Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli announces the formation and first meeting of the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Law Enforcement Coalition.  The DA Coalition is comprised of sixteen (16) law enforcement officers from across the county, including chiefs of police, patrolmen, detectives, sergeants, and state police.  These members will serve a one-year term as liaisons between local departments and the District Attorney.  After one year, another team of sixteen (16) officers will take the helm. The goal of the DA Coalition is to facilitate communication between law enforcement agencies, determine their equipment and financial needs, provide training, and increase communication with the District Attorney’s Office and Detective Bureau.  With officer safety at the forefront, the training needs of each department will be continually assessed to ensure our officers have every resource available and are trained proficiently as laws and best practices evolve.  

“The DA Coalition was developed to be a resource to both the District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies in Westmoreland County.  The DA Coalition members will collaborate with local departments in their respective areas and relay critical information to my office.  This will assist us in recognizing needs across the county and ensuring our departments are well equipped and well trained.  Our goal is for Westmoreland County to have the most elite and fully funded law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth.  It is my expectation that the DA Coalition will bridge the communication gap that exists from one end of the county to the other, build officer morale, and strengthen community relations with law enforcement. The officers chosen for this coalition all came highly recommended within the law enforcement community.  Coalition meetings will be held quarterly and encourage the free exchange of information collected from the field to be shared across the county.  I thank Chief County Detective Ronald Zona for spearheading this endeavor and the members for their commitment to the DA Coalition and its goals.” – Nicole W. Ziccarelli