Derry to reduce MCRPD service

YEAGERTOWN - Derry Township became the second of seven municipalities served by the Mifflin County Regional Police Department to reduce its amount of police coverage for the coming year, after a vote by the township's board of supervisors during a special meeting held Thursday.

The supervisors unanimously passed a motion to reduce the township's purchase of service with the department by three units. In 2009, the township purchased 27.25 units of service; it now plans to purchase only 24.25 units in 2010.

That decision follows Lewistown Borough Council's vote in August to reduce its police coverage from 38.25 units to 29 units in 2010.

"We are concerned (with) where the (Lewistown) Borough stands," Supervisor Ronald Napikoski said.

"Their reduction of hours (of service) has placed an increased burden on the other municipalities, (and) we would bear the biggest burden," Napikoski explained.

Supervisor Donald Warntz said he previously was hesitant to pursue the option of reducing the number of units purchased, but then changed his mind.

"I was having second thoughts until I found out what the total cost would be," Warntz said, referring to the increase in price per unit of service from 2009 to 2010.

Supervisor John McCullough said the cost per unit for 2009 was about $27,000, and the township purchased 27.75 units for $771,046. In 2010, each unit will cost $30,070, and the township will purchase 24.25 units for about $729,000.

Warntz said if the township were to purchase the same number of units it did for 2009 at the increased cost per unit, that increase would have to be passed on to the taxpayers of Derry Township- and that isn't something the supervisors were prepared to do.

McCullough explained that the supervisors' decision to cut service also will put the municipality more in line with the number of units it has wanted to purchase in the past.

"In previous years, cuts by other municipalities have been made up by Derry Township," McCullough said. "We don't feel its appropriate to sustain that."

When asked what the supervisors' decision meant for MCRPD's overall budget, McCullough stated the supervisors felt it would put "additional stresses" on the department and that "it will increase the problems."

"Derry Township doesn't enter into this decision easily," McCullough said. "But, we believe at this point in history, it's necessary."

When contacted by The Sentinel on Thursday, MCRPD Officer John Miles, who also serves as president of the Lewistown Police Association, expressed his dismay regarding the decision.

"As far as the official stance of the Lewistown Police Association, we were disappointed to see Derry Township's decision to reduce, although we completely understand why and their reasoning," Miles said.

Miles said the reduction correlates to 30 less hours per week of patrol or response time in Derry Township.

"The union in the past has tried to open the eyes of the people in the area of what this (cuts in service) would mean overall, and we were hoping they would ask their municipalities to increase service," he said.

Miles also said that Derry Township's reduction - on top of Lewistown Borough's reduction - means the department will have to find additional ways to cut costs. However, Miles said he doesn't know at this time if those cuts would result in layoffs within the department.

Despite the decision to reduce units, the supervisors maintain they are committed to making the department a successful law enforcement agency.

"We are still strong supporters of the Mifflin County Regional Police Department," McCullough said.