WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Howard, and Rep. Tom Marino have introduced H.R. 6285, a bill to transfer the closed Mifflin County Army Reserve Center to Derry Township, according to a press release Tuesday.
Derry Township will use the center as headquarters for the Mifflin County Regional Police Department and to serve other public purposes, the release said.
"The vacated Army Reserve Center in Mifflin County offers local law enforcement a needed facility upgrade and expansion," Thompson said. "After years of negotiating with the Government Services Administration and the U.S. Army, we have realized the property has been stuck in bureaucratic limbo. In order to cut the red tape, this legislation would authorize the Army to transfer what is currently a vacant property to Derry Township, in order to serve as a headquarters for the Mifflin County Regional Police."
"Transfer of the Army Reserve Center to Derry Township will offer a practical and immediate solution to the expansion of the township's essential services," Marino said. "Providing local authorities with adequate resources is the key to encouraging effective governance at every level. This facility will benefit not only the Regional Police Department and several municipal offices, but also the people they serve within the community."
The department is also thrilled at the prospect of a new building for its headquarters.
"This facility would greatly enhance the daily operations of the Mifflin County Regional Police Department, by increasing the level of safety for both officers and citizens," Mifflin County Regional Police Department Chief of Police Scott A. Mauery said.
The Mifflin County Army Reserve Center was closed in 2008, and has been sitting vacant since that time, the release said.
