West Penn, Walker discuss potential police agreement

A potential police agreement could be brewing between West Penn and Walker townships.

Officials from both townships met Thursday at the West Penn Township municipal building to discuss the possibility.

Attending on behalf of West Penn were supervisors Tim Houser, Ted Bogosh and board Chairman Tony Prudenti, along with township solicitor Paul J. Datte.

Representing Walker were supervisors Craig Wagner, Bill McMullen and board Chairwoman Christine Troxell, along with township solicitor Chris Reidlinger.

Prudenti said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of West Penn taking over the Walker Township police department.

Wagner said that Walker would be willing to put $20,000 in its budget in return for 20 hours of police coverage per week from West Penn.

“We were looking at $20,000 for 20 hours per week,” Wagner said. “We had also talked about a presence at the (Tamaqua Area) middle school; we know you guys do a great job at the elementary school.”

However, West Penn police Chief Brian Johnson said he saw things a bit differently.

“We would allow 10 hours of patrol and any calls,” Johnson said. “Any calls we would respond to would come off the 10 hours, and we would respond 24/7.”

Further, Johnson said that police would respond to any calls it would receive from Walker.

Since 10 hours per week would equate to 520 hours per year, Bogosh said once West Penn police would reach the 520-hour threshold for providing coverage to Walker, state police would then be responsible for coverage of Walker.

“The police force is 24/7 for both West Penn and Walker,” Bogosh said. “You (essentially) have coverage in West Penn and Walker 24/7.”

Prudenti voiced several of his concerns.

“Part of the problem that I see is we have different police officers and different rates,” Prudenti said. “To come up with apples to apples, it just seems to me that we would have to come up with a rate.”

Troxell said she understood.

“It is what it is,” Troxell said. “We have a much smaller community and much smaller tax base.”

Troxell explained what brought Walker to this point.

“We felt we were at a crossroads,” she said. “Twenty hours a week was the average for our officers.”

Prudenti said that if approved, the agreement would be “on a temporary, one-year basis to see if it works for you guys and if it works for us.”

Bogosh attempted to clarify the situation.

“This would not be a regional police department,” he said. “This would be a shared police department.”

Prudenti told Walker officials that West Penn was in their corner.

“We’re open for anything,” he said. “We’re trying to help you guys.”

It was noted that Walker’s police department currently consists of one officer in charge.

While West Penn has 129 miles of paved roads in its township, Walker has about 19 miles of paved roads in its community.

Reidlinger said that if a deal was struck between both municipalities, there would have to be a written agreement that would have to be adopted by both municipalities by way of an ordinance.

Prudenti said that while 10 hours per week may not sound like much, Walker has to take into account the small size of its municipality.

On top of that, Prudenti said West Penn would want Walker to give police the go-ahead to go into the middle school during school hours.

Johnson added, “We do show a very strong presence in the (elementary) school. We’re probably one of the most (proactive) police departments out there.”

Houser noted that if agreed upon, the agreement would go into effect in 2020.

Resident David Houser, who resides in Reynolds, said he believes West Penn should patrol Walker at least one or two hours every week.

At that point, Prudenti asked where the matter goes from here.

Wagner said Walker wanted to ensure the agreement would be mutually beneficial, and that it would have to review its budget.

From West Penn’s end of things, Tim Houser said they merely want to break even, and see if there is any grant money available and play it by ear.

After the meeting, Johnson shared his thoughts on the matter.

“I think this (shared services) is the wave of the future,” he said. “I think it’s a win-win for them, and for us.”