(News)

Three new Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors, tricked out for the city police department, sat at Tri Star Motors in Christy Park on Thursday. A fourth was scheduled for delivery this week.

They were ordered back in April through a federal government program that was part of the economic stimulus package.

But eight months later, the money hasn't been released. And until it is --- or until McKeesport officials arrange $93,500 in alternate financing --- the cruisers will stay up at Tri Star.

"I'm actually embarrassed," City Administrator Dennis Pittman says. "We got the grant in April. The federal government told us, 'Order them right now!' Now we've got four police cars that we can't pick up."

. . .

The money is technically part of a $3.25 million award to Allegheny County through the U.S. Justice Department's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program.

The program was designed to help financially-strapped local police departments replace equipment while also boosting the manufacturing sector.

According to the U.S. Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which is tracking the stimulus money nationwide, as of Dec. 31, 2009, $275 billion in contracts and grants had been authorized, but only $68.5 billion had been disbursed.

Somewhere in the other $206.5 billion that hasn't been released, apparently, is the money for McKeesport's new squad cars.

. . .

The non-profit news service ProPublica, which is tracking stimulus-funded projects, has reported that local and state governments have been slow to ask for stimulus money, and the federal government has been slow to release checks for qualified projects.

As of November, for instance, only a third of the money had actually been released, according to ProPublica.

Besides the cop cars, the city and related agencies qualified for nearly $4.8 million in combined assistance, including:

• McKeesport Housing Authority: $3.3 million for capital improvements (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)


• McKeesport Community Development Department: $327,572 for various projects (HUD)


• Homelessness Prevention programs: $500,957 for resettlement, rent and utility assistance (HUD)


• Police Department: $641,763 for training and hiring new officers (U.S. Justice Department)

About $431.6 million total was promised to all of Allegheny County, according to ProPublica.
. . .

Responding to questions from the Almanac, Matt Dinkel, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Penn Hills), and Kevin Evanto, spokesman for Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, were both trying on Thursday to see when the money for the police cars would be released.

Tri Star Ford isn't angry about the delay, says Jack Bartko, director of operations. "The city of McKeesport is a good customer," he says, "but obviously, we'd like to get paid."

City officials would like that, too, says Nick Shermenti, public works director. "We could use those four cars," he says.