So many people are calling for more civility in public discourse these days, and in many ways we think they’re right. But in the case of eliminating the Pennsylvania State Police Aviation Unit at the Williamsport Regional Airport it’s time to take off the gloves.

Lou Hunsinger Jr. reported in the Nov. 16, 2011 issue of Webb Weekly that the PSP Commissioner had announced the closing of the helicopter unit based at Montoursville. In his report, Hunsinger wrote that he had extensively questioned Maria Finn, press secretary for the PSP Commissioner, regarding details behind the decision to close the unit.

We herewith quote directly from the Nov. 16 Webb Weekly article (excerpted article is reprinted beginning Page xx):

Finn was asked if state police officials had consulted any public safety officials in Lycoming or any surrounding counties, she said, "No, not to the best of my knowledge."

What arrogance.

Since that time, Webb Weekly has done two follow-up articles questioning area legislators about efforts to forestall the Unit’s closing come January 31.

In the first follow-up (Dec. 21, 2011) Sen. Gene Yaw, Rep. Garth Everett and Rep. Rick Mirabito told Webb Weekly they were looking into the matter.

Fair enough. That’s all anyone could ask.

In the second follow-up (Webb Weekly’s January 4 issue), Hunsinger met with Yaw and Everett who reported they had recently met with the Deputy State Police Commissioner and other highly-placed state police officials and pressed them to explain the rationale behind the closing of the unit. The legislators apparently ran into the same gibberish.

Again, to quote from Hunsinger’s latest report:

According to Yaw and Everett (the PSP officials) seemed unable or unwilling to provide any concrete reasons for the closure. When they cited budgetary reasons they could provide no figures indicating that the move would save any money. When they cited operational issues and tried to reassure those in the meeting that response time would not suffer, they could not supply any specific information as to why it would not.

If this is how the PSP Commissioner’s office responds to legitimate concerns of citizens and their elected representatives, there is something very wrong in that office.

This is beginning to look and smell an awful lot like the effort to toll Interstate 80 — where Harrisburg tries to stick it to the schnooks in the rural northern counties because only timid rabbits and deer live up there. No one will complain.

Brother, are they wrong.

After their meeting with the PSP officials, Senator Yaw and Representative Everett sent a polite letter to Governor Tom Corbett pointing out the incredibly obvious flaws in the plan to close the local PSP aviation unit and move it to Hazleton. As of this writing, there has been no response. Meanwhile, the unit’s lease at the airport in Montoursville expires Jan. 31, just 20 days from now.

Time is running short and the stakes for the residents of Lycoming and surrounding counties are very high. The state police helicopter is and will always be of vital public safety importance. Moving it to Hazleton puts the citizens of our region at risk for no apparent reason and, so far, without explanation.

We thank Sen. Yaw and Reps. Everett and Mirabito for their efforts and encourage them to continue to apply pressure in Harrisburg — among their colleagues and in the Governor’s office — to force the PSP to abandon this foolishness.

We also ask our readers to join the fray.

Please let Sen. Yaw and Reps. Everett and Mirabito know you appreciate their efforts, and urge them to continue the fight.

More importantly, please let Governor Corbett know you oppose the closing the PSP Aviation Unit at Montoursville. Moreover, the governor needs to know that the citizens of our region are up in arms about being put at risk by bureaucrats who clearly have not fully evaluated the situation nor consulted with those most affected and — when called on it — stonewalled our elected representatives.

It’s insulting.

The appropriate addresses, phone numbers and email address are listed below.

Governor's Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

Phone: (717) 787-2500
Fax: (717) 772-8284

He can be contacted electronically by going to www.governor.state.pa.us

457 Main Capitol Building,

Senate PO Box 203023
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3023
(717) 787-3280 or at

Progress Plaza, Suite 13

Towanda, PA 18848
(570) 265-7448.

115A East Wing
PO Box 202083
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2083
Phone: (717) 772-1314 or at

800 West Fourth Street
Suite G-02
Williamsport, PA 17701
Phone: 570-321-1270
Fax: 570-327-3719

He can also be contacted via www.pahouse.com/mirabito/contact.asp

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Public safety and law enforcement officials both past and present are speaking out against the proposed relocation of the Pennsylvania State Police’s aviation unit from Montoursville to Hazleton in January 2012.

Despite the fact that PSP apparently sought no local expert input in making the decision, a spokesperson has declared that the decision to close the Montoursville aviation unit "is final and will not be changed."

"The reassignment of the PSP helicopter / aviation assets from the Williamsport Regional Airport will have a negative impact on emergency service agencies in Lycoming County," John Yingling, who is the current Director of Public Safety for Lycoming County, told Webb Weekly. "The local stationing of the aircraft provides law enforcement with "eyes in the sky" to enhance law enforcement missions. The helicopter is also an invaluable asset, assisting fire and EMS units with conducting ground searches, scouting forest fires, and assisting with water rescue operations. With that resource not stationed at the Williamsport Airport, we may experience delays in attaining critical support from other units outside of the area."

The local law enforcement community is also greatly dismayed by the possible loss of the PSP helicopter at Montoursville.

Muncy Police Chief Richard Sutton, who is also president of the Lycoming Law Enforcement and Police Training Association, sent the following letter to the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, with copies going to Governor Thomas Corbett and State Representative Garth Everett.

"I am writing in reference to a loss of a valuable service provided by PSP to the North Central part of Pennsylvania.　 We recently received information that PSP will be closing their aviation division at Troop F based in Montoursville.　 The aviation unit serves multiple counties in this area.　 Those counties include; major highways, county, state and federal prisons, several colleges and multiple school districts.　 We also have county and federal courthouses. Furthermore, the Marcellus Shale gas industry has increased the population, and heavy truck traffic. The population growth has brought individuals capable of increasing drug and criminal activity.

"I feel that the loss of this valuable asset is a step backwards reducing our collective ability to provide police, fire, search and rescue operations in all of the counties served by the aviation unit. Please delay this decision. Members of the Lycoming County Law Enforcement Association request the opportunity to speak with PSP and review our request to keep the aviation unit based at Troop F in Montoursville.　 Your assistance will be greatly appreciated."

One man who has a unique perspective on the role that the state police helicopter has in the local public safety scene is David Frey, a retired state police corporal, who piloted the state police helicopter locally for many years. He has provided the following points regarding its operation.

• The PSP Aviation Patrol Unit IV has been operational at the Williamsport Regional Airport for the past 40 years. The Unit is first air response Unit that serves all of Lycoming, Northumberland, Union, Snyder, Montour, Clinton, Tioga, Cameron, Potter counties and parts of Bradford, Sullivan and Centre counties.

• It is the primary air support unit for troopers and local police agencies in a 7,630 square mile rural area with a population of 491,000 people. Historically’ the Unit performed over 500 missions annually.

• The Unit has played major roles in rescues and literally thousands of support operations of police and emergency services in response to, and handling, many natural and man-made disasters that have occurred many times over the past 40 years in the Unit’s primary service area. This can be verified by the various counties emergency operation centers.