This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA , an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for our north-central Pa. newsletter, Talk of the Town, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown .
Bellefonte, Pa. — When their longtime police chief stepped down, Sweden Township supervisors disbanded the municipal department and joined a growing list of rural Pennsylvania municipalities that rely on State Police for law enforcement.
In a 2-1 vote late last year, the supervisors voted to dissolve the local police force to free up tens of thousands of dollars to replace aging equipment and fund local road maintenance.
With a State Police barracks based in the township and troopers already patrolling part-time due to the township department’s limited staff, the decision to disband — though still tough to make — made sense financially, Jonathan Blass, who chairs the board of supervisors, told Spotlight PA.