The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

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September 10, 2007

Shenango Township supervisors end talks of pulling out of Southwest Regional police department

By Matt Snyder

SHENANGO TOWNSHIP, FARRELL — Shenango Township won’t be withdrawing from Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Department any time soon.

Supervisors voted Monday to end all discussion of pulling out of the regional department and agreed to stick with Southwest for the next five years.

Supervisor Bill Williams cast the lone ‘no’ vote to cutting off discussion. He was joined by Supervisor Richard Flack in dissent to a motion to guarantee the township’s contract with Southwest for five more years.

Flack was behind a proposal to drop the township’s association with Southwest and forming their own department as a cost saving measure.

Explaining the resolution to stick with Southwest until 2012, Supervisor Charles Gilliland said, “It’s not fair to the regional police what they’re going through with us.”

Supervisors have been discussing the police contract for months.

A crowd of about 40 people at Monday’s meeting overwhelmingly supported Southwest’s policing of the township.

“I been here 28 years and I seen more police now with these people than ever before,” said George Chirikas.

Shenango Township ran its own police force until the summer of 2004, when supervisors opted to join Southwest to cut costs. The department also serves Farrell, West Middlesex, and Wheatland.

Flack said in the past that there were no savings from the move. A budget report for 2007 said Southwest charged the township $408,738, with Southwest estimating a cost increase of 3 to 5 percent each year.

Those increases were mainly for insurance and fuel costs, said Southwest Police Chief Riley Smoot on Monday.

Flack said the township could operate its own force for $350,000 a year. Smoot previously contested those numbers and said it would not be enough to properly run a police force.

“For me, I want the security,” said resident Debby Wojtalik. “And I will pay more to be sure we have the safety in the community.”

At least one audience member wasn’t on board. Mark Wansack asked Smoot how many calls come from Shenango Township and how many from Farrell.

Smoot said about 300 from the township and 1,000 from Farrell in a month. He noted that Farrell is a sidewalk community and Shenango Township is more spread out. Police put about 10 times the miles on cruisers patrolling the township, as opposed to Farrell. Farrell also pays closer to $1 million for police protection. “So it’s not fair to set them up there and compare them to each other,” Smoot said.

Wansack also said there are different kinds of crime in places like Farrell, adding that in the more rural township, “your chances of getting from one end to another and staying in one piece are pretty good.”

Smoot said crime is not as bad as that in Farrell and added there is crime in Shenango Township, citing a recent drug bust on Wet Track Road.

Smoot said violent crime will happen in Shenango Township. “Now if you don’t believe that, live long enough,” he said.

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