TRAFFIC INITIATIVES This summer, the police department’s traffic unit plans to increase police visibility for drivers and pedestrians who violate laws, pose dangers and cause crashes. Deputy Police Chief Mike Gallagher says the goal is not only for patrol cars to control speeding drivers but also for officers on foot and bicycle to spend more time in the Washington Road business district promoting pedestrian awareness. Speeding drivers can expect tickets; people who cross mid-block, cross against the light or otherwise violate pedestrian laws will get warnings and follow-up citations, if necessary.
CO ALARMS Beginning in June, a new state law will require all apartment units and multifamily buildings that contain fossil fuel-burning appliances to have carbon monoxide alarms. Fire Chief Nick Sohyda worked with the municipal solicitor to draft an ordinance for commission approval that would give landlords some latitude about where they place the alarms, based on where the appliance is located. For example, if the apartment does not have any gas appliances but the building has a centrally located gas boiler, the landlord could, in certain circumstances, put the alarm near the boiler, provided it is tied into the building’s fire alarm system, and the unit is not near any units that have fuel-burning appliances in them.
SUMMER POLICING You might think that when school lets out for the year, Mt. Lebanon Police Department’s crime prevention officers will have it easy. Not true. They may no longer have classes to teach, but as soon as the academic year ends later this month, the crime prevention unit will go into its school security mode. The officers will spend this summer conducting security surveys of every school in Mt. Lebanon, primarily to check on the buildings’ infrastructures. They’ll examine doors, locks, windows, cameras and emergency exits to make sure they work properly and are labeled appropriately. The public schools aren’t the only ones involved—private schools may take advantage of the service also.