The Upper Perk Police Commission moved a step closer to undertaking a study of the costs and feasibility of offering regional police coverage to the valley’s six municipalities.

                Chairman Ryan Sloyer said he would consult with local government officials and former Pennsburg Mayor Vicki Lightcap to determine what the next step would be to arrange a study of the issue.

                The police commission had invited officials from Upper Hanover, Marlborough, Red Hill and Green Lane to Monday’s regular monthly meeting to express whatever interest they might have in forming a regional police department. 

                Sloyer said that Upper Hanover had chosen not to send anyone to the meeting because they were content with their current agreement with the police commission to pay for emergency coverage on an hourly basis.

                “I want to make it clear that the police commission is neutral on this,” said Sloyer at the outset of the discussion.  “We’re open to a specific contract for providing services to another municipality, but we don’t need to form a regional department,” Sloyer said.

                Sloyer indicated that those services would not have to require a full partnership with Upper Perk.  “A municipality could contract for four hours a month, forty hours a week or 24/7 coverage – whatever they determine they need.”

                “Crime is low in Red Hill at the present time,” said Red Hill Mayor David Schiffgens, “but as the area grows, including outside Red Hill, we may need local police coverage in the next few years, and we ought to be ready if that happens.”

                “There are a lot of drugs being sold in this area, and we have people walking the streets at three in the morning,” said Schiffgens.

                “Red Hill would be interested in a study if there were grant money to pay for it,” said Schiffgens.  “If it’s free, no harm done.”

                Sloyer told Schiffgens that Red Hill council would have to discuss whether they were willing to commit the estimated $125,000 cost of adding one officer to the police force if 40-hours-per-week coverage is what they would want. 

                Marlborough Chairman Carl Ascoli told the commission that Marlborough would only be interested in joining a regional force if the cost of maintaining their current police services would be measurably less.

                Ascoli said Marlborough currently spends $374,000 annually for its own police department, which translates into a cost of $124,900 per officer and $111 per capita.

                Sloyer told Ascoli that Upper Perk’s cost is roughly the same at $125,000 per officer but that he did not know the per capita cost based on the population of Pennsburg and East Greenville.

                Ascoli asked the commission whether any operational cost savings could be achieved through regional police.  “Perhaps a combined force would have fewer senior officers in administrative positions,” said Ascoli, prompting a chuckle from Marlborough Police Chief Ray Fluck, sitting next to Ascoli.

                Ascoli also told the commission that Marlborough did not want to add officers to their police force.  “I believe we have enough officers now to provide the coverage we need,” said Ascoli, “and I don’t believe that adding more officers would reduce crime.”

                Green Lane Mayor Lynn Wolfe told the commission that Green Lane is grateful for the coverage they now have through the Marlborough police, and that she believes a study of regional police undertaken now would be outdated by the time any municipality might be considering joining a regional force.

                In other police commission news, the commission unanimously voted to retain the services of Rachael Demeter as the animal control officer for the Upper Perk Police District.  Demeter’s duties will be limited to dealing with rabid animals and dogs only, not cats, skunks, groundhogs or other problem animals.  Residents of East Greenville and Pennsburg may hire Ms. Demeter on a private basis.

                Chief’s Report:  There were 80 crimes reported to the Upper Perk Police in June, an increase of 20 crimes over May; 44 of those crimes were in Pennsburg and 36 in East Greenville.

                Those crimes included ten thefts, one forgery/fraud/identity theft, 34 cases of assault/harassment/stalking, 10 cases of vandalism or criminal mischief, two burglaries, eight DUI’s, one case of public drunkenness/disorderly conduct, 12 narcotic or drug violations, and two other offenses.

                Arrests and incidents cleared by arrest included six for narcotics or drugs, 15 for assaolt/harassment/stalking/domestic, six for public drunkenness/disorderly conduct, five for DUI, and one for burglary/defiant trespass.

                The police issued six curfew warnings and 17 parking tickets in June.  There were 3,444 services rendered or incidents in June.