JEFFERSON TWP — Supervisors tabled a potential agreement to accept contracted police services from the Saxonburg Police Department during their monthly meeting Monday, Dec. 9.

Supervisor John Cypher said the board needs more time to discuss the proposed agreement. One of the three-person board members, Lois Rankin, was not present at the meeting.

The board also was visited Monday by two officers from the state police, the agency which currently provides police service for the township and other parts of the county that don’t have a police force of their own.

State police officers Cpl. Shaun Milkovich and Trooper Rich Giustini discussed the role of state police in small locales, such as Jefferson Township, and what it takes to become a state trooper.

Milkovich said state police have responded to 216 incidents in Jefferson Township so far this year.

“Whenever (troopers) get selected, it takes about a year before they really get on the job,” Milkovich said. “They get sent away to Harrisburg for six months. Sometimes you don’t get to go home for weeks, sometimes months, sometimes you don’t get to come home at all.”

The two also touted the state police’s ability to pull in resources from other parts of the state when necessary.

“If we are thin ... we can pull someone from Mercer. We can pull someone from New Castle,” Milkovich said. “We can obviously make ourselves not thin real quick.

“I’m not here to bash (Saxonburg). They have good officers — every single one of them — but what I would say is that we have the experience.”

The two township supervisors who were present Monday night — Cypher and Braden Beblo — were swayed.

“The state police, with their eloquent talk this evening ... their performance has been fantastic,” Cypher said. “At this point in time, I don’t think we’re prepared to make any motion.”

In addition to serving Saxonburg, the Saxonburg Police Department provides services to Summit and, for the time being, Oakland townships.