Monday, March 27, 2000
Deerfield asks input on police
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DEERFIELD TWP. — Trustees will hold two public hearings in April for residents to voice their opinions on whether the township should start its own police department.
Both sessions will take place April 22. The first will be 9 a.m. at Deerfield Township Park on Irwin Simpson Road; the second will be at 2 p.m. at the township administration building on Townsley Road.
“This will give residents a chance to come in and ask any questions or express any concerns that they might have about a township police department,” said Deerfield Township Fire Chief William Kramer, who is spearheading the township's police effort.
“The public hearings will go as long as residents would like, because their input and opinions are an important part of this process.”
Trustees received a preliminary report Friday from Jim Campbell, a police consultant hired this month to study the issue. The report outlines four alternatives:
• Maintaining the current contract with the Warren County Sheriff's Office.
• Improving the relationship with the county sheriff by strengthening communications.
• Forming a township police department while maintaining limited services from the sheriff's office.
• Forming a township police department while relying on the sheriff only for services such as record-keeping and a jail.
Deerfield Township pays $926,000 a year for 16 deputies under a contract with the sheriff. The cost is paid through a police levy that residents have been renewing since the late 1970s. It generates about $1.2 million a year.
Some say starting a township-owned-and-operated police force might improve service, but it could also increase taxes. The township uses its police levy funding to pay for the contracted deputies' uniforms, guns, vehicles and base of operations.
But the sheriff's office provides $247,000 in management, clerical services and training — costs the township would have to absorb if it started a department. Another consideration is the issue of providing legal liability insur ance.
Mr. Campbell said several local townships have successfully started and maintained police deparments. He said their efforts could help provide blueprints for Deerfield Township.
Paul Schinkal, a former Green Township trustee, recalled when that community began its department in 1974. Before that, Green Township used constables in conjunction with the county sheriff's office to patrol streets.
“At that time, the Hamilton County commissioners advised us to start developing our own police department because they weren't certain how much longer they could maintain police (patrol) service in the manner our community had grown accustomed to because of budgetary problems,” said Mr. Schinkal, 79. “So we finally went out and asked the voters to pass a police levy.”
Mr. Schinkal said the first couple of police levies generated only a few thousand dollars, which allowed the township to hire two part-time officers to patrol the streets on weekends. But as the township grew residents wanted greater service and were willing to pass bigger levies, he said.
“It was very gradual, but eventually it developed into the fine department that it is today,” Mr. Schinkal said.
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