Abingtons police regionalization talks dwindle to two municipalities

Feb. 5—A scaled-back regional police force in the Abingtons could end up costing residents more, raising questions about its future.

Clarks Summit and South Abington Twp. received a new study from the state Department of Community and Economic Development in October after Clarks Green and Glenburn, Newton and Ransom townships dropped out of initial regionalization talks over cost concerns.

DCED's new study estimated that a regional department would cost Clarks Summit and South Abington Twp. residents $209.15 each, or $1.070 million annually for Clarks Summit and just under $2 million for South Abington Twp.

That's significantly higher than what residents pay now. Clarks Summit's 2022 budget set aside $817,000 for the Police Department, or about $159.62 a resident, while South Abington Twp.'s 2022 budget earmarked $1.7 million, or $173.92 per person.

The costs included in the study are just estimates and could be lowered with state, federal and corporate grants, DCED officials said in the report.

Clarks Summit Council Vice President Josh Mitchell said regionalization won't happen if costs go up. An ideal plan, he said, is one that saves money and keeps the public safe.

"If there is not savings to both municipalities, I can't see it happening," Mitchell said.

Similarly, South Abington Twp. Supervisors Chairman Giles Stanton said no one would vote for the plan if the costs go up.

"The original goal is to save money and have a better service," he said. "It's not going to happen unless there are savings involved."

South Abington Twp. Police Chief Robert Gerrity said Clarks Green's contract with Clarks Summit to provide police coverage, which is included in the study, drives up the cost for all three municipalities. He acknowledged the possibility of grants, but once funding for them ends, municipalities in a regional force have to find a way to pay for the police. It is also hard to combine salaries, benefits and scheduling, he said.

"With that, I don't see regionalization happening in the near future," Gerrity said.

Staffing, headquarters

Despite the possibility of higher costs, regionalization could enhance police coverage in the two communities.

The study proposes 20 full-time officers, including a chief and two part-time school resource officers, which the study recommends be reimbursed by the Abington Heights School District. The new department would be headquartered at the South Abington Twp. municipal building. Officers would be assigned to three patrol zones staffed 24 hours, along with several roaming officers on each shift. In total, the new department would maintain 11 police vehicles.

The Clarks Summit Police Department has five full-time officers, 10 part-time officers and six vehicles, while the South Abington Twp. Police Department has 11 full-time officers, seven part-time officers and eight vehicles. Both departments patrol 24-7.

Mitchell requested a full-time force because it is harder to find and retain part-time officers, adding the number of officers in the regional department can be adjusted. Clarks Summit Police Chief Christopher Yarns said having part-time officers is challenging because of the high turnover.

Yarns said regionalization would give police more resources, including possibly a detective or a traffic officer, freeing up officers who now take on those responsibilities. He is concerned a combined department could affect officers' benefits and salaries.

However, Gerrity raised concerns about fewer officers on duty per shift in a regional department. His department has three officers on per shift, while the Clarks Summit Police Department has two on per shift.

Some residents of both municipalities are in favor of a regionalized police force. Clarks Summit resident Molly Hirtz said she would be fine with the plan as long as it doesn't affect jobs or police response time.

Similarly, Mary Jo Walsh of South Abington Twp. would support a regional police department "if it helps them do their jobs more efficiently," she said.

Talks to continue

When considering regionalization, the DCED recommends starting with fewer municipalities and adding neighboring ones once the department is formed.

"With a smaller number of municipalities, there are fewer police chiefs involved who would need consideration for new administrative or management positions," Chad Newton, DCED deputy communications director said in an email. "Also, there are fewer police unions and contracts to blend as well, so it just makes the whole start-up process quicker and easier with a smaller number."

There are 43 regional police departments in Pennsylvania, Newton said. Municipalities throughout the Midvalley and Upvalley studied police regionalization last year, though those efforts petered out. In Luzerne County, Exeter, Exeter Twp., West Pittston, West Wyoming and Wyoming recently formed the Wyoming Area Regional Police Department and began operations last month.

However, lawyers representing the Fraternal Order of Police filed unfair labor practice charges against the five municipalities last month, claiming the union wasn't consulted in the department's creation.

Despite the high costs contained in the study, Mitchell plans to continue discussions with South Abington Twp. officials. Stanton is also hopeful about the talks.

"I still think there is an opportunity to save money but it's not going to be a fast process," Mitchell said. "Change is hard and takes time."

Contact the writer:

clee@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5365;

@Cleespot on Twitter.