Rochester borough says no to police outsourcing

Sept. 24--ROCHESTER -- After comments about sacrificing safety for potential savings, officials decided Tuesday to halt a conversation with the township about contracting out police services.

Council voted 4-3 against continuing talks with Rochester Township about the township possibly providing police services to the borough. The initial discussion between the communities came as both have been looking for ways to save money or bring in new revenue.

"This police department is not for sale," Mayor Samuel Scriva said. "We are interested in talking about ... a regional department or consolidated police force."

The nearly 90-minute meeting drew more than 30 attendees, which included residents, business owners, current and former police officers, and others.

"When I go to bed at night ... I feel safe because I can call the police, and they'll be there within three, four, five minutes," borough resident John Martin said.

Rochester Police Chief Frank Mercier said if the borough police department was disbanded, the level of service would diminish and crime would rise. He said that did not mean township police are incompetent in any way.

"It makes no sense to me," Mercier said, adding such a change would be "detrimental" to residents.

Borough Manager John Barrett estimated a $120,006 savings for a one-year period if the borough disbanded its police department and contracted police services through the township. That was based off a $1.03 million budget and eliminating nearly $841,000 in expenses.

But he cautioned the numbers were not exact, and the calculation noted there would still be ongoing expenses, such as pension payments and contracts lost with the housing authority and East Rochester.

"There would still be some expenses we would be obligated to pay," Barrett said.Councilman Harold "Sonny" Harvey questioned those figures after the meeting, suggesting the savings could be greater.

Mercier also questioned figures that the township's budget presents, suggesting it has not listed its police expenses as high as they actually are. A personnel expenses item in the township's 2014 budget, which includes items such as insurance costs for employees, is separate from the police budget column.

The borough's savings calculation was also based on an assumption from the township, where it estimated it could provide services to the borough for $500,000, an amount that could rise to $740,000 by 2024, according to a document that borough officials had.

Council members who voted in favor of continued talks were Harvey, Keith Jackson and Marjorie White.

"It would be irresponsible of us not to look into it," White said before the vote.

Those who voted against the measure were Ben Rader, Daniel Maier and Howard Howe.

Scriva broke the 3-3 tie. Council members Martin Knafelc and David Smith were not present at the meeting.

The meeting also included a motion related to asking the township whether it might consider a proposal for the borough to provide police services to the township. The motion was not voted on due to the previous vote.

Rader said after the meeting that a decision to disband the police department would have required a referendum, with the public voting.

He said the topic comes up every few years, and council's vote Tuesday meant it could be put to rest. But he said it's inevitable that the borough will have to look at reducing police costs in the future.

Wes Hill, director of Beaver County Emergency Services, who identified himself as a resident of the borough, said based on the achievements, dedication and certifications of the Rochester Police Department, those officers could serve as the "core group" for a regional police department.

___

(c)2014 the Beaver County Times (Beaver, Pa.)

Visit the Beaver County Times (Beaver, Pa.) at www.timesonline.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services