Pittston Twp. was awarded a new 2024 Chevrolet Silverado police cruiser, courtesy of a 2024 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, through the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. From left: Luzerne County District Attorney Samuel M. Sanguedolce, Pittston Twp. Chief of Police Lena Angelella, Pittston Twp. Supervisors Joseph Hawk Jr., Deborah Taroli, and David Slezak.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON TWP. — The Pittston Twp. The Police Department received a new 2024 Chevrolet Silverado awarded to them from the 2024 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) through the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.
The Edward Byrne Memorial JAG program is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions for various criminal justice initiatives, including drug enforcement, victim services, and juvenile justice programs.
Luzerne County District Atty. Samuel M. Sanguedolce notified Pittston Twp. officials on January 16, 2025; Pittston Twp. would be one of the municipalities to receive a vehicle.
“This opportunity is a tremendous help, as just about everyone knows, 95% of our municipalities are running a tight budget financially,” Sanguedolce said. “People don’t realize to outfit a police vehicle, it pushes $100,000, which is a substantial portion of their budget. When we can get federal money and assist the towns in serving the public, I think it’s a tremendous relief.”
Sanguedolce said many police vehicles could be decades old, running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 100,000 or more miles.
“It’s all about the safety of the officers and their ability to respond quickly to the public and the emergency needs,” Sanguedolce added, on why it’s important to replenish police vehicles.
With the addition of the Silverado, Pittston Twp. Police Chief Lena Angelella said the township’s fleet is up to 10 vehicles servicing the 26-square-mile township territory.
“We rotate vehicles with the shifts, and if you don’t have enough vehicles to rotate, you’re going to have immense wear and tear on your vehicles,” Angelella stated. “So, having this extra vehicle that all we had to do was pay for the outfit on it, it’s a huge asset to the police department.”
According to Pittston Twp. Manager Kyle Rizitski, the estimated value of the Chevrolet Silverado is $50,000. Pittston Twp. was responsible for outfitted with additional police equipment at a cost of approximately $26,000.
“When I became chief in 2020, we had two vehicles, and both vehicles had over 150,000 miles on them,” Angelella explained. “One vehicle was continuously in the shop for maintenance, so we basically had one vehicle. Over the five years, we’re now up to 10 vehicles. We are thankful for D.A. Sanguedolce’s assistance.”
Sanguedolce, Angelella, along with Pittston Twp. Supervisors Joseph Hawk, Jr., Deborah Taroli, and David Slezak were on hand to receive the vehicle on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026.
