By KATHY MELLOTT
SOUTH FORK — Officials from the Forest Hills boroughs of South Fork, Ehrenfeld and Summerhill think their proximity and similar social and economic features make them prime candidates for a regional police department.
During the next several weeks, council officials from the three are expected to sign letters of intent with the state Department of Community and Economic Development opening the door for potential state assistance.
“It seems logical,” South Fork Borough Councilman Dale Steward said. “I think it would be nice if South Fork, Ehrenfeld and Summerhill were to get together.”
The idea of examining a regional department has been kicked around, but the decision earlier this month by Croyle Township officials to stop providing police service outside its borders is spurring things along.
Beginning today, Croyle’s chief and three part-time officers will no longer patrol Summerhill and Ehrenfeld boroughs, nor cover for South Fork, Croyle supervisor Chairman Lynn Bourdess said.
The decision ends an agreement to provide protection to Ehrenfeld for $100 a month and Summerhill Borough for $400 monthly. Also being axed is a mutual agreement calling for South Fork police to cover for Croyle and vice versa.
The four municipalities, along with Wilmore and Summerhill and Adams townships, have been members of the Forest Hills Regional Alliance for more than four years making the police agreements a natural fit, Bourdess said.
Tit for tat
But bad blood prompted by a decision by South Fork, Ehrenfeld and Summerhill boroughs to award bids for trash pick-up to Pro Disposal – rather than Croyle – prompted Croyle to announce it is pulling out of the alliance and the police deals.
“I hate to do it the way we’re doing it. It’s childish and immature. But why should we keep helping them?” Bourdess said.
The $6,000 Croyle receives from Summerhill and Ehrenfeld makes little impact on the township police budget and “We put our cops in jeopardy,” Bourdess said.
Croyle’s decision puts the three localities in a bind, at least for the foreseeable future, said Vince Kitchick, Summerhill Borough councilman.
“We’ll be depending on state police pretty much full time come Dec. 1,” Kitchick said.
In the long run, Croyle’s decision to stop providing police service could be a blessing in disguise. It could result in a department that gives the three boroughs a greater voice at the table when it comes to police services and maybe state help in getting things started, some local officials think.
$99,000 on table
DCED continues to offer $99,000 federal grants for communities forming regional police departments. The state agency also offers expertise by assigning experienced police to oversee the process.
“That will go for hiring a chief and associated services. That’s a nice carrot,” said alliance Executive Director David Knepper.
Information for the state could be culled from a regional police study involving the Forest Hills municipalities undertaken three years ago by the state, he said.
Kitchick likes the idea.
“I think it would be a good thing,” he said.
The boroughs would give a regional department a combined population of about
1,850 people, large enough to support a full-time department, officials said.
“When you set up a regional police department there is economy of scale. You have police officers who can investigate and follow up on crimes,” Knepper said.
“We need to look at new and different ways of doing things.”
While Ehrenfeld is smallest of the three with just 234 people, a police presence is needed, Councilman Ken Weaver said.
“There’s nothing major in terms of crime here. But we have incidents and, if there is no police presence, people will take advantage of the situation,” he said.
