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State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny County, center, claps as Ronald Rickley, of Moon — grandson of Vernon Moses — pauses after unveiling the sign during a dedication ceremony of the Chief Vernon Moses Memorial Highway in Ross on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.
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Part of Route 19 renamed to honor Ross police chief who died in the line of duty

Post-Gazette

Part of Route 19 renamed to honor Ross police chief who died in the line of duty

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.

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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.”

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Punya Bhasin: pbhasin@post-gazette.com

First Published: September 8, 2022, 6:25 p.m.

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State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny County, center, claps as Ronald Rickley, of Moon — grandson of Vernon Moses — pauses after unveiling the sign during a dedication ceremony of the Chief Vernon Moses Memorial Highway in Ross on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.  (Post-Gazette)
In this photo taken from either the 1920s or 1930s, Moses stands next to an arrested man, who is wearing handcuffs on his left hand.  (courtesy Ross Township Police Department)
Members of the John Maug gang were convicted in the murder.  (courtesy Ross Township Police Department)
Moses stands next to unnamed people. He is the only officer to be killed in the line of duty in the 100-year history of the Ross Township Police Department.  (courtesy Ross Township Police Department)
Ross police Chief Joseph Ley addresses the crowd.  (Post-Gazette)
Dan DeMarco, president of the Ross Board of Commissioners, addresses the crowd  (Post-Gazette)
Ms. Williams addresses the crowd.  (Post-Gazette)
State Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Brighton Heights, left, assists Mr. Rickley during the unveiling of the sign in honor of Chief Vernon Moses.  (Post-Gazette)
Mr. Rickley addresses the crowd.  (Post-Gazette)
Ms. Williams looks on as Mr. Rickley pauses after unveiling the sign.  (Post-Gazette)
Vehicles travel on a portion of Route 19 — between Ivory Avenue and Cemetery Lane — that has been renamed in honor of Moses.  (Post-Gazette)
Moses served the police department beginning in 1922 until he was killed in the line of duty on May 3, 1932, after stopping a car on Perry Highway.  (Post-Gazette archive)
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