Onorato unveils public safety plan

The gubernatorial candidate says he can protect the public and reduce crime without breaking the bank.

One Democratic contender in the race for governor of Pennsylvania says he can protect the public and reduce crime without breaking the bank.  Dan Onorato released his public safety plan in Philadelphia this morning. [audio: 100316TMGOV.mp3]

Onorato says he can do what he’s done as Allegheny County Executive to make Pennsylvania safer.  He says using exit interviews to cut down on recitivism and maintaining stimulus program policing levels is his priority.  But how will he pay for the extra expense?  He says he’ll do it through efficiencies.

Onorato: It’s not always about more money some of it’s about smarter policing, for example in Allegheney county in the northern part of the county there were eight police departmetns eight years ago they all had their own police department, they had eight chiefs of police a lot of administration. Now there’s one administration they all have full-time officers and they are actually covering a larger area for the same amount of money.

Onorato says he’s offered incentives to municipalities to foster consolidation of services and that helps make the transition easier.