North Cornwall Township adopts regional police charter by unanimous vote

VaselineJune 21, 2024

0 3 minutes read

North Cornwall Township adopts regional police charter by unanimous vote

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The North Cornwall Township Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed Tuesday to adopt the inter-municipal agreement for a regionalized police force.

If the charter is adopted by North Lebanon Township, the townships will continue to refine the details of the regionalization and take steps to form a Regional Police Commission to oversee the new department.

“(This charter is) the result of just over a year of meetings between North Lebanon Township and North Cornwall Township,” explained Chairman Mike Wahmann. “It is our belief that this is the right way to handle the future of policing in North Cornwall Township and for North Lebanon Township.”

The supervisors all expressed support for the plan, citing officer and public safety, increased investigative capacity and more opportunities for officer promotions.

“So far, the experience (of considering regionalization) at our police department has been positive,” said Sgt. Paul Savini, echoing the benefits lauded by supervisors. “These are all benefits that our guys look forward to.”

Supervisor Ronald Sell noted that the township has had exceptional difficulty finding officers, at one point being down seven officers. Regionalized departments, he said, find employees more easily, in part because of opportunities for upward mobility.

Labor lawyer Michael Miller, who reviewed the charter with North Cornwall, described it as “exceptionally thorough” and expressed his support for the plan.

“The reality is that public safety is an essential service, but it’s also the most expensive service a municipality provides,” Miller said, further explaining how much policing has changed in his roughly 30 years of working with various municipalities. . “The ability to spread the cost across multiple ratepayers would benefit both towns and, frankly, Lebanon County.”

In case you missed it… Background on this story

In late 2023, the townships of North Cornwall and North Lebanon informally began conversations about merging their respective police departments.

The purpose of this regionalization, the North Lebanon police chief said, would be to increase the safety of officers who occasionally have to work alone.

A police regionalization study found localities compatible for regionalization with comparable populations of 8,511 (NCT) and 12,041 (NLT).

At the time regionalization talks began, North Cornwall had 11 officers and North Lebanon had 10, although 12 were in the budget. They expected a regional force to include 24 officers.

North Lebanon hosted an informational meeting in September 2023 to present residents with details of possible regionalization and decide whether to proceed.

Read more: North Lebanon Township supervisors consider regional police with N. Cornwall

The following month, the townships formed a Regional Police Development Committee, made up of supervisors from the township council, their chiefs of police and their managers. This committee was tasked with creating and revising a charter for a potential regionalized police force.

Read more: N. Lebanon Township creates committee to consider regional police force

Public committee meetings were held this year to review the charter, including working out details such as a 50/50 budget split, the operation of the regional governing police commission and what would happen if either locality withdrew after the formation of the regionalized police. .

Read more:

After the draft was completed and reviewed by attorneys on both sides, both towns agreed to hold hearings on the charter.

Read more: North Lebanon Township to take steps to train regional police

If, following the hearings, both localities opt to move forward with the charter, the localities will move forward with regionalization unless one withdraws before the formation of the Regional Police Commission.

In other words, supervisors:

They unanimously agreed to sign a letter signifying opposition to state HB1976 and HB2045, which allow certain types of housing developments in certain non-residential areas. “Zoning issues are local issues, not state mandated issues,” Wahmann said. “With all due respect to our state legislators, they should keep their noses out of township zoning; not only North Cornwall, but every township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
I hear the Neversink Fire Company will be hosting a controlled burn as a training exercise this Saturday from 8am to 4pm. Cornwall Road from Isabelle Drive to Springwood Drive will be closed during the fire.
Discounts issued on bonds and letters of credit for Landmark Homes and 2040 Quentin Road.

North Cornwall Township meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Meetings are open to the public and do not require advance registration.

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VaselineJune 21, 2024

0 3 minutes read

Vaseline

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