Police Department That Hosted Eric Frein Manhunt Might Be Absorbed

Though I usually don't ramble too far from the Lehigh Valley, I thought it might be interesting to stay into Monroe County's Barrett Township. That sparsely populated and isolated area was the focal point of the exhaustive manhunt last year for Eric Frein. He has been charged in the ambush murder of one state trooper and the critical wounding of another. This incident made the residents there appreciate police officers instead of taking them for granted. You can still see blue ribbons around the trees. But to the Supervisors, it's all about the money. They want to dissolve their police department and merge with Pocono Mountain Regional, Supervisors claim it will save $200,000. But how long will residents in this rural area wait for a response to a police call?

Whether it is police, fire or other municipal services, regionalization should always be explored. But the devil is always in the details. The Bi-County Health Department failed, in large part, because the plan was poorly conceived. Though a proposed Memorandum of Understanding has been posted online, residents seem concerned about the response times for police calls. A Facebook Page, Save Barrett Police Department, has attracted 117 members thus far. Residents are up in arms about this merger, and accusations that Supervisors are getting their driveways plowed by township road crews are swirling about.

From what I can see, all police officers currently employed in Barrett Township would become part of this larger force, including its chief. There are numerous advantages of a larger and more professional force, some of which are detailed by the state DCED.  There is better training, more technology and more room for advancement. But in a rural area, questions of police coverage are legitimate and should be answered.