With police agencies struggling to hire people, Tom Ungard, chief county detective in the District Attorney’s Office told the Lycoming County commissioners that Pennsylvania College of Technology is applying to open an Act 120 school to provide training for potential police officers.

“It would be really beneficial to this area of Lycoming County, Sheriff (Mark) Lusk, Williamsport Bureau of Police, county Detectives … We could recruit directly from there. It’s right in our backyard,” Ungard said.

“We could have some influence and they could help us find personnel in the future. There’s no downside to that…we’d have access to graduates as soon as they are certified,” he added.

Municipal police officers have to be Act 120 certified, which means that they need to attend a college or university offering the training for that certification. Right now there are two places in the region — Harrisburg Area Community College and Commonwealth University Mansfield — that offer that training. Ungard indicated that Mansfield might be at a point of discontinuing to offer that instruction.

After the meeting, officials from Commonwealth University reached out to the Sun-Gazette to dispel what they describe as a “false rumor” about Act 120 training at the Mansfield campus.

“The Mansfield Act 120 Municipal Police Academy welcomed its newest class of cadets in May and has expanded to also provide instruction to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Waterways Conservation Officer trainees,” a statement from Commonwealth University said. “Since 1977, the Mansfield Police Academy has trained law enforcement officers who serve critical roles in Pennsylvania communities. The Academy will continue to meet the public safety needs of our region and Pennsylvania into the future.”

When contacted, Penn College issued the following statement: “We offer a number of for-credit and workforce programs related to emergency management and first-responder professions, such as paramedic, emergency medical technician, and emergency management & homeland security. Moreover, because it is our mission to be responsive to industry needs across the spectrum of essential professions, we always investigate market needs and opportunities when they present themselves, which can be a lengthy and complex process.”

The county is currently staffing each of the Magisterial District Judges’ (MDJ) offices with a sheriff’s deputy following approval of the plan by the commissioners earlier this year. There are five offices, and one deputy has started with two positions expected to be filled next month.

“Getting people who want to take jobs has been a pretty big challenge for us,” said Lusk.

“I think it’s safe to say that we will have four of the five come September and we could have five of the five by the end of the year,” he added.

So far the results have been positive, he said even from the defendants. Most of what the district judges deal with is not criminal, but civil cases, Lusk explained.

“The positive comments are really good and as I projected and I told the board last year and your board I thought we would reduce all that’s going on with these MDJs’ offices 70 or 80%,” Lusk said.

“Our numbers are showing that we are really reducing that and increasing the protection and having judges who don’t have to fear sitting on the bench and making decisions,” he said.

Other actions by the commissioners also will help the county’s judicial system.

The commissioners approved a resolution authorizing the submission of a pre-application for funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in the amount of $45,000 and then moved to approve a grant application to ARC in that amount for a feasibility study for a juvenile justice center.

ARC through the SEDA-Council of Government and the Department of Community and Economic Development will examine the county’s request for funding and then decide if the county can apply, according to Katie de Silva, of the District Attorney’s Office.

If the request is accepted, the final application would be due in December.

“We’ve received one consultant proposal, so that’s what we based our request on,” de Silva told the commissioners.

She indicated that the department would also be meeting with a second consultant and that both firms were Pennsylvania-based architectural firms with expertise in juvenile justice centers.

Although no specific details were given, according to District Attorney Tom Marino, who attended the meeting, If everything falls into place, ground could be broken next year for the center.

Another request for the submission of a grant to Halliburton Corporation in the amount of $25,000 was approved. The funds would be used to buy equipment for the Narcotics Enforcement Unit.

Tom Ungard, chief county detective in the DA’s office said that equipment includes a drone for aerial surveillance plus other applications; spike strips, which are used to stop vehicles during high speed pursuits; shock gloves, which are a safer alternative to taser guns; and cameras.

Under personnel, the commissioners OK’d hiring Giovanna Daniele as a full-time temporary law clerk in the Public Defender’s Office at $57,876 per year.

In other business, the commissioners approved: an agreement with the County of Northampton and with Diversified Treatment and Alternative Centers for the Juvenile Probation Department; amendments to both the retiree employee and the senior employee benefit plans with Luminaire Health Benefits Inc.; and the Interstate participation allocation of the Wave 2 settlements which is the next round of opioid settlement payments.

The next meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Aug. 1, Third Street Plaza third floor, 33 W. Third St.