House panel holds hearing on Belfanti bill in Danville

By Karen BlackledgeThe Daily Item

DANVILLE — State House Bill 2585 will clarify and restore powers of sheriffs and deputy sheriffs but not result in additional spending, supporters testified Monday afternoon.

One area police chief had some reservations about primary jurisdiction wording in the bill. State Rep. Robert Belfanti Jr., the bill’s sponsor, said the jurisdiction issue would be discussed. Belfanti also is chairman of the Labor Relations Committee, which held the public hearing, attended by about 30 sheriffs and deputy sheriffs from throughout the region and others, in the Danville Elks.

Two other hearings will be held in Erie and in Harrisburg with Belfanti vowing to bring the bill up for a vote before he retires Nov. 30.

“The bill clarifies and restores powers,” said Chester County Sheriff Carolyn Welsh after House Labor Relations Committee member Rep. Neal Goodman, of Schuylkill County, asked how the role of sheriffs and deputies can be expanded without being detrimental to their other responsibilities. He also said counties would be coming back to the state saying the bill was a mandate and asking it “to buck up. The state doesn’t have the money to do it.”

Belfanti said another piece of legislation would tax municipalities that rely only on state police for protection. “Something has to give here. Sheriffs and deputies had most of these powers — they’re asking for them back,” Belfanti said. In some parts of Montour County, response time for state police can take 45 minutes to an hour.

Sheriffs and deputies duties include providing security for courthouses and court functions, serving papers in civil matters and issuing permits to carry firearms.

Belfanti said he gave state and local police and sheriff’s offices a year to work on the issue. “It’s time to act on the bill,” he said.

Lycoming County Sheriff Mark Lusk said the only change before court rulings would be sheriff’s offices would continue to assist agencies when called to help and when available. If the sheriffs chose to, they could begin dialogue with municipalities seeking police protection.

Montour County commissioners Chairman Trevor Finn said he doesn’t consider the bill a mandate but a choice. He reminded the committee that Montour County is suing the state over a mandate that forced it to hire a full-time district attorney. The state has not paid its share of the DA’s salary since issuing the mandate.

Finn said the bill restores investigative and arrest powers to highly trained sheriffs and their deputies. “In rural Pennsylvania, we need sheriffs and sheriff’s deputies in the war against crime,” he said.

While Mahoning Township police Chief Robert Blee Jr. said his department works well with the sheriff’s office, he opposed the provision stating a sheriff would have his first term to complete required training. He believes the training should be finished during the first year, just like a police officer.

He also questioned a provision giving sheriffs primary jurisdiction of grounds within 500 feet of county-owned or leased property and sidewalks, roads, streets and parking areas in those areas. In Mahoning Township, that would mean the sheriff would have primary jurisdiction over Geisinger buildings and Grandview Nursing Home on Woodbine Lane, part of Route 11 and a large area of Mill, Market and Front streets in Danville borough, he said.

“We’ll work on that to come up with some better language,” Belfanti told Blee.

Ray Gerringer, Montour County’s sheriff since 2008 and a sheriff’s office employee since 1978, testified he has completed more than 100 courses in addition to basic training. His deputies are trained and recertified every two years in longer training and the same type of training as municipal police, he said.

“The arguments against this legislation are ludicrous. I challenge any one of these associations to prove me wrong,” he said.

Gerringer said it “would be absolutely unacceptable to the citizens of rural counties to not enable sheriffs to participate in the fight against crime. Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, over 2,000 (in the state) already trained, already paid, stand ready to assist their law enforcement brothers and sisters when called upon. House Bill 2585 is not about taking jobs away from municipal police, it’s not about more money for sheriff’s budgets. Simply put, it’s about public safety.”

Lusk said the rank-and-file police officers support the bill. Opposing the bill is leadership. He asked, “If we work so well together, why do they oppose it?”

Montour County District Attorney Robert Buehner Jr. testified the bill would address the need for additional man and woman power in law enforcement to cover under-served areas and would end the confusion regarding the powers and duties of sheriffs and their deputies in the state, except Allegheny County where sheriffs and deputies already have those powers.