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WEBVTT JIM. REPORTER: WE HAVE BEEN REAPING OUT TO BOROUGH LEADERS HERE IN EAST PITTSBURGH TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITUATION AND HOW IT CAME TO BE. THAT INCLUDES THE MAYOR, THE POLICE CHIEF, AND THE SOLICITOR. WE DID HEAR BACK FROM THE MAYOR TODAY THROUGH EMAIL. HE DECLINED AN INTERVIEW BUT DIRECTED US TO THIS LETTER THAT WAS SENT TO RESIDENTS HERE IN EAST PITTSBURGH, JUST THREE DAYS AGO. THAT LETTER DESCRIBES THE PROCESS THE BOROUGH WENT THROUGH IN MAKING THIS DECISION. THEY SAY THE DEPARTMENT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO COMPETE WITH LARGER POLICE AGENCIES IN THE REGION BECAUSE THEY CAN ONLY HIRE PART TIME OFFICERS. THE LETTER DOES NOT MENTION THE CURRENT LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND EAST PITTSBURGH OFFICIALS OVER THE SHOOTING DEATH OF ANTWON ROSE. OFFICER MICHAEL ROSFELD DUE TO STAND TRIAL FOR THE SHOOTING IN FEBRUARY. ALLEGANY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEPHEN ZAPPALA SAYING AFTER THE SHOOTING THAT THE DEFENDANTS DID NOT HAVE ANY PROTOCOLS OR PROCEDURES IN PLACE WITH THE DEPARTMENT DISBANDING . STATE POLICE ARE SET TO TAKE OVER HERE STARTING AT MIDNIGHT. WE TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND TOWN TODAY WITH MIXED REACTIONS. >> I'M SORRY TO S IT GO. YOU KNEW MOST OF THE POLICE, YOU KNEW THE CHIEF, AND THEY DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB. FOR WHAT THEY PAY THESE GUYS. REPORTER: WE DID TRY TO REACH THAT POLICE CHIEF TODAY BUT DID NOT HEAR BACK. BOTH THE BOROUGH AND STATE POLICE HOPE THIS IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. THE LETTER THAT I MENTIONED ALSO REFERENCES THE BOROUGH IS HOPING TO GATHER TOGETHER WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA TO FORM A REGIONAL POLICE FORCE. THEY SAY THOSE DISCUSSIONS SHOULD START SOME TIME SOON. REPORTING LIV

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The East Pittsburgh Police Department is set to disband Dec. 1, less than six months after the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Antwon Rose.Pennsylvania State Police released a statement Monday, confirming they will take over patrols for the borough. (Read full statement below) "They wouldn't see state police as they would see East Pittsburgh police officers, just because we're not going to have that many officers in that area at a time," Trooper Melinda Bondareka said. "But the state police are divided into zones for the areas that we patrol, and there will be troopers assigned to those patrol zones that will frequent through East Pittsburgh."At a council meeting in August, council was discussing details of disbanding the department. The discussion took place just months after the fatal shooting of Rose.Rose was shot by an East Pittsburgh police officer June 19 while running away from a car that had been pulled over after an earlier shooting in North Braddock.Officer Michael Rosfeld is awaiting trial on a charge of criminal homicide, and Rose's family has filed a lawsuit that names the borough, its police chief and the mayor as defendants.Fred Rabner, an attorney for Rose's family, wants to know when discussions about shutting down the police department began."For the lawsuit, we wanted to know if they were running into problems before with proper training of officials, we wanted to know whether or not they were having problems with vetting individuals, we want to know if they had complaints about numerous officers, so we're going to want to know everything there is to know about the shutdown," Rabner said.Pittsburgh's Action News 4 reached out to members of council, the mayor, the police chief and the solicitor. As of Monday evening, none of them had responded for comment.___Statement from Trooper Melinda Bondarenka, spokesperson for state police:The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Pittsburgh Station will provide police services for East Pittsburgh Borough as of December 1, 2018. The PSP received a formal, written request from the East Pittsburgh Police Department on November 13, 2018, which requested that the PSP provide full-time police services to the borough following the abolishment of their police department on December 1, 2018.The PSP provide full police services for political subdivisions that are without the protection of an organized police department and will respond to all calls for police assistance. In the event, that the citizens of any political subdivision find themselves without police protection, for any reason, the PSP are obligated by law to provide the necessary police service.Should a political subdivision create its own full-time police department, contract or regionalize with another police department for police coverage, or otherwise no longer require the assistance of the PSP to provide essential police services, the PSP would then consider the political subdivision an area of non-primary jurisdiction. In all cases, it is the policy of the PSP to offer and render necessary assistance to any law enforcement agency upon request.