Myerstown is seeking solutions to the problem of abandoned vehicles in the borough, which it currently does not have a means to address without a local police force.
Myerstown abandoned its police force in 2014, and although the borough has mulled restarting a police department since then, Pennsylvania State Police have provided coverage in the interim.
Read More: Myerstown considers restarting police department, town hall to be held Aug. 17
At the May 2023 meeting of the Myerstown Borough Council, borough solicitor Amy B. Leonard said that the state police have “taken the stance that any and all cars
parked on borough streets are legally parked, regardless of whether the borough determines they are abandoned, and because they are considered legally parked, they will not tow them,'” according to meeting minutes.
Leonard also said at the same meeting that “there is a very clear procedure for towing abandoned vehicles that is detailed in the State Vehicle Code, and there are certain elements of that procedure that Myerstown Borough cannot do without a police department.”
State police spokesperson Trooper David Beohm said that Leonard’s characterization of the situation was accurate, though he separately said that PSP wouldn’t tow the vehicle “as long as the said vehicle is someone who lives on that particular street.” Beohm did not elaborate any further on what he meant by that, and would not clarify whether this policy was different than the “any and all” stance described by Leonard.
Borough manager Michael McKenna declined comment for this article, saying only that, “the borough continues to try to work with the PSP to find a solution and appreciates the services provided to our community by the PSP.”
According to records obtained through a Right-to-Know request, McKenna has been working with PSP on the issue since at least June 2020, when he emailed the station commander at the Jonestown Barracks and asked what other municipalities without a police department do in this situation. (The email apparently did not receive a response.)
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