T-L Photo/JOSIE BURKHART Bridgeport council members discuss three churches that were broken into, safety for the crosswalk by the municipal building and ordinances and resolutions on Tuesday evening.

BRIDGEPORT — Three churchers in Bridgeport had items stolen from them in incidents that led to two arrests, Police Chief John Bumba told council Tuesday evening.

Bridgeport Police Department arrested two men in connection with thefts from churches around the Kirkwood Heights area.

Michael Moore was charged with receiving stolen property, possession of drugs, possession of criminal tools and drug paraphernalia, Bumba said. Cody Gartin was charged with breaking and entering, receiving stolen property, possession of criminal tools and possession of a controlled substance.

The Belmont County Jail roster lists Eric Michael Moore, 39, who is facing the charges Bumba listed and was booked on Monday. THe roster also includes Cody Wayne Gartin, 33, who was booked Monday and charged with the offenses Bumba mentioned.

Gartin allegedly broke into the First United Methodist Church, but the police department hasn’t yet identified the perpetrators of the other two thefts. Bumba told council the two other churches where someone stole two brass collection plates, urns and a cross were Mount Zion Baptist Church and Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Bumba told council the police investigation indicates Gartin got into the UMC by prying the door open in the late night or early morning hours.

Bumba said there are other suspects in the case.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church will be installing more security features after the incidents, Bumba said.

Bumba said within the past five years, the department has seen a 76.8% increase in calls, which makes the department very busy.

While the church plans to install more security features, Brian May from May Engineering is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation on a plan to make the crosswalk that spans U.S. 40 by the municipal building safer.

May, Mayor Norma Teasdale and a representative from ODOT will meet Feb. 4 to discuss the potential to increase the safety of the intersection and crosswalk near the municipal building.

Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 cars go through the intersection every day, according to May.

May wants to improve the signage to avoid another tragedy at the crosswalk.

In December, a Wheeling woman died after a vehicle struck her and another pedestrian while they were crossing National Road at the intersection in question. The second pedestrian was seriously injured, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

“With that much traffic, I think it is very, very important, to reduce that chance of that ever happening,” May said.

Meanwhile, two new emergency medical technicians will join village crews. Jacob Lowe and Brody Puscas were brought on board as EMTs with council members Michelle Lucarelli, David Holmes, Ben Lenz, Joseph Lyle, Robert Bennington and Doris Dunkle approving the resolution to hire them. Lowe and Puscas will be working as part-time basic EMTs for $17 an hour and will have a 90-day probationary period.

The fire department is also applying for a grant for training two new firefighters.

Council also entered a closed-door session for potential legal action and potential land acquisition.

The next council meeting will be at 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at the municipal building at 301 Main St.