Here's what I wrote:
There were many reasons we found ourselves in the position of canceling the police service we provided Atglen, Avondale and Highland. The four primary reasons we took the action we did are:
- Parkesburg was losing money on each hour of service provided and the municipalities were either not willing or unable to pay Parkesburg a rate that at least covered the real cost of the police service we provided.
- We were unable to expand the service to other municipalities like Sadsbury, West Sadsbury, West Fallowfield, etc at a pace that made it an attractive business proposition.
- The initiative never had the support of the citizens of Parkesburg, who like most people, want to make sure they are secure and their tax dollars are used in the most economical and efficient manner possible. Asking the people of Parkesburg to underwrite Atglen’s, Highland’s and Avondale’s security could no longer be justified.
- While the initiative had the enthusiastic support of people at the county and state, Parkesburg Borough received no financial support from either entity to make the harsh realities of providing police service fathomable.
14 comments:
Ken,
I did not see the dialog on this posting that you mentioned to me last night? Would love to see the comments?
Chris
As a Borough resident and tax payer, I support the police cut for the sake of keeping our already too high taxes from being raised. I do however have a concern the police cut could affect the police presence within the borough and their ability to keep the community safe. Its no secret there are drug dealers and thugs in the borough. I would be interested in hearing how the police department will re-organize their staff to prevent crime from increasing.
I also support Council's decision to cancel its police contracts with other municipalities and consequently to cut the size of the police department. Realize that the police presence in the Borough should not be affected. We simply do not need the many of the current police officers as they will no longer be serving Atglen, Highland and Avondale.
Cindy,
You are so wrong! This will effect Parkesburg Boro more than you realize. Just ask the police themselves. It will take multiple cars off the streets of Parkesburg and leave just one car out.
In the police world, Parkesburg is an island. It is far away from other police who operate 24 hours a day.
The closest is Coatesville who is often too busy to come to our aid. The other is Oxford. They are about 14 miles away and often have one car out. That's it!! The State is also under staffed and not readily available. The contracts allow more police for less money! Simple as that!! Your safety and your family's safety is at risk!
I highly doubt that the safety of Parkesburg residents is at risk with the proposed cuts. When one reads the police report in the Parkesburg Ledger most weeks, one can see that a lot of the calls for police service involve standing by at a medical emergency while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, vehicle stops for traffic violations, and checking local businesses that have left their doors open and/or unlocked. How about the police car that sits in the middle of Route 10, just south of the railroad bridge, during the morning commute. The officer is checking to see if passengers are wearing their seat belts and if cars have current tags and inspections stickers. This actually causes a major distraction for drivers, and I'm surprised an accident hasn't occurred as a result. I'm sure if this police car is not sitting in the middle of Route 10 tomorrow, it will not have an adverse effect on the safety of Parkesburg residents.
A seven-person police department will not be inadequate to protect the residents of Parkesburg. A bigger threat to our safety is an understaffed ambulance crew and fire department. Think about it! There are more medical emergencies in Parkesburg than violent crimes. I will not feel unsafe if the police car is not sitting in the middle of Route 10 tomorrow morning checking to see whose wearing a seatbelt.
Cindy,
Standing by at medical emergencies is all your police department does?
Did you read the November blog post directly below the January post? If not, enlighten yourself...check it out...
Hmmmmm ... I don't believe I said that the police department does nothing else but standby at medical emergencies. What I am saying is that it is a rare occasion when a violent crime is committed in Parkesburg. However, medical emergencies in Parkesburg occur every week. Lets face it, there are a lot of elderly residents in the Borough and they will experience medical emergencies. The high property taxes, especially for these elderly residents, have become intolerable. Council is making the necessary decisions it must to maintain fiscal responsibility to its residents and taxpayers. Atglen, Avondale and Highland will either have to pay more for their police services from Parkesburg or alternatively, create their own police forces and hopefully hire some of the officers who are being furloughed.
Cindy,
You are very misinformed!
Calls for polioce service....6,000
Calls for fire & Ambulance...400
You do the math!!!!
As for violent crime.....your polcie department is all over it! They keep the crime down by being on the job!
The financial problems in this Boro is not due to police. Its due to mismanagement by the Boro! The Boro is responsible for the finances...not the police. Get your facts correct, please.
It is easy for you to quote statistics such as 6000 calls for police service. But, as I work with another local police department in a civilian capacity, I know that "calls for service" can and do include traffic stops, 911 hang-up calls where a child was playing with the phone, attendance at meetings, directing traffic for funerals, sitting on Route 10 to see who is wearing a seat belt, etc. Calls for service can also include dealing with loitering juveniles, chasing skateboarders away from the Acme shopping center, animal complaints, etc. Most calls for service in this area DO NOT involve violent crime, plain and simple.
You ARE right that the financial crisis in the Borough is not the fault of the police officers, but unfortunately, they may have to experience its consequences. The Borough taxpayers are tapped out! We are not a bottomless pot of gold. Borough finances have gotten way out of hand, and it's time to stop this insanity. The poor fiscal management of the police contracts and the costs incurred to the Borough taxpayers should never have occurred. Atglen, Highland and Avondale would feel the same if it happened to them, and, in fact, the police officers would too.
You should know that my family faced what the officers are facing now. Years ago, my husband was laid off from his job two weeks before our first child was born! My stance in this matter is not meant to be an attack on the police officers of the Borough. It is my effort to support Council's decision, as I believe it is the fiscally responsible thing for them to do as the representatives for the taxpayers of Parkesburg.
Cindy,
I couldn't agree more....Most of the things the police do we could certainly do without....Traffic stops....thats only for vehicle safety violations or speeding or d.u.i. operators...911 hang-ups....they are nothing...just ask Ofc. Connie Hawkins who was shot to death on a 911 hang up in Chester City.OOps, bad example, I forgot nothing bad ever happens in our little boros. Loitering juveniles....big deal...I'm sure they are all good kids who won't get bored and vandalize anything.
They just need a place to hang out...like the acme center...or is that private property??? I guess if they aren't allowed , maybe you would allow them to skateboard in your driveway...you know since they are all good kids anyway. Animal complaints.... PLEASE....who needs animal control...If there is a vicious dog outside..just stay in...it will eventually leave. DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND SILLY??? It certainly does to me. This has become a matter of money and it shouldn't be...Did I miss a memo?? Did anyone say that taxes are going DOWN if we cut the police force?? Taxes are going to remain the same, it's only service that we are losing. Has anyone taken a close look at the true numbers for the budget?? I have. The police force has been operating on nearly the same amount of money from the boros budget since 1994. All the additional money that the police force operates on comes from the contracted areas. I would be willing to bet there isn't another police department in this county who hasn't raised their budget in 14 years. And unless I'm mistaken...even our own council said there were no finacial problems at the begining of December. Does anyone really understand how Parkesburg residents will be affected if we lose Atglen, Highland and Avondale?? Right this minute...if something terrible should happen in Parkesburg, we have the ability to have 4 or more police officers on the scene within moments...try that same senerio if we lose them....we will have 1 officer (if he/she is not on another assigment). Of course that officer could call for back up...you know from Coatesville, Oxford or maybe 1 of the state troopers(if they are in the area).
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take the time to research the numbers before making anymore radical decisions.
Kandi,
You need to focus on what I'm saying and quit trying to twist my words.
I am NOT suggesting that the Borough police stop dealing with these non-violent issues. I am suggesting that included in "6000 calls for service," as you brought forth, are many, many issues of a NON-VIOLENT nature. You're the one who brought it up. I'm just stating a fact that the number "6000" is not as dramatic as you make it sound.
With Council's proposed cuts, the Borough will have 7 full-time officers, who will be quite capable of dealing with the non-violent police matters, as well as the occasional violent situation.
You are also suggesting that Atglen, Highland and Avondale have officers on duty 24/7 like Parkesburg when you comment that if something terrible happens in the Borough, there is the ability to have the other 3 officers who are at Atglen, Highland and Avondale assist. My understanding is that these municipalities DO NOT have 24/7 coverage, so then what is Parkesburg going to do? Let's see, I guess State Police, Coatesville or Oxford may have to assist. Or maybe Sadsbury, West Sadsbury, West Caln or Valley Townships may be able to assist, as they have more hours of on-duty police coverage than Atglen, Highland and Avondale. See my point?
And as far as your statement that "Council said there were no financial problems in the beginning of December," if you have been so careful doing research, you would realize that the Borough has been experiencing financial problems for at least the last 7 years. Why do you think our taxes are so high?! I think you misunderstood Council's intent in early December.
It simply is time to get a hold on the financial situation in Parkesburg and for Council to do the fiscally responsible thing for its taxpayers. Unfortunately, cuts are necessary in all areas of the Borough departments, which includes the police.
And, as far as poor Ofc. Hawkins getting killed, lets see, right, that was the CITY OF CHESTER. Maybe you'd feel safer living there with their large 24/7 police department. But wait, that still did not prevent her terrible murder!!!
Lets stick to the Borough of Parkesburg and not dramatize our comments by comparing Parkesburg with Chester, a place where neither of us wants to live!!
Cindy,
The reason there is such a dramatic difference between Parkesburg and Chester is because of the knowledge and training that our police department receives. And of course nothing prevented Ofc. Hawkins murder...and nothing is preventing those same people from coming to Parkesburg...There is no gate, no wall keeping "the element" out.
As for the previous numbers quoted, 6000 calls for sevice etc. those were not my numbers. I believe they are probably very close to accurate, but they were not my comments. What I can tell you is that the officers that are here are not here for the money. Parkesburg officers are paid much less than alot of police departments in this county. They are here because they like the area, the officers that they work with, the command staff that they work for and the residents. Parkesburg Police go against the old saying "you get what you pay for".
Again, I can only invite you to go check out the numbers. The true numbers. The police department is not the root of the boroughs financial downfall. Chief Sheller has been operating on nearly the same amount of monies that he did in 1994. And if every department needs to exercise cuts...lets keep the police, fire and ambulance services last.
It was borough council that said they ended the year with a surplus
of over $200,000.00 .... ironic how that surplus disappeared when the police contract didn't settle.
And once again, can you please clarify for me ... if we cancel these contracts and cut our police force...how much will my taxes go down???
Kandi,
Since you have written this statement twice in your posts, (police force operates on nearly same budget since 1994), I would like to find out where you are getting your figures from?
There was an article in the Post from Jan 10, 2006, that states that the budget for Police force salaries are increased by $56k for 2008.
The Salary budget dollar is presented by the Police Chief each year, that salary number has been approved by the Borough Council each year since at least 2004, but the Police Chief and his Administration have gone over budget during this time by 400k.
If we were looking at this overrun by a manager in the business world, guess what? The manager would be fired or demoted in a hearbeat. No, I am not proposing anything like that.
I just want to see where your figures come from compared to what I have seen in the borough figures for 2007 and the proposed budget that was approved for 2008.
You also mention the surplus of 200k that just disappeared. How wrong can you be? The surplus is what is paying the bills for the first couple of months this year, something that the borough has had to take a Loan for in previous years. Also this money is only available because of the sale of property across the street from the fire company. That number was about 485k profit that the borough only could carry over about 250k to the 2008 fiscal year.
Yes, the borough would have made it through 2008 without any changes to the Police force, but would be in a heap of hurt if any large unexpected expense occured for the borough. The 2007 and present council now are trying to right a wrong that has been going on for years.
Once again show us some numbers that saids that the police force has been operating on nearly the same monies for 13 years.
Kandi,
Do you honestly believe that the police have been operating with the same amount of money per year for the past 13 years?!! Hopefully, you have carefully read Chris' comments and have enlightened yourself.
And, you're right, 6000 is not your number. But you're using it as a scare tactic. Enough already.
And let me clarify it for you. If the Borough cancels the police contracts and makes the subsequent cuts, your taxes are not going down. What you need to ask is how much will my taxes go UP if we don't make some kind of changes to the police contracts, either by cancelling them and making cuts or by charging more for police coverage.
To Chris:
Thank you for your informative and insightful comments. Keep them coming please; I can use the company.
Post a Comment