Latest news with #Spizarny
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Erie police officer, police dog escape serious injury in May 31 crash on city's east side
An Erie Bureau of Police officer and his K-9 partner escaped serious injury but their vehicle was heavily damaged when police said an unlicensed driver crashed into them on Erie's east side on May 31. According to Police Chief Dan Spizarny, the officer and his canine partner were traveling south on Parade Street on May 31 when another vehicle struck them. The other vehicle, which police said was driven by a 24-year-old woman, was making a left turn when she crashed into the Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle at about 9:50 p.m. May 31, Deputy Chief William Marucci said. The impact caused all of the police vehicle's airbags to deploy, police reported. The officer and the dog were shaken up but not seriously injured, according to Spizarny and Marucci. The driver of the other vehicle was found to be driving without a license and was taken for chemical testing, Spizarny and Marucci said. Erie police on June 2 were still awaiting word on whether the Chevolet Tahoe was totaled in the crash, Marucci said. No charges had been filed in the crash as of June 2. The K-9 officer, his dog and the Chevrolet Tahoe have been working patrol shifts in Erie for about a month. Erie police obtained the dog and two other Belgian Malinois police dogs, along with patrol vehicles and other associated equipment, through state grant funding. The dogs and their handlers underwent training in Ohio before hitting the streets in Erie in early May, Marucci said. More: Erie police have three new K-9 officers. When they'll be on patrol Each of the dogs is trained in patrol duties, and two of the dogs are also trained for drug detection and one is additionally trained for explosives and gun detection, police reported. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@ This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police officer, police dog escape serious injury in crash
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
PennDOT: Traffic fatalities statewide decline in 2024 as crash deaths climb in Erie County
Traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania dropped statewide in 2024 over the previous year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. But Erie County's fatal traffic crashes climbed, according to data from PennDOT and the Erie County Coroner's Office. According to data released by PennDOT on May 1, 1,127 people died in crashes on Pennsylvania roadways in 2024, a decrease of 82 from the previous year. Notable drops were seen in areas including motorcycle fatalities, down 19 from 2023; pedestrian fatalities, down eight from the previous year; and fatalities in alcohol-related crashes, which dropped from 307 in 2023 to 244 in 2024, according to information in PennDOT's Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool. Areas where traffic fatalities increased statewide, PennDOT reported, include intersection crashes, which increased by 20 over 2023; and crashes at intersections with a stop sign, which increased by 13. Deadly day in Erie: 2 killed in car-motorcycle crash hours after fatal accident, shooting PennDOT's data listed 36 traffic fatalities in Erie County in 2024, up from 30 in 2023. It was the highest number of traffic fatalities in the county, as charted by PennDOT, since 39 traffic fatalities were recorded in 2010. Motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities remained the same in 2024 as they were recorded in 2023, according to the agency's data sheets. The most notable increase in PennDOT's data for Erie County was in fatalities at intersection crashes, which climbed from six in 2023 to 17 last year. The Erie County Coroner's Office investigated 23 motor vehicle deaths in 2024, up from 18 the previous year; 13 motorcycle deaths, up from 12 in 2023; and six pedestrian deaths, down from eight in 2023, according to Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook and data his office previously released. The Erie Bureau of Police is about to employ new tools to help combat speeding, a common factor cited by city police accident investigators in fatal crashes. Police Chief Dan Spizarny said the bureau recently purchased three portable speed signs through federal grant funding, and the police will post those signs in certain areas to track the flow of traffic and speed of motorists. The signs, which utilize radar, will flash to motorists the speed they are traveling as they approach and pass the signs. But they will also capture data on the number of vehicles traveling through the area and the speeds those vehicles are traveling, to help in determining which areas police may target for enforcement, Spizarny said. Please enable Javascript to view this content. "We can't write a ticket based on the radar because we are not allowed to, but it gives us information and lets us know what we are seeing on blocks as far as traffic and speeds," he said. The signs are expected to be put on display at an upcoming news conference in which Erie police and PennDOT will announce an aggressive driving campaign, according to Spizarny. Various other traffic enforcement efforts conducted by Erie police will continue, officials said, including enforcement of school zones and addressing speeding complaints in neighborhoods. Erie police are also continuing specialized patrols along East 38th Street, an enforcement effort launched in 2024 in the wake of two serious traffic accidents along the roadway. Pennsylvania State Police troopers will again assist Erie police in the East 38th Street targeted enforcement effort, said Lt. Gary Garman, patrol section supervisor for state police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township. More: Erie police charge city men with street racing on East 38th that led to serious May crash Garman said troopers will also do a number of other traffic enforcement details in the Erie region, as they regularly do each year. They include a Click it or Ticket campaign over Memorial Day and at least 13 DUI checkpoints the troop does each year, he said. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@ Follow him on X @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Despite drop in traffic deaths statewide, Erie County's 2024 deaths up
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
PennDOT: Traffic fatalities statewide decline in 2024 as crash deaths climb in Erie County
Traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania dropped statewide in 2024 over the previous year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. But Erie County's fatal traffic crashes climbed, according to data from PennDOT and the Erie County Coroner's Office. According to data released by PennDOT on May 1, 1,127 people died in crashes on Pennsylvania roadways in 2024, a decrease of 82 from the previous year. Notable drops were seen in areas including motorcycle fatalities, down 19 from 2023; pedestrian fatalities, down eight from the previous year; and fatalities in alcohol-related crashes, which dropped from 307 in 2023 to 244 in 2024, according to information in PennDOT's Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool. Areas where traffic fatalities increased statewide, PennDOT reported, include intersection crashes, which increased by 20 over 2023; and crashes at intersections with a stop sign, which increased by 13. Deadly day in Erie: 2 killed in car-motorcycle crash hours after fatal accident, shooting PennDOT's data listed 36 traffic fatalities in Erie County in 2024, up from 30 in 2023. It was the highest number of traffic fatalities in the county, as charted by PennDOT, since 39 traffic fatalities were recorded in 2010. Motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities remained the same in 2024 as they were recorded in 2023, according to the agency's data sheets. The most notable increase in PennDOT's data for Erie County was in fatalities at intersection crashes, which climbed from six in 2023 to 17 last year. The Erie County Coroner's Office investigated 23 motor vehicle deaths in 2024, up from 18 the previous year; 13 motorcycle deaths, up from 12 in 2023; and six pedestrian deaths, down from eight in 2023, according to Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook and data his office previously released. The Erie Bureau of Police is about to employ new tools to help combat speeding, a common factor cited by city police accident investigators in fatal crashes. Police Chief Dan Spizarny said the bureau recently purchased three portable speed signs through federal grant funding, and the police will post those signs in certain areas to track the flow of traffic and speed of motorists. The signs, which utilize radar, will flash to motorists the speed they are traveling as they approach and pass the signs. But they will also capture data on the number of vehicles traveling through the area and the speeds those vehicles are traveling, to help in determining which areas police may target for enforcement, Spizarny said. Please enable Javascript to view this content. "We can't write a ticket based on the radar because we are not allowed to, but it gives us information and lets us know what we are seeing on blocks as far as traffic and speeds," he said. The signs are expected to be put on display at an upcoming news conference in which Erie police and PennDOT will announce an aggressive driving campaign, according to Spizarny. Various other traffic enforcement efforts conducted by Erie police will continue, officials said, including enforcement of school zones and addressing speeding complaints in neighborhoods. Erie police are also continuing specialized patrols along East 38th Street, an enforcement effort launched in 2024 in the wake of two serious traffic accidents along the roadway. Pennsylvania State Police troopers will again assist Erie police in the East 38th Street targeted enforcement effort, said Lt. Gary Garman, patrol section supervisor for state police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township. More: Erie police charge city men with street racing on East 38th that led to serious May crash Garman said troopers will also do a number of other traffic enforcement details in the Erie region, as they regularly do each year. They include a Click it or Ticket campaign over Memorial Day and at least 13 DUI checkpoints the troop does each year, he said. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@ Follow him on X @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Despite drop in traffic deaths statewide, Erie County's 2024 deaths up
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Erie police have three new K-9 officers. When they'll be on patrol
Four-legged police patrol officers are a step closer to returning to the streets of Erie. Three Belgian Malinois and their Erie Bureau of Police handlers will leave on Monday for five weeks of training in Ohio before returning with certifications and joining their human counterparts in protecting the city, thanks to state grant funding and a lot of work on the part of bureau officials. The dogs — Atlas, partnered with Ptl. Daniel Potts; Bo, partnered with Ptl. Brock Grice; and Deacon, partnered with Ptl. Arthur Rhodes — are now with their handlers, getting familiar with them and their homes in advance of heading off to school, Erie police Deputy Chief William Marucci said. Their arrival marks the first time in more than a decade that the 194-member Erie police bureau has K-9 officers on patrol. Those dogs will be there to help protect their handlers and track down criminals, as well as track down evidence and identify explosives and drugs, Erie Police Chief Dan Spizarny said. The Erie Bureau of Police had employed K-9 officers for decades, beginning with the formation of its K-9 Corps in the late 1960s, until the last dog and handler retired in early 2014. The bureau also had an accelerant-sniffing dog that worked for a time in the 2000s with a city police detective trained as a fire investigator. The Erie Bureau of Fire has an accelerant-sniffing dog, named Horus, that it obtained in late 2022. Spizarny first revealed the city police bureau's desire to bring back K-9 officers in September 2023, when he said the bureau was doing some preliminary research into the possibility of adding them to the force. Spizarny and Marucci said the idea was brought up by other members of the department. The preliminary research included looking for any grant funding that might be available to support the idea. "It comes down to finances," Spizarny said at the time. With the help of state Reps. Pat Harkins, D-1st Dist., and Robert Merski, D-2nd Dist., the bureau applied for a grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Marucci said. The city received $371,700 in grant funding to pay for the dogs, along with vehicles, training and equipment, police reported. More: Grant funding to help keep in place staffing for Erie Police Athletic League Once the grant money was approved, police went to work picking officers to serve as each dog's handler, purchasing vehicles and other equipment, and lining up the training. The dogs and officers will undergo training at Tri-State Canine Services in Warren, Ohio, where they obtained the dogs, Marucci said. Each of the dogs will be trained for dual purposes, Marucci said. In addition to training in patrol duties, two of the dogs will be trained for drug detection and one for explosives and gun detection, he said. The plan is for one dog and handler to work each of the city police bureau's three patrol shifts, Marucci said. The dogs will also be made available to all local, state and federal agencies if their specialties are needed, he said. Erie is joining a number of other police departments in the Erie region that have or have recently added dogs to their forces. They included the Edinboro and Wesleyville police departments and the Millcreek Township Police Department, which last summer added a certified post-traumatic stress disorder service dog named Tucker to its ranks. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@ Follow him on X @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police welcome three new K-9 officers to the force
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Yahoo
Erie police has three new K-9 officers. When they'll be on patrol
Four-legged police patrol officers are a step closer to returning to the streets of Erie. Three Belgian Malinois and their Erie Bureau of Police handlers will leave on Monday for five weeks of training in Ohio before returning with certifications and joining their human counterparts in protecting the city, thanks to state grant funding and a lot of work on the part of bureau officials. The dogs — Atlas, partnered with Ptl. Daniel Potts; Bo, partnered with Ptl. Brock Grice; and Deacon, partnered with Ptl. Arthur Rhodes — are now with their handlers, getting familiar with them and their homes in advance of heading off to school, Erie police Deputy Chief William Marucci said. Their arrival marks the first time in more than a decade that the 194-member Erie police bureau has K-9 officers on patrol. Those dogs will be there to help protect their handlers and track down criminals, as well as track down evidence and identify explosives and drugs, Erie Police Chief Dan Spizarny said. The Erie Bureau of Police had employed K-9 officers for decades, beginning with the formation of its K-9 Corps in the late 1960s, until the last dog and handler retired in early 2014. The bureau also had an accelerant-sniffing dog that worked for a time in the 2000s with a city police detective trained as a fire investigator. The Erie Bureau of Fire has an accelerant-sniffing dog, named Horus, that it obtained in late 2022. Spizarny first revealed the city police bureau's desire to bring back K-9 officers in September 2023, when he said the bureau was doing some preliminary research into the possibility of adding them to the force. Spizarny and Marucci said the idea was brought up by other members of the department. The preliminary research included looking for any grant funding that might be available to support the idea. "It comes down to finances," Spizarny said at the time. With the help of state Reps. Pat Harkins, D-1st Dist., and Robert Merski, D-2nd Dist., the bureau applied for a grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Marucci said. The city received $371,700 in grant funding to pay for the dogs, along with vehicles, training and equipment, police reported. More: Grant funding to help keep in place staffing for Erie Police Athletic League Once the grant money was approved, police went to work picking officers to serve as each dog's handler, purchasing vehicles and other equipment, and lining up the training. The dogs and officers will undergo training at Tri-State Canine Services in Warren, Ohio, where they obtained the dogs, Marucci said. Each of the dogs will be trained for dual purposes, Marucci said. In addition to training in patrol duties, two of the dogs will be trained for drug detection and one for explosives and gun detection, he said. The plan is for one dog and handler to work each of the city police bureau's three patrol shifts, Marucci said. The dogs will also be made available to all local, state and federal agencies if their specialties are needed, he said. Erie is joining a number of other police departments in the Erie region that have or have recently added dogs to their forces. They included the Edinboro and Wesleyville police departments and the Millcreek Township Police Department, which last summer added a certified post-traumatic stress disorder service dog named Tucker to its ranks. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@ Follow him on X @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police welcome three new K-9 officers to the force
