Clarks Summit invites South Abington Twp. to discuss combined police force

Clarks Summit and South Abington Twp. officials want to restart talks on a potential regional police force.

The Clarks Summit Borough Council voted earlier this month authorizing Solicitor Andrew Krowiak to send a letter to South Abington Twp. inviting them to informally discuss potentially regionalizing the two departments.

South Abington Twp. officials confirmed they received the letter earlier this week.

The topic of a regional police department in the Abingtons has been raised from time to time but has never come to fruition. Facing a lack of part-time officers and rising police costs, elected officials in multiple Abingtons municipalities — including Clarks Summit and South Abington Twp. — began exploring the idea of consolidating under one police chief and one roof in 2021 as part of a study prompted by Clarks Summit officials and guided by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

DCED officials presented a preliminary plan for a regional force covering Clarks Green, Clarks Summit, Glenburn Twp., Newton Twp., Ransom Twp. and South Abington Twp. in 2022, but Clarks Green, Glenburn Twp., Newton Twp. and Ransom Twp. dropped out of the talks over cost concerns.

The initial study presented in summer 2022 had the overall cost of policing decreasing from about $3.6 million in 2021 to an estimated $3.3 million, which could then drop to $3.05 million with grants. However, Clarks Green, Glenburn Twp., Newton Twp. and Ransom Twp. would all see their police expenses more than double, while Clarks Summit and South Abington Twp. would see their expenses drop.

DCED officials presented a revised study in the fall of that year that estimated a regional department would cost Clarks Summit and South Abington Twp. residents $209.15 each, or $1.070 million annually for Clarks Summit and just under $2 million for South Abington Twp.

The talks stalled after the last study was presented. Clarks Summit council Vice President Josh Mitchell said South Abington Twp. cooled on the idea when DCED presented the numbers. Neither municipality has formally voted on a proposal for a regional police department.

Mitchell, who spearheaded the talks, said this week he and other council members have informally talked with members of the South Abington Twp. Board of Supervisors about the idea over the years. But he said with changing leadership in both municipalities — John Hambrose’s election to the supervisor board in November, Paul Wolfe becoming South Abington Twp. police chief in 2023 and Christopher Yarns’ impending retirement later this year as Clarks Summit police chief — it is an ideal time to restart the discussions.

“The circumstances have evolved since we last looked at it and that’s why it makes sense to take a fresh look,” Mitchell said.

He imagines the discussion will involve representatives from both governing bodies and both police chiefs, who will discuss the pros and cons of a combined force. Township Manager JoAnn Pane told Clarks Summit Borough Manager Jennifer Basalyga this week the supervisors would be willing to meet to discuss the idea.

Mitchell said he spoke with Hambrose before and after he was elected and is interested in the idea. Hambrose said this week the idea should be scrutinized.

“To me, on the face of it, it seems to hold benefits both in terms of controlling costs and offering the potential for better public safety and community service at the same price, but I think we should find out if that’s what consolidation would bring us,” he said. “I think we need to study this closely and see if it offers us an opportunity for lower costs or the same costs and better services.”

Hambrose and Mitchell said with both departments working together and the communities being contiguous, a merger would be seamless.

“I think as time goes by, nothing’s going to become less expensive, and we need to think hard about stretching the taxpayer’s dollar as far as we can, and this might be that opportunity,” Hambrose said.

Supervisor Chairman Mark Dougherty, who is in charge of the township’s Police Department, said he is open to discussing the idea with Clarks Summit but doesn’t want to initiate larger police regionalization talks like the ones that took place four years ago, which didn’t work out.

“If they would like to talk to us about a contracted service, we’ll sit down and talk to them, see what shakes out,” he said. “We’ll sit down, talk to them, find out exactly what they’re looking for, I will certainly give my perspective as what I think, and from there we’ll move to the next phase, whatever that may be or may not be.”

Dougherty said he favors a merger of the two departments if it means saving money and more efficient services.

In South Abington Twp., Wolfe’s salary for this year is $112,478, and the patrol officers — 13 full-time and eight part-time — earn a combined salary of $1,165,118.

Clarks Summit has five full-time officers, who earn a combined salary of $379,205, and 12 part-time officers, who make $26 an hour. Yarns earns $78,853 as chief.

Krowiak wrote in the letter, which was obtained this week by The Times-Tribune, that borough council believes exploring the option could be mutually beneficial and “may enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement services within our communities.”

“Our goal is to begin an open dialogue to determine whether pursuing a more formal study or collaboration may be appropriate,” he wrote.

While he doesn’t know what direction the conversation will take in the future, Mitchell said discussing the idea is a good step because regionalization could mean providing better and more cost-effective services to residents of both municipalities.

“Ultimately, what we want to determine is: Can we provide the same or better service for the same or lower cost?” he said.