Published: November 08, 2009 11:06 pm      

Boros eye regional police force

JOHNSTOWN — A look at a map of northern Cambria County tells the story. Four boroughs, all with police departments located in a radius of about eight miles. All face stagnant revenues and rising expenses.

Elected officials and police officers from the four – Carrolltown, Hastings, Northern Cambria and Patton – think now is a good time to explore greater cooperation, with the goal of better protection and controlled costs.

Officials of the four boroughs are gathering information about their departments in an initial step toward what could be an in-depth, state-supported study on sharing services.

The initial step should be completed and open for discussion early next year.

While many leaders in the four towns stop short of supporting a regionalized police department to serve the near 9,000 total population, there is increasing evidence that old-time politics is fading, with people more willing to reach beyond their geographic borders, said Patton Mayor Stephen Bakajza.

“I think we can all do stuff to work together. There definitely is some interest in this police thing,” Bakajza said. “There seems to be a lot of support among the police themselves, and that’s very promising.”

An impetus for the study is another push at the state level to impose a surcharge on municipalities with no local police or part-time departments who rely partially on state police.

The latest proposal, from state Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancanster, calls for what would eventually be an annual fee of more than $150 per resident for those relying on state police coverage, creating a tremendous financial burden on northern Cambria communities, said Bakajza and others.

Clearfield Township, with 1,680 people, could be forced to pay in excess of $250,000 for state police services.

Letters seeking participation in the northern Cambria initiative were sent to East Carroll, Chest and Clearfield townships. All declined, Bakajza said.

Many, including Northern Cambria’s officer-in charge, Dave Hassen, think it is not a matter of if a state levy will happen, but when.

“It isn’t something that is just going to be pushed off to the side, especially if the state has its way,” said Hassen, who heads up the only department of the four providing full-time coverage.

The potential financial burden prompts one to look at the surrounding townships – Susquehanna, Elder, Chest, Clearfield, East and West Carroll and Barr – that purchase some police services or rely solely on state police, said Hastings Chief Ron Sharkey. He thinks a regional department covering all could be highly effective.

“I actually think the state needs to do something. There have been municipalities with police departments and they got rid of them,” said Sharkey. “The way things are going, a regional police department would be the best.”

With plenty of well-trained officers, each existing department has something to bring to the table to improve coverage on a regional basis, he said.

For example, Patton has vehicle accident reconstruction expertise and Carrolltown has a K-9 unit.

Regardless of the direction, the state Department of Community and Economic Development is ready to help, said Ron Stern, local government policy specialist.

The state needs a letter of intent from the local municipalities to begin the yearlong process of looking at each department and making recommendations, Stern said.

If regionalization is not the answer, steps can be taken to develop and strengthen existing intermunicipal agreements, allowing the departments to assist each other and cover for one another on a regular basis, said Carrolltown Chief Dave Murphy.

“A lot of time we don’t have someone out, someone could cover for us. We could cover for other departments,” Murphy said. “We’re hoping we can do something. The way budgets are today, eventually something (at the state level) is going to happen.”

Murphy has experience with shared and purchased services, and thinks the concept works well, as long as politics is avoided. From 1995 to 2003, Carrolltown and West Carroll Township operated a combined police force and sold service until 2000 to what was Spangler Borough.

Northern Cambria Councilman Sam Taranto hopes a move toward shared police services will open the door for greater municipal cooperation in other areas.

“Anything in shared services can be a good thing. I’ve been an advocate for it for quite a while,” Taranto said. “I’m for it, whether it be police or whatever.”

Patton Councilman Joe Noel thinks a regional emphasis is key to landing state money.

“These little towns are struggling. We’re all in the same boat,” Noel said. “I think a regional effort in all areas would be good.”