WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- One police officer has resigned in Washington Township, Pa., and the threat of layoffs still looms in the department.
Police Chief Barry Keller said he submitted a COPS grant application on April 14, but a response on whether it was approved might not come until Sept. 30. That grant from the U.S. Department of Justice could pay for two police positions for three years, temporarily taking the burden off taxpayers.
In the meantime, Officer Keith McCray Jr. has resigned to pursue a career change.
"We're already seeing a little bit of a difference" in services, Keller said.
The police chief and sergeant have started picking up patrol shifts.
The department had 16 full-time officers prior to McCray's resignation. The township supervisors said they have not decided whether to start the process to hire someone to fill McCray's vacancy.
In an effort to strengthen the COPS application, the supervisors recently committed to laying off two officers in October if their revenues and expenditures cannot be balanced before then.
