Dozens of residents packed the Johnstown City Council meeting Wednesday night, asking for solutions to the recent rash of violent acts.
During the meeting, Johnstown’s police chief said his department is looking into opening up a substation in the Moxham section of the city.
We sat down with the chief on Thursday to learn more about where that discussion stands and what steps the city has to take to make that potential substation a reality.
At a previous council meeting, city officials discussed the potential for a police substation, but now, Chief Britton says the recent incidents of violence in the area have moved those discussions to the forefront.
Britton explained that two business owners in the Moxham section of the city approached the police department, telling JPD that they were willing to help them get a potential substation up and running.
He says after those conversations, he spoke with city manager Art Martynuska, and they are now working with city council to see what the logistics are.
Britton says that one of the priorities would be to make sure that officers have Wi-Fi availability for a computer area.
Chief Britton adds that if this substation becomes a reality, it would not have holding cells and police would still take suspects back to the police station, but an officer would remain at the substation at all times.
” Having a substation in the Moxham area would just make it a lot easier for response time to be able to get out there. We have a fully staffed police department, we’re out there doing our due diligence to make sure that people can feel comfortable as I said last night, sitting on our porch, having the doors open and being able to enjoy the summer that is so much deserved.”
Britton says that the fully staffed police department will continue to have increased patrols in not only the Moxham area, but all throughout the city.
He says that he is thankful to those businesses for reaching out to help the department and notes that he, along with city council, will continue to work towards making the idea of a substation come to fruition.