A section of Route 19 between Ivory Avenue and Cemetery Lane in Ross is being renamed to honor the township’s first police chief, Vernon “Port” Moses, who was killed in the line of duty.
Moses is the only officer to be killed in the line of duty in the 100-year history of the Ross Police Department. He had served as a police chief for 12 years when he was shot and killed along Route 19 on May 3, 1932, while attempting to arrest two members of the John Maug gang for a series of burglaries, armed robberies, and shootings of other area police officers.
The area where Moses was fatally shot is now renamed to Chief Vernon Moses Memorial Highway. The Ross police along with state Sen. Lindsey Williams and Rep. Emily Kinkead hosted a dedication ceremony on Thursday to honor Moses with his family.
Ms. Williams, in collaboration with Ms. Kinkead, spearheaded the legislation to honor Moses and said she is thankful to the Ross police for bringing Moses’ story to her attention.
“It's so important to honor the sacrifice of our law enforcement officers. Right now is the 100-year anniversary of the Ross Township Police Department and it's really an honor to be a small part recognizing the service of Chief Moses and his family,” Ms. Williams said.
Daniel DeMarco, president of the Ross Township commissioners, said the ceremony meant a lot to the officers present, and the department will continue to provide the best protection to their officers,
“For all of the officers who are here today from the other … law enforcement agencies, this ceremony recognizes the commitment they make every day,” Mr. DeMarco said. “This is a very tough and dangerous job and in our day and age, even more so than it was back in 1932 when Chief Moses lost his life in the line of duty. So it recognizes not only his legacy, but it does also mean a lot in terms of the legacy of our police department here and its future, and we certainly plan to continue to provide the best police protection, one of the best police departments in Allegheny County.”
Punya Bhasin: pbhasin@post-gazette.com
First Published: September 8, 2022, 6:25 p.m.
