Boro Council Mulls Disbanding Police Dept.

The Borough Council meeting on April 14th, 2008 brought a lot more attention than usual.  The council proposed the idea of disbanding the Narberth Police Department and outsourcing law enforcement duties to Lower Merion Township.  Mary Jo Pauxtis, Borough Council President, citing an economic need, indicated that the Borough would prepare a feasibility study to evaluate the cost of an internal department vs. outsourcing.

Eyewitness News 3 covered the meeting and a brief video and article can be found here.

A feasibility study, and exploring options to save on costs is always important.  Every department in the borough should be reviewed regularly for cost efficiencies.  The Narblog reminds readers that we had an 11% increase in our taxes this past year without any specific reason.

However, on Saturday before the meeting, the Police Department met with Borough Council members.  Our police force left that meeting with the impression that this was a done deal and they were out of a job.  Was this a miscommunication during the meeting?  Who misunderstood whom?

It appears, at least initially, that borough citizens care deeply for their police force and their independence from Lower Merion.  Having our own police force offers many tangible and intangible benefits.  If the feasibility study shows lower costs for outsourcing, then borough citizens need to decide whether their own department is worth the money.  But, how great could the cost savings really be? 

We'll find out soon enough.

Comments

[Francis]

I like having our local police force. I'm not sure Lower Merion could provide the same personal touch. Shouldn't this go out to the community for discussion? It sounded like the Council was ready to vote.

[narberthian]

What a coincidence. I saw this story on the news and thought, somebody needs to blog about this...

[Narb]

I think it is great that we have our own police force,and most of the officers I'll be sad to see go. But if lossing the force is the only way we can rid ourselves of officer Conway - I'll help them pack.

[s.bode]

I like our police department but we need to get rid of the bad or inconsistent policemen who don't fit with the borough. We need to reevaluate our top ranking officers, their pay is out of our budget and they have some serious issues. We do have good police who have been putting up with more than anyone should have to on the job. Consider-- why are all our new officers moving to other departments or quitting the force? We are losing our best policemen why does this happen? This must have something to do with their supervisors-think about it people.

[Laura]

If you have nothing positive to say about an Officer, don't say anything at all!

[Lauren]

It saddens me to see that we would loose are Police Department. All of our officers take pride in their job. It offends me that one of the readers would attack one of our own, Ofc. Conway, who I know and has helped me on numerious occasions.

[Bobbi G]

I would hate to see most of our police officers go. We have four really good cops in our town - Bill, Sue, Mike and Pete. The others I would be glad to see go. They have portrayed themselves as bad officers by not following standard procedures on SEVERAL occasions. Searching people with no probable cause. Those three cops are so obsessed with border patrol on Montgomery Ave that kids are getting away with all types of things in this town. The four good cops are well-known and liked in this town and shouldn't be disbanded. The other three-see ya later!!!!

[Bobbi G]

And one more thing....We can say whatever we want...we are trying to state our opinions and should not be put down for it

[steve]

The Sgt at this dept is ********. Conway thinks he's the man, he's not! Bill, Gannon and Art are great guys to work with.

[Editor]

I know that some citizens have strong feelings about certain employees of the Police Dept. While it is important to share your concerns, it is not constructive or appropriate to use insults, derogatory remarks, or name calling.

If you feel strongly about a particular officer or their conduct, I suggest contacting their boss, Mayor Tom Grady, directly.

Future comments will be edited before publishing. Let's make this blog about improving Narberth.

[Bobbi G.]

This blog IS about improving Narberth. We want our police department to still be in existance, but some of those cops are not doing their job and are making a mockery of our department. One even wrote a book describing SEVERAL cops on our force, making fun of and embarassing them.

And remind us again why you left our police force steve? Inquiring minds would like to know.

[Anne F.]

I think if someone has or had a problem with a specific officer they should address Borough Council, they are the bosses of the police, not the mayor.The council does the hiring and the disciplinary actions, the mayor is a liasion between the council and the police dept. I would strongly urge anyone with a complaint or a compliment to write a letter to council.

[NMom]

I don't know if we need our own police department with so little crime. I'd rather not pay so much.

I also don't think the officers should take a pay cut just because we want to know our officers personally. That doesn't make any sense.

[Denise F.]

This may save money, but I have to wonder if Narberth will get the same response from Lower Merion PD as we
get from Narberth"s officers. When things go really bad, will Narberth be the ugly step sister, wanting for attention. The tornado that hit the Boro not so long ago comes to mind. Narberth's officers all responded to the call when the boro needed the force to respond. Would Narberth get that kind of response if Lower Merion and Narberth both had another tragedy like that one. I doubt Lower Merion would send Narberth that many officers when the boro really needed them. Lower Merion will take care of their own first, and Narberth will get what they can spare. But will it be enough?
Keep the Narberth officers in town.
We can depend on them when things go bad.

[Sue]

The first responsibility of any government is to provide the security citizens require to live our own lives. If Mary Jo is so concerned about finances, perhaps we could scale back some of the Borough events which have grown out of control in recent years. Instead of painfully high-decibel street music fests which preclude conversation within a two block radius but offer the lure of pub food alfresco, how about allowing some of our shops to keep a few tables outside on nice days and returning control of Narberth shopping fests to the business owners themselves? Are we children who require our government to orchestrate organized group activities in order for us to make friends in our own community? I'd like to see a reallocation of funds to give our officers salaries that would enable them to live in Narberth with their families if they wanted to. I find our failure to do so rather shameful, considering that these professionals have chosen to put themselves at risk in order to protect and serve us. Then our community police force would truly be integral to our community. Personally I greatly appreciate Officer Conway's willingness and ability to interact with groups of kids hanging out downtown, just so they are reminded that someone's keeping an eye on things, but even our less charming officers are kept in check by the intimate scale of our community. Anyone who has the comfort of believing we live in a crime free community should at least recognize the debt that mild self-deception owes to the officers we do have. Finally, a leader willing to surrender control of this most fundamental key to our liberty ought to first consider relinquishing the responsibilities which appear to have outgrown him or her.

[Citizen]

Hey Sue - I think you should check your facts.

[Pat]

I would like to thank the Officers from Narberth for the job they do. They can not make everyone happy and not every interaction with the police is a pleasant one. They have a tough job.

The crime rate in narberth is low for a reason... Keep up the GREAT job!!!!!!!!!!!!

[narbette]

I fully agree with the above statement by Sue; very thoughtful. This township has wasted money on very poorly done reconstructed sidewalks, it wastes money on excessive Christmas wreaths/lights. It is hypocrisy to consider getting rid of our police force.

[Anonymous]

The proposed merger is the best thing that could happen in Narberth. The Narberth police are out of control, especially as regards teenagers. I do not even want to place on a public forum some of the things that have happened to my child and my child's friends. Guess what, folks? Teenagers have rights, too. They are not animals and they deserve to be treated like human beings. Yes, I have complained to Mayor Grady and I have urged other parents to complain. Some have, but unfortunately, many people fear the power of the police and are afraid to complain, which was also my position until things got to the point where I was afraid NOT to complain. Perhaps if there is a merger there will be a little more accountability for these so-called officers. I am not saying it's all of them, but at least three. And the lieutenant either can't or doesn't want to rein them in. I feel the benefits of better supervision and more accountability of a larger force far outweigh having our own police force. And yes, if the merger will get rid of the "bad three" it will be more than worth it.

[Bobbi G]

Anonymous is ABSOLUTELY right....three of our police officers are extremely disrespectful to teenagers in this town...Our cops are very discriminatory....They have a special liking to pulling over certain types of people....During seat belt checks...they were pulling cars over-who had seat belts on mind you-and searching them for no reason....I watched one police officer stop two teenagers who were simply walking home from school minding their own business....They did absolutely nothing wrong, but one officer felt it necessary to search their bags and humiliate them....It was extremely unprofessional and unnecessary.....It is a disgrace to our town that these three cops disrespect their citizens and it needs to be addressed

[Bobbi G]

It is obvious that no one wants to lose our police department, but like previous posts, we really need to check our spending on the police department..frankly our town is so small that we don't need these higher titles...Higher titles mean higher pay and we can't afford that...We are paying them a ridiculous amount of money and we need to reevaluate that...I mean is it reallly necessary to have an SUV at $4.00 per gallon of gas....

[King]

All this discussion about who's naughty and who's nice and how people like having our own police force. Can anyone come up with any reason that would justify our town having its own dedicated force? Is there one thing, anything, about Narberth that would cause it to require a dedicated police force? Can the Narberth cops do anything that any other police force couldn't?

[David]

I can name one reason why this community should and needs its own police department. Community Based Policing. I want a small group of officers who will get to know my family. This small group of officers will be able to protect my family & community in several ways.

First off, if I ever have any medical problems in the future i.e. Diabetes, Cancer, or Parkinson’s the officers will understand how to respond if they are sent to my home or see me acting in an odd way. They know me and do not have to spend time running through a list of questions before they act. This is similar to a parent with a child that has food allergies. A parent does not hesitate before administering medicine if their child has an allergic reaction. That extra time can save a life or prevent future medical complications. The police department is often the first responder to these types of medical calls, as my wife and I observed on Monday evening April 28.

I want to be in a town that when my wife and I have children will get to know the officers and they will get to know our children. God forbid our children end up associating with the wrong groups or get involved with drugs, I know the Narberth Police Officer will give me a call or stop by the office to make sure I am on top of things. These preventive measures help to avoid bigger problems later down the road.

I want to know the officers in Narberth know my family, my property, and me. If someone decides to break into our house at 2:30am and I make a call. The officer knows the neighborhood and how to take appropriate action. This will help prevent harm, which may come to my family.

I think having an SUV, although I think it is leaving the community, is important. You have 3 feet of snow and an emergency; I want to know the N.P.D. can get to the house or transport someone I care about immediately.

There are always good and bad, ways to improve, however I find it disappointing and sad that few decide to name certain officers and make certain types of remarks. Unless you are willing to work shifts, put on a vest, have the courage to clear a house, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without protection then I would re-consider some of the wording, which is used.

Of course, I can keep going, but I think I have made my point. I really appreciate this blog, which has been set up. On a side note, I moved to Narberth 7 years ago because of the residents, library, park, fire department, and the police department. All of these things make up the community and all of these are reasons why people move to Narberth. I love the community so much we purchased another house and I moved my company to Narberth two years ago.

Community based policing is a wonderful thing and that is what we have here in Narberth. We are fortunate that we do not have to call it that to be politically correct. Most communities and cities are trying to get this type of service and we are talking about giving it up. That is a shame.

Thank you to all of the officers.

[Anonymous]

David -

You may think you've made your point - well, you've satisfied yourself in that regard. I'm happy for you.

But the whole point I, and others on this blog, have made repeatedly is that the Narberth police really don't behave as in your fantasy. I particularly like this quote of yours:

"I want to be in a town that when my wife and I have children will get to know the officers and they will get to know our children.God forbid our children end up associating with the wrong groups or get involved with drugs, I know the Narberth Police Officer will give me a call or stop by the office to make sure I am on top of things. These preventive measures help to avoid bigger problems later down the road."

Are you kidding me? The police officer will "give you a call or stop by the office"? Maybe if you're related to him. Otherwise, expect nothing but hostility and prosecution - to the point of fabrication of facts and charges.

I note you say "when my wife and I have children," so clearly that's in the future. You have a lot of sad lessons to learn. You see, I once felt exactly the way you do. But now I know certain members of the Narberth PD are not here to help us OR our kids. And THAT, David, is the REAL shame.

[David]

Well Anonymous,
I am sorry you have had these experiences, however my experiences with the NPD have been much different and I know several residents who feel the same way I do you and they have children. I am not related to anyone in the NPD nor the LMPD. You may have overlooked some other statements, which I made and just focused on the few you and others may want to try and pick apart. I am just trying to give a general overview of what Community Based Policing provides.

Please do not lecture me on sad lessons I have not learned. If you want to get together to discuss my life experiences I will be more than happy to buy you a cup of coffee or breakfast and discuss them on a face-to-face basis, however as I have learned attitude is everything.

That being said I am sorry you have had such unfortunate experiences with the NPD, mine have been nothing but positive and I think they should stay.