West
View Borough Police Department
 441 Perry Highway
Pittsburgh, Pa 15229
412-931-2800
A WORD FROM THE CHIEF:
Welcome to the West View Police Department from Charles M. Holtgraver, Chief of Police.
Having had a life long desire to become a police officer, I took the Civil Service test and was hired as a police officer for the West View Police Department on August of 1972. Five years later I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and in August 1996, I was promoted to the position of Police Chief.
The West View Police Department is a twenty- four - hour operation employing nine full time officers and three part time officers covering three shifts a day. Part-time officers were added to the schedule after the September 11 2001 attack on New York City. The police department roster was cut short when Officer Bruce Fromlak was called to active military duty. Two years later upon his return to the police department, we felt the addition of the part-time officers was a valuable asset to the department in reducing overtime and helping to fill any voids in the schedule due to illness or injuries. The police department also employs one full time records clerk and three part time records clerks. The clerks assist the police in filing reports and monitoring persons detained by the police.
The police department structure includes One Chief, One Lieutenant, One Sergeant six full time patrolmen and three part time patrolmen. One of the full time patrolmen was assigned as a full time investigator and is responsible for following up on all cases assigned to him by the chief. These cases usually involve incidents requiring extensive investigation time such as sex offences, assaults, thefts, burglaries and drug cases.
Six Special Police Officers assist the daily operations of the police department by directing traffic at church crossings and working special events such as the North Hills School District football games and carnivals as well as monitoring parking throughout the business district and issuing parking tickets to the violators.
The police department employs seven school crossing guards who are very dedicated to their positions and posts, seeing that our children are safely crossed at dangerous intersections throughout the Borough while on their way to and from school. Parents can be comfortable knowing these dedicated crossing guards are there to protect their children while they wait for their busses to pick them up at their assigned stops.
The police department is very community oriented and our officers take great pride in keeping West View a safe place for our residents and business owners to conduct their business, live and shop.
We have an active Crime Watch program under the direction of Officer Bruce Fromlak, who is assisted with the program by Officer Matt Holland. Both officers are certified Crime Watch Officers. The Crime Watch Officers provide programs to local businesses and civic groups to help make residents and business owners aware of ways to protect themselves from becoming victims of crime. Both officers are assisted by residents who offer a great deal of time and effort to see this program is a success. The crime watch group meets once a month during the winter months. The topic of these meetings is to discuss neighborhood and business problems as well as searching for ways to remedy these problems. Residents and business owners are urged to attend these meetings. This is a great way to get to meet your neighbors as well as the police who serve the community.
Please visit our crime log to keep abreast of incidents happening in our community that may be of interest to you as a resident or business owner. We also have a lost and found section to list items turned in to the police department as well as listing items reported to have been lost in the Borough. We have a constant list of bicycles turned in to the police department which have been found by residents. Your lost or stolen bike could be listed here. Most remain unclaimed and eventually end up being donated to a charitable organization.
Officer Bruce Fromlak is our juvenile officer and spends a great deal of time working with community youth trying to steer them from trouble.
Both Officers Fromlak and Holland are certified DARE officers and are active with our children in providing programs in our grade schools which are directed at educating our children about the dangers of Alcohol and Drug abuse. This has been a very valuable program with positive replies from the children, teachers and parents. The DARE program is totally funded by the Pennsylvania Commission of Crime and Delinquency.
With parking being such a premium in the Borough, the department assigns a different officer each year to monitor vehicles parked on our roadways. Any vehicle considered abandoned under the guidelines of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code is removed either by the vehicle owner or the police.
In addition to annual mandatory training, our officers are provided with a training schedule from both the Allegheny County Police Training Academy and the Pennsylvania State Police Training Academy. Officers wishing to attend training at one of these facilities for a subject considered beneficial to the police department and community are provided the opportunity to further their education and job performance.
All full time officers employed by the Borough of West View are state certified as intoxilyzer and VASCAR operators. Each officer actively enforces drunk driving and excessive speed violations as well as all vehicle and crimes code violations to help make the streets safe for our residents and commuters using our roadways.
The police department maintains a fleet of four sedans, three marked and one unmarked. We also have two bicycles and a Harley Davidson motorcycle which is very helpful in traffic enforcement. With our narrow roadways, officers are able to reach locations where the roadway is blocked by vehicles or obstacles involved in accidents. Police are also able to reach locations not accessible by patrol cars. The motorcycle is also less expensive to operate and maintain.
The bicycle patrol was first employed to provide quick, efficient patrol ability for officers working details in the West View Plaza. The program was expanded to patrolling the vicinity of community events such as carnivals. The bicycle patrol has also been placed in neighborhoods to monitor the parks where complaints of disorderly visitors have been received.
In an effort to protect the residents of West View, the police department recently enacted a new policy governing door to door solicitors. Solicitors must now undergo a background check for any criminal activity at their own expense, prior to being issued a permit to solicit within the boundaries of the Borough of West View. Applicants having been convicted of a crime against persons or property will be denied the necessary permit to solicit in West View. In addition to this policy, the Borough maintains a “NO KNOCK LIST”. Residents who sign up as members are provided a sign which warns solicitors they are not permitted to trespass on their properties. Solicitors are provided a current list of addresses that are posted against solicitor trespassing and warned that they are subject to arrest for any violation.
The police department has received numerous federal and state grants which have been very helpful in upgrading equipment that aid in the daily operations of the department.
Some of the upgrades have included: New Computers, Firearms, Vehicles, Office Equipment, Office Furniture and new bullet proof vests as well as adding an officer to the department.
The police department is always open to suggestions from residents concerning problems within their areas and solutions the residents feel may help solve their problems.
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