Monday, March 13, 2000
Deerfield considers police force
Consultant's 60-day study costs $6,500
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DEERFIELD TWP. — A consultant has begun gathering facts and figures on the possibility of forming a township police department.
Township trustees recently hired Jim Campbell, an Indianapolis deputy police chief and police consultant, to research the costs and other issues involved. The township will pay Mr. Campbell $6,500 to conduct the two-month study.
Findings will be reported May 1.
“All we are doing right now is looking at the pros and cons of having our own police department,” Trustee Tom Raga said. “We need to know what it would cost, how long it would take or if it is even possible.”
Deerfield Township pays $926,000 a year for 16 deputies under a contract with the Warren County Sheriff's Office. The cost is paid through a police levy that residents have been renewing since the late 1970s. The levy generates about $1.2 million a year.
The contracted deputies serve Deerfield Township exclusively, but are not township employees. The township pays for their uniforms, vehicles and base of operations; the sheriff's office provides $247,000 in management, clerical services and training.
Township officials said Deerfield's arrangement with the sheriff has worked well over the years, but said there would be certain advantages to having a township owned-and-operated police force.
“For one, the trustees would have more control over police personnel, which is something they don't have under the current contract with the sheriff,” said Deerfield Fire Chief William Kramer, who is spearheading the township's police effort. “There is also the sense of identity that comes with having your own police force.”
Chief Kramer and Mr. Campbell met Wednesday with Sheriff Tom Ariss and Col. Del Everett to obtain budget figures and information on operating costs. Chief Kramer said he expects to meet with the sheriff a few more times during the course of the study.
“The sheriff has been very cooperative with us so far,” he said.
There was some speculation about what might happen to the 16 deputy positions in Deerfield if the township decides to void its contract with the sheriff's office. But Chief Kramer said the jobs most likely would be absorbed by the county.
“They way we understand it from county commissioners is that no officers would lose jobs if trustees formed their own department,” Chief Kramer said.
Trustees had been consid ering a township police department for some time before instructing Chief Kramer to begin taking a closer look at the scenario in November.
How serious trustees are remains to be seen, but the fact they haven't renewed Deerfield's contract with the sheriff's office for 2000 could be a good indicator.
“I wouldn't read too much into that,” Mr. Raga said. “With as much money as we spend on police protection with the sheriff, I think we have an obligation to our taxpayers to at least look at this option.
“Who knows? Maybe we could save money by starting our own department and maybe we wouldn't. That's what this study is intended to find out.”
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