won’t stop doing what we do, but it could get more expensive if we have to pay an officer to baby-sit a drunk,” said Shenango Township Chief Bill Phillips.
The department has six full-time and four part-time officers, but no holding cell.
“If we have to pull an officer to sit with a drunk for part of a shift, we’ll do that,” Phillips said. “It will put a strain on us.”
Neshannock Township police superintendent Philip S. Carlo echoed Phillips’ comments.
”If we pick up someone who is so drunk he is a danger to himself or the community, we can’t release him back to the community if we can’t find a friend or family member to take custody of him,” Carlo said. “It will tie up one of our officers. If we have someone in custody, we pull an officer off the road to stay with him.”
Neshannock has nine police officers.
Carlo said the availability of the jail has helped the police departments over the years.
