Municipal Police Study Urges Regional Approach

Yesterday, I told you about a recent state report concerning our municipal police departments, urging a regional approach. Here are some observations from the study.

- Municipalities (not counting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) report spending $1.3 billion on police services in FY 2012, funded primarily through local taxes.

- Over half (1,279) of Pennsylvania’s 2,500 municipalities have no police department. Of those that do have a police department, most (72 percent) have ten or fewer full-time officers, the minimum number generally considered necessary for a stand-alone police department.

- PSP (Pa. State Police)  reports spending $540 million in 2012 to provide both full- and parttime police services to municipalities without their own full-time police departments.

- Municipalities without police departments report cost as the most significant reason they have not formed a police department.

- Municipalities with their own police departments having ten or fewer officers report loss of control as the top reason they had not pursued a regional department; concerns about cost, cost allocation, and pension issues were also cited as difficult to address.

- RPDs cite loss of control as a difficult or very difficult issue to address when forming an RPD, with distribution of costs also being difficult to address.

- Regional police departments offer many benefits, but may increase costs for participating municipalities in the initial years.

- Municipalities should consider size, demographics, and approach to policing when considering forming a regional police department.

 - A statute defining an RPD and establishing certain requirements may encourage municipalities to consider consolidation.

One observation that is not highlighted is that no municiapl police department can be considered effective without a complement of ten full-time officers. Very few boroughs can make that claim.

Lower Nazareth Supervisors Urged to Complete Police Study

Andrew Laudenslager 

Lower Nazareth Supervisors are having second thoughts about their participation in the Colonial Regional Police Department, which protects residents in Bath, Hanover and Lower Nazareth Townships. They've rejected a $3.39 million 2014 police budget, which operates as a notice of intent to withdraw in a year if the problems remain unresolved. It's a money problem. "We're not going to increase taxes to pay for police services," stated Lower Nazareth Chair during a December 12 meeting of the police commission.

Police officers, led by Officer Andrew Laudenslager, pressured Supervisors last night to make a decision. He questioned whether Township Manager Timm Tenges is qualified to perform a study, a point that Tenges disputed, calling the matter a "budgetary item." Tenges promised to make his work, which he expects to finish in a few weeks, available to the public.

Laudenslager made a pitch for Colonial Regional, noting it is is one of only 93 departments accredited throughout the state. "You are holding every police officer hostage over your unknown plans," he complained.

Nagle told Laudenslager that he had no reason to worry. "Whatever we decide, you're not going to lose your job," he predicted, noting that a new police force would need its own officers. He also agreed that Colonial Regional Police provide excellent coverage. "They are the best in the state as far as I'm concerned; that's not the issue."

He also reminded officers that, several years ago, Hanover Township had threatened to withdraw.

"I think we're even at this point," he noted.

One Supervisor expressed concern over the tack Nagle is taking. "I don't want to lose police service," stated Martin Boucher.

Nagle assured him that won't happen. He advised that, despite the notice of intent to withdraw, the Township will continue to be protected by Colonial Regional until January 1, 2015.

Will Colonial Regional Police Remain Regional?

(The Colonial Region Police Commission includes, standing, from left to right, Mark Saginario (Bath), Bob Fields (Bath), Jim Pennington (L. Nazareth), and Eric Nagle (L. Nazareth). Seated, from left to right, are Chairman Glenn Walbert (Hanover) and John Diacogiannis (Hanover).

At a time when regionalized police forces are becoming more common, Lower Nazareth Supervisors are having second thoughts about their participation in the Colonial Region Police Department. They like the service, but not the cost. They've already rejected a $3.39 million police budget proposed for next year. This operates as a notice of intent to withdraw in a year if the problems remain unresolved. Whether that occurs was the topic of a police commission meeting on December 12, attended by several officers concerned about their livelihoods.

The sticking point? This budget calls for a $1,122,450 contribution from Lower Nazareth, which is $44,481 more than this year.

This six-member board includes two members from Bath Borough as well as Lower Nazareth and Hanover Townships. Chaired by Glenn Walbert, they provide the oversight for a 25-man force that has existed since 1995. Commission member Eric Nagle, who chairs the Lower Nazareth Board, explained that his Township wants "to go through an analysis to look at alternatives." He added, "We're backed into a 5% increase every year." While expressing admiration for the officers on the force, Nagle stated flatly, "We're not going to increase taxes to pay for police services," complaining that Lower Nazareth's additional revenue is eaten up by increased police costs. He also objected to Chief Roy Seiple's plan to expand the force gradually to 30 police officers.

Nagle reasoned that a regionalized force should be more efficient. "The question is, is it still effective? That's what we need to analyze."

Nagle's concerns were echoed by Jim Pennington, another Lower Nazareth Supervisor doing double duty on the police commission. He suggested that the police department should consider employing part-time police officers or "public safety officers" for minimal duties like traffic control.

"We have to be creative when we come up with budgets," argued Pennington.

Both Pennington and Nagle agreed that Lower Nazareth has experienced an surge in police activity. That appears to be related to the Wal Mart, Kohls and Wegmans on Route 248. Chief Seiple pointed out that 13 of the 20 arrests in Lower Nazareth in November were for shoplifting at those stores.

With the shoplifting comes counterfeiting. Seiple said his officers broke up a Reading-based counterfeiting ring that was passing $100 bills at these stores.

Police board Chair Glenn Walbert, who serves on Hanover's Board of Supervisors, noted that Lower Nazareth did approve a budget that continued to fund of the Colonial Region Police Department at its 2013 level. He suggested reducing the police department's budget to the 2013 level, which could be accomplished by delaying the hire of a new police officer by four months.

Walbert told Nagle the commission is open to discussions with Lower Nazareth.

Nagle promised to take the proposal back to his board and get an answer in early January.

Seiple asked Nagle to request an answer from Lower Nazareth Supervisors as soon as is convenient, "so we don't keep officers in suspense for six months." Seiple warned, "We got these guys sitting here, and they're going to start looking for jobs."

Chief Seiple proposed doubling the storage fee for impounded vehicles, from $15 to $30 per day. That suggestion passed unanimously.

He also told the Commission that Wal Mart and Wegmans, when requesting police coverage, is billed $67 per hour for each officer.

Finally, he filled the Commission in on a recent prostitution sting at a local hotel that netted seven Johns.

"None that you know," he added.