Post by Venter on Sept 15, 2013 10:19:10 GMT -5
Very comprehensive article by Jim Hale on the Merger of Gettysburg Borough and Cumberland Township Police Departments.
Of course, keep in mind that these Interviews were done with the PROFESSIONALS of the respective Police Departments... NOT the Bureaucratic Borough Council.
Of course, keep in mind that these Interviews were done with the PROFESSIONALS of the respective Police Departments... NOT the Bureaucratic Borough Council.
Chiefs in Gettysburg and Cumberland support police merger
Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2013 12:06 am
BY JIM HALE Times Staff Writer
The police chiefs of Cumberland Township and Gettysburg both support a merger of their departments as recommended by a 43-page feasibility study commissioned by the two municipalities.
"It could be a good venture for everybody if it's done right," Cumberland Chief Don Boehs said Tuesday.
Gettysburg Chief Joe Dougherty could "definitely" support a merger, he said Tuesday, noting that the departments' "personalities" and circumstances are "very similar."
"It's difficult to know where the township stops and the borough starts," Dougherty said.
The two departments already collaborate closely, both chiefs said.
Boehs said any merger must be "structured so that citizens of Cumberland Township and Gettysburg actually get more police protection than what they would be getting now," but he expressed confidence that such a structure can be created.
"It can work," Dougherty agreed. "I don't think the citizens of either Cumberland or the borough would see any negative impact on their day-to-day police protection."
The study refers to the proposed unified force as the Southern Adams Regional Police Department.
The document recommends a department with 22 full-time officers, matching the number currently employed by the existing departments. The study recommends a chief, a captain, a lieutenant, four sergeants, two detectives and 13 full-time patrol officers, plus two support staff personnel.
Gettysburg now has 13 full-time officers, including a chief, two sergeants, and 10 full-time patrol officers, plus four part-time officers and one civilian administrative employee.
Cumberland has nine full-time officers including a chief, a lieutenant, two sergeants, and a detective, plus four fulltime patrol officers and one part-timer.
Higher-ranking officers also perform patrol duties.
Should a merger occur, Boehs said the top priorities in creating an organizational chart would be "a clear chain of command" and effective channels of communication. Both men acknowledged that a merged department would have only one chief, but they said that would simply be one of many changes to be managed.
The chiefs, interviewed individually, identified several advantages of a merged department, many of them also cited in the study:
"Better deployment of manpower" would be a major plus, Boehs said. More officers are already assigned at key times and places, he said, but the practice can be made even more effective with additional people and an undivided territory. Cumberland officers already drive through Gettysburg frequently in order to reach other areas of the township, he said.
"Criminals are very mobile and have no regard for jurisdictional boundaries," Dougherty said, noting that a larger department can cast "a wider net."
Optimized scheduling could also increase officer safety by increasing the number on duty late at night, and could help deter crime by increasing police visibility, the chiefs agreed.
Officers would also have greater opportunity to gain specialized training and to work their way into higher ranks, the chiefs said, noting that such opportunities enhance recruiting.
The study says it is not intended to eliminate employment positions. However, the chiefs said elimination of other types of operational duplication would eventually lead to savings in this time of tight budgets. The study cites statistics demonstrating savings in regionalized departments elsewhere in Pennsylvania. In the short term, the study identifies two different state grant programs that could assist with startup costs for the new department.
The community can't afford to skimp on police protection, Boehs said, noting that the area hosts some 2 million visitors and 200,000 campground guests in the course of a year, and that about 26 million vehicles pass through annually on the township's numerous highways.
The study suggests that a perceived loss of local control or local identity could be an issue, but both chiefs said that should not be a problem.
Boehs noted that the study calls for the two municipalities to appoint a police commission to oversee the merged department. The document suggests a five-member commission including two elected officials from each municipality and a citizen member, with the latter alternating between the two municipalities annually or every other year.
The merger would essentially be "a name change," Dougherty said, noting that the citizens and officers would remain the same. He noted, however, that change within any organization can be a challenge. Keeping people informed is the best way to manage change, he said, so he has made the study available to his officers, but has yet to hear much feedback.
Both chiefs are veterans of larger departments. Boehs served in a 25-officer department in the Philadelphia area. Dougherty retired from the Reading department before coming to Gettysburg.
The two municipalities commissioned the study, which consultant Howard Dougherty completed in July through the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The consultant is no relation to the Gettysburg chief.
Statistical highlights of the study include:
- Police budgets for 2012 were $1,761,587 for Gettysburg and $1,094,524 for Cumberland, or a combined $2,856,111, versus the study's proposed $2,908,359 for the merged department.
- Roads in Gettysburg total 30 miles versus 118 in Cumberland.
- Populations are 7,620 in Gettysburg and 6,177 in Cumberland.
- Total assessed property values are $510.2 million in Gettysburg and $726.1 million in Cumberland.
- Based on mileage and population, the study would split costs at 37.75 percent for Gettysburg and 62.25 percent for Cumberland.
- Based on population and assessed valuation, the study would split costs at 48.25 percent for Gettysburg and 51.75 percent for Cumberland.
- Based on population, valuation, and mileage, the study would split costs at 38.5 percent for Gettysburg and 60.5 percent for Cumberland.
- During 2012, serious crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, burglary and assault totaled 215 in Gettysburg and 73 in Cumberland.
- Both departments have eight vehicles. The study reports that Pennsylvania has some 1,200 police departments, far more than any other state, and that most of them are too small to provide a full range of services. The state already has more than 34 regionalized police departments, the document says.
Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2013 12:06 am
BY JIM HALE Times Staff Writer
The police chiefs of Cumberland Township and Gettysburg both support a merger of their departments as recommended by a 43-page feasibility study commissioned by the two municipalities.
"It could be a good venture for everybody if it's done right," Cumberland Chief Don Boehs said Tuesday.
Gettysburg Chief Joe Dougherty could "definitely" support a merger, he said Tuesday, noting that the departments' "personalities" and circumstances are "very similar."
"It's difficult to know where the township stops and the borough starts," Dougherty said.
The two departments already collaborate closely, both chiefs said.
Boehs said any merger must be "structured so that citizens of Cumberland Township and Gettysburg actually get more police protection than what they would be getting now," but he expressed confidence that such a structure can be created.
"It can work," Dougherty agreed. "I don't think the citizens of either Cumberland or the borough would see any negative impact on their day-to-day police protection."
The study refers to the proposed unified force as the Southern Adams Regional Police Department.
The document recommends a department with 22 full-time officers, matching the number currently employed by the existing departments. The study recommends a chief, a captain, a lieutenant, four sergeants, two detectives and 13 full-time patrol officers, plus two support staff personnel.
Gettysburg now has 13 full-time officers, including a chief, two sergeants, and 10 full-time patrol officers, plus four part-time officers and one civilian administrative employee.
Cumberland has nine full-time officers including a chief, a lieutenant, two sergeants, and a detective, plus four fulltime patrol officers and one part-timer.
Higher-ranking officers also perform patrol duties.
Should a merger occur, Boehs said the top priorities in creating an organizational chart would be "a clear chain of command" and effective channels of communication. Both men acknowledged that a merged department would have only one chief, but they said that would simply be one of many changes to be managed.
The chiefs, interviewed individually, identified several advantages of a merged department, many of them also cited in the study:
"Better deployment of manpower" would be a major plus, Boehs said. More officers are already assigned at key times and places, he said, but the practice can be made even more effective with additional people and an undivided territory. Cumberland officers already drive through Gettysburg frequently in order to reach other areas of the township, he said.
"Criminals are very mobile and have no regard for jurisdictional boundaries," Dougherty said, noting that a larger department can cast "a wider net."
Optimized scheduling could also increase officer safety by increasing the number on duty late at night, and could help deter crime by increasing police visibility, the chiefs agreed.
Officers would also have greater opportunity to gain specialized training and to work their way into higher ranks, the chiefs said, noting that such opportunities enhance recruiting.
The study says it is not intended to eliminate employment positions. However, the chiefs said elimination of other types of operational duplication would eventually lead to savings in this time of tight budgets. The study cites statistics demonstrating savings in regionalized departments elsewhere in Pennsylvania. In the short term, the study identifies two different state grant programs that could assist with startup costs for the new department.
The community can't afford to skimp on police protection, Boehs said, noting that the area hosts some 2 million visitors and 200,000 campground guests in the course of a year, and that about 26 million vehicles pass through annually on the township's numerous highways.
The study suggests that a perceived loss of local control or local identity could be an issue, but both chiefs said that should not be a problem.
Boehs noted that the study calls for the two municipalities to appoint a police commission to oversee the merged department. The document suggests a five-member commission including two elected officials from each municipality and a citizen member, with the latter alternating between the two municipalities annually or every other year.
The merger would essentially be "a name change," Dougherty said, noting that the citizens and officers would remain the same. He noted, however, that change within any organization can be a challenge. Keeping people informed is the best way to manage change, he said, so he has made the study available to his officers, but has yet to hear much feedback.
Both chiefs are veterans of larger departments. Boehs served in a 25-officer department in the Philadelphia area. Dougherty retired from the Reading department before coming to Gettysburg.
The two municipalities commissioned the study, which consultant Howard Dougherty completed in July through the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The consultant is no relation to the Gettysburg chief.
Statistical highlights of the study include:
- Police budgets for 2012 were $1,761,587 for Gettysburg and $1,094,524 for Cumberland, or a combined $2,856,111, versus the study's proposed $2,908,359 for the merged department.
- Roads in Gettysburg total 30 miles versus 118 in Cumberland.
- Populations are 7,620 in Gettysburg and 6,177 in Cumberland.
- Total assessed property values are $510.2 million in Gettysburg and $726.1 million in Cumberland.
- Based on mileage and population, the study would split costs at 37.75 percent for Gettysburg and 62.25 percent for Cumberland.
- Based on population and assessed valuation, the study would split costs at 48.25 percent for Gettysburg and 51.75 percent for Cumberland.
- Based on population, valuation, and mileage, the study would split costs at 38.5 percent for Gettysburg and 60.5 percent for Cumberland.
- During 2012, serious crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, burglary and assault totaled 215 in Gettysburg and 73 in Cumberland.
- Both departments have eight vehicles. The study reports that Pennsylvania has some 1,200 police departments, far more than any other state, and that most of them are too small to provide a full range of services. The state already has more than 34 regionalized police departments, the document says.
