The police said they've met the Township's demands, but they still won't budge. Now the future of the department is in jeopardy.
When North Codorus Township first told the Southwestern Regional Police Department of their plans to separate, their problem was simple. Money. They weren't on board with the proposed budget. Fast forward six months...
“It seems like for every problem solved there’s another problem created,” Matthew Bollinger, the police board chairman, said.
The police department provided a solution to all four of the municipalities it serves by proposing to decrease the staff by three officers and cut hours. It was a decision the police were against, but it came out to a 25% reduction in cost across the board for all municipalities; a savings of about $284,000 for North Codorus Township.
Both Spring Grove and Heidelburg Townships supported the new proposal. So did Manheim, pending that all four municipalities were in. North Codorus Township was the only one to say no.
“I believe there are some personal issues here,” Bollinger said. “What they are have not been brought forth. Like I said we started with, ‘this is a money issue,’ to now ‘there must be other issues’.”
The police board is now trying to determine what the penalty will be for North Codorus Township's departure, which could be upwards of $1 million to cover the cost of one year's payment. The police said people in the communities they serve will be hurt the most.
“I am absolutely worried about that [the police department crumbling],” Bollinger said. “And I think North Codorus knows that. Ya know, let’s just face it, half of our funding is disappearing. That creates enormous pressure for the remaining municipalities.”
North Codorus Township supervisors meet Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the municipal building. They have until the end of the year to reverse their decision.
FOX43 tried speaking with the township to get its side of things. The township manager agreed, then declined saying it's “redundant and repetitive” information.
