Facebook helping borough police fight crime

Bridgeville Police Chief Chad King is a big fan of Facebook.

The chief credits the social media website with helping his department solve three major crimes in the borough.

“It all came down to social media,” Chief King told borough council at its July 10 meeting, referring to solving the case of a recent armed robbery at the Rite Aid on Washington Avenue.

“Within 10 minutes of our posting, we had an ID of the suspect. The posting was shared 1,000 times and seen by 124,000 people,” Chief King said, adding that 40 people eventually identified the suspect, including his mother and girlfriend.

The suspect, who turned himself in, also admitted to an armed robbery in Scott, Chief King said.

The department routinely uses its Facebook page to let residents know about events such as a giveaway of 100 bike helmets from Kohl’s and UPMC at the borough’s Community Day Celebration in June, and posting public safety tips and warnings about scam artists. But the department also uses its page to seek help in tracking and identifying crime suspects.

“Our last three armed robberies were solved by Facebook. It is a powerful tool,” the chief said.

In other matters, council members and Mayor Pasquale DeBlasio disagree on the future of the borough’s federally funded Community Development Block Grant program, which may be cut byCongress.

Council voted unanimously to support a resolution opposing the elimination of the block grant program, but the mayor dissented.

“I do not believe we should oppose elimination of a vast bureaucratic program,” he told council at its Monday meeting.

The Block Grant program funnels money to states, cities and counties, but local governments are also eligible for funding through their local agencies, such as the South Hills Council of Governments. These councils of governments work together on issues such as joint purchasing agreements that help member municipalities save money.

Block grant funds at the local level often pay for municipal projects such as demolishing abandoned properties and installing ADA ramps in sidewalks.

Although the mayor acknowledged the program does some good helping to pay for items for which there is little money available in smaller communities, he questioned the process of sending tax dollars to the federal government then having it filter back through layers of government to places such as Bridgeville.

“Hopefully, they will eliminate the CDBG program and replace it with a program that targets the communities that need it, instead of spreading the money throughout the country in a thin veneer,” the mayor said.

Councilman Joseph Colosimo defended the need to keep the federal money flowing.

“The state has no money. Eventually we will be on our own. We should pass the resolution,” Mr. Colosimo said. The rest of council agreed.