A Letter from Chief Ron Dziezgowski
CHIEF RON DZIEZGOWSKI est Jefferson Hills BOROUGH OF JEFFERSON HILLS NEWS
Hello Jefferson Hills,
It is hard to believe that the 2024-2025 school year has come to an end and summer festivities are just around the corner. On behalf of the Jefferson Hills Police Department( JHPD), I want to congratulate all graduates and wish them all the best in their future endeavors. To those students or civilians choosing to enter military service, I wish you safe travels and thank you for choosing to protect and defend our country.
To those graduates who are still undecided, please consider law enforcement as a career. There is currently a shortage of officers locally and across the country. If you have the desire and possess the qualities of honor, integrity, and service, you could be just the right fit for this profession. This job also comes with good pay, job security, and benefits.
As the temperature heats up, criminal activity can also be on the rise. The surge can be attributed to longer periods of daylight, closer living quarters as people stay inside to use their AC to beat the heat, increased alcohol usage at family parties, or other various reasons. Seasonal crime patterns vary, but in the summer months, violent crimes, thefts, assaults, and burglaries show the largest increases according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Furthermore, statistics show that car crashes increase during the summer months causing higher fatalities than in the spring or winter. Common reasons for these increases include more people on the roadways, which include a larger number of young or inexperienced drivers, and distracted drivers. An upsurge in alcohol consumption during the summertime, which leads to drinking and driving, also contributes to the increased crash rate.
44 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS
In closing, I want to provide some summertime safety tips for your consideration:
• Everyone should always be aware of their surroundings and have 360-degree situational awareness to avoid being a victim or cause an accident.
• Keep up to date on changing weather conditions.
• If you plan on consuming alcoholic beverages, drink responsibly, have a designated driver who has not consumed alcohol, and stay hydrated.
• If you are traveling, be well rested, avoid distracted driving, and follow the rules of the road.
• If you have young children or elderly family members who are outside in the heat for long periods, continue to monitor them for any health changes.
The officers of the JHPD remain vigilant to deter crime and to make sure that our Borough, its residents, visitors, and business owners remain safe. As a friendly reminder, should you need POLICE, FIRE, or EMS, always call 911. The 911 operator will prioritize the call as emergency or non-emergency based upon the information you provide. First responders will then be dispatched appropriately to the call for service. Stay safe and have a wonderful summer. God Bless!
Sincerely,
Chief Ron Dziezgowski
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