Pennsylvania Constables Seek Return To Traditional Role As Peacekeepers — State Constable Timothy Kregiel points out that his position has as much authority as any other police in Pennsylvania.
More, actually as their jurisdiction is the entire state despite being locally elected.
Note the locally elected.
Unlike most police, constables are the people’s choice.
Kregiel serves the 4th Precinct of Lower Burrell in Westmoreland County.
Kregiel recently interviewed former Allentown constable Steven Wiggs, who was pushed from his job by the county authorities displeased with the independence he showed.
Constables are commonly thought to be tasked with merely keeping order at polling places, serving warrants and dealing with tenant disputes.
They can, however, make arrests and control traffic.
It was traffic that got Wiggs in trouble.
He became concerned when he found a car stopped on the highway in a dangerous spot. The exhausted father was taking his children to New York State during his visitation and stopped for a few moments of sleep. Wiggs got them to a safer place and made it a mission to routinely check on stopped motorists.
Constables wear uniforms and can have marked cars with lights.
They have to pay for these things, by the way, along with their training an insurance.
Wiggs while crossing the Schuylkill in Philadelphia on I-95 saw a woman stuck on the bridge’s shoulder. He pulled behind her and activated his lights to slow other motorist while she called for assistance. State police arrived though and started giving him grief. He didn’t back down, though, saying the law was on his side.
This escalated and led to the powers-that-be in Lehigh County launching a nine-month investigation in which they declared Wiggs didn’t live in the city and must be removed.
Allentown has become more than half-Hispanic. Wiggs became a popular figure in his ward because he walked a beat and talked to the residents.
That’s what peacekeeping is about.
Here’s a link to the interview with Steven Wiggs: https://rumble.com/v466ien-interview-with-steven-wiggs.html
Pennsylvania Constables Seek Return To Traditional Role As Peacekeepers
