DV Journal

The Jenkintown police, fire, and EMS departments will all be under review from the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) if the agency signs off on a letter of intent the borough council unanimously approved Wednesday.

The public will benefit from the DCED cost-benefit analysis, said Council Vice President Christian Soltysiak, who made the motion to send the letter to the state.

In February, hundreds of residents turned out to discuss whether to seek to merge the borough’s police department with a neighboring town, or with the state police, to cut costs. Most who spoke out at that meeting strongly objected to the idea of losing the police department, despite what officials say comprises about half of the small town’s $5.1 million budget.

Despite a campaign to recruit more volunteer firefighters that featured yard signs and a banner over Old York Road, having enough firefighters remains an issue. It’s also a statewide issue. A bill from state Rep. Joe Hogan (R-Feasterville) to create a tax credit for firefighters and EMS personnel to help recruit and retain their services remains stalled in the House finance committee.

A few area towns, like Upper Moreland, are trying to meet that challenge by converting to hybrid fire departments, with some paid employees and some volunteers.

Borough Manager George Locke said if the state approves the borough’s request for its services, it will contact officials and arrange a meeting. Once it has completed its study, it will also hold meetings to discuss its findings and recommendations with residents.

“This is a trend across the commonwealth,” said police Chief Thomas Scott. “Police departments are struggling.” Other towns in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester Counties are also dealing with the issue of how to pay for their police departments, said Scott. “It’s a major issue.”

Abington Commissioners President Tom Hecker confirmed to DVJournal he wrote emails that Jenkintown Matters posted to Facebook saying that he spoke to Council President Jay Conners about whether Abington would agree to provide police services to Jenkintown.

“I was very frank with him and expressed my frustration that there had been public discussion of this without any communication to the Board of Commissioners. I politely but sternly let him know that there was no circumstance under which we would be interested in pursuing this course of action.”

Hecker said it would not be simple for an outside entity to take over the police function. For one thing, the Jenkintown Police union would need to approve it.

Jenkintown Matters member Mark Khusidman told DVJournal that many residents oppose the idea of losing Jenkintown’s police force and oppose regionalization of police services.

Even if the borough saves $500,000 by outsourcing its police, “quantitatively speaking, with an outside police force, trust in the police by members of the community and love for the community by members of the police is something which is difficult to financially quantify,” said Khusidman. “But I think it’s very valuable.”

He noted that the council is reluctant to sell the sewer system for $11 million because sewer rates may go up in the future. But if the police services are outsourced, the costs for that service could also go up, he said. And once Jenkintown no longer had a police force, “I think it would be difficult for us to go back and try to reinstate our own police department.”

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When the Jenkintown Borough Council floated the idea of getting out of the local police business and outsourcing it to nearby communities, residents angrily rejected it. So, instead of a local solution, the borough is turning to the state.

At its workshop meeting Wednesday night, the council voted to send a letter of intent to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) asking the state to study its emergency services, police, fire, and emergency management and make recommendations on how to reduce costs.

The council is expected to vote to approve the letter again at its action meeting on May 22.

In February, more than 200 residents turned out after Police Chief Thomas Scott suggested the borough outsource its police department to Abington or Cheltenham. Most of the residents were vociferously against the idea and yard signs supporting the Jenkintown Police have popped up around the small borough.

Paying for police costs the borough $2.5 million a year, about half its $5.1 million annual budget. Rising costs mean higher taxes, and borough officials are looking for another solution.

“We have to find a way to control these costs,” Borough Manager George Locke told DVJournal after the meeting. And unlike a private consultant, the state’s review of the borough’s books is free.

Still, not everyone is happy about turning to Harrisburg for help.

During public comment, a resident asked why the borough was asking for assistance from “a pro-regionalization” entity. She said she had obtained emails through a right-to-know request showing Abington officials were not interested in providing police services to Jenkintown.

“Why is this still even being discussed?” she asked.

Locke said later he did not know what she was talking about since they had “never negotiated with any other municipality.”

Scott said the division of the DCED they are petitioning for help, the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, will provide experts from various areas of public safety, finance, and legal issues. They will analyze the borough’s current situation and make recommendations.

“They will present a plan and help present it to the public,” said Scott.

In a follow-up email to DVJournal, Locke said the top priority is addressing the expense of providing police services. “What we are requesting is the police cost-benefit analysis and police management assistance. The other opportunities named [in the request] are areas that the borough and state are dealing with long term: planning of operations, and funding for all other public safety that is provided by the borough such as EMS, fire departments and emergency management.”

“The borough just having enacted a tax millage for an agreement with the Second Alarmers EMS services, has provided a solution to a difficult issue providing that service and how to fund that long term or if that is the best solution will have to be examined,” Locke added.

Council began the Fund 10 Ambulance Fund in 2023, with millage set at .050 mills, which, in the 2024 budget, equates to $13,451, said Locke.

“The fire companies have just completed a merger and the borough is overcoming a $1.2 million purchase of a fire truck while performing research and planning for the purchase of what is currently proposed to be up to two more fire trucks and a service vehicle for the fire department over the next few years. Emergency Management had been next to non-existent other than by name prior to COVID and Chief Scott coming onboard [in 2022], so a lot of work is being done there.”

The borough is required by law to provide public safety services, Locke said.

“As we work to put together a sustainable long-term capital plan, we feel fortunate to be afforded these services through the DCED, especially at no cost, and we hope to utilize the assistance offered to increase our chances of having a successful plan for the borough.”

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Dismayed Jenkintown residents packed a meeting Wednesday evening to discuss whether to disband the local police force and contract services from neighboring Abington, Cheltenham, or perhaps the state police.

“While no decisions have been made, it’s important to acknowledge that the status quo is not sustainable. In the coming days and weeks, look for invitations to join public meetings and engage in discussion to find the right solution for our community,” Jenkintown Mayor Gabriel Lerman said on Facebook.

Later, Lerman said, “The reasons are mainly in looking at how the borough provides for all public safety services and asking the question of whether or not we are providing the best services, at the best price for taxpayers. Finance is a part of that. We have seen our taxes go up in recent years and we know that continuing to raise taxes without addressing root causes isn’t a long term solution. A lot of small municipalities are grappling with this and we wanted to address it rather than pushing off a decision, We didn’t want get into a situation where we have fewer options and are forced to make a decision out of dire need.”

Chief Tom Scott told DVJournal that no decisions have been made on the police department’s future. But, he said, they are facing many issues.

The 2024 borough budget includes $2.5 million for the police department, which is up 6.1 percent from last year, about half the municipality’s budget.

Asked to comment, resident Allison Durkin said her first thought was, “We are subsidizing The Hiway (theater) and the library to the tune of approximately $400,000 to $500,000. And while these are nice parts of our community, they are not public safety. They are businesses. I don’t know why we are subsidizing any business, especially if the budget is in the red and they’re considering getting rid of the police department.”

A 2020 study by W.R. Smeal, a police management consultant, highlighted problems that extend beyond financing. According to the report, in 2019, Jenkintown had:

• 711 non-criminal investigations;
• two deaths/suicides;
• 77 animal complaints;
• 1,948 traffic enforcements;
• 178 fire-related calls;
• 82 lost or missing persons;
• 189 traffic accidents;
• 2,377 parking enforcements;
• 62 thefts and three motor vehicle thefts;
• 23 vandalism incidents;
• 21 narcotics arrests;
• 61 domestic calls;
• 8 drunkenness citations;
• 75 disorderly conduct incidents.

There were no murders, rapes, or arsons. The department did not track its conviction rate.

Jenkintown is now down to 11 members, including its chief. And although the study mentions a K-9 unit, Scott said Jenkintown no longer has one.

The study found a lack of supervision and that the records section needs day-to-day attention and is “not in compliance with established professional standards.”

Former Chester County Prosecutor Tom Hogan served as an adjunct fellow with the Manhattan Institute and has published widely on the criminal justice system and public safety, among other topics.

“There are over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, ranging from one-person departments to the over 30,000 sworn officers of the New York City Police Department,” Hogan told DVJournal. “Simply put, there are too many agencies to be efficient. A larger agency provides better training, better equipment, better resources, and more economies of scale. But what you are losing is the knowledge of and connections to the community if you become too large. So regional departments are a good compromise.”

However, Hogan thinks there are issues with asking the state police to step in.

“The state police are a whole different animal,” Hogan said. “They take too long to respond. They rotate their troopers all over the commonwealth so that many troopers have no connection with the communities they service. And the state police think that they answer to nobody, which is a big problem. As an example, they keep trying to investigate themselves when they shoot and kill a civilian, which everybody (except PSP) thinks is a terrible conflict of interest.”

Scott was hired by Jenkintown in 2022 after 25 years as an Abington police officer, so the problems with the Jenkintown Department existed well before his tenure. Scott told DVJournal that he is a “working chief.”

He said there are “many issues,” and by having a discussion with the community about whether to continue to have a police department, officials are “making sure we’re prepared for the future. The police department costs a lot of money,” he said. And “it has had challenges for several years. It’s not just one thing.”

“We’re working together to face all the problems,” said Scott. Right now, “we have no idea” whether they will continue to have a police department or partner with another law enforcement entity.

“We’re doing our due diligence,” he said. “Jenkintown is a 150-year-old community. Some residents have grown up here, bought a home, raised a family.”

“We want to provide the best services,” he said. “We’re looking at the big picture. If we’re not planning for the future, we’re not doing our job.”

But Scott and borough officials are “committed to telling people the truth,” he said.

Another community meeting is planned for Monday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. at the high school. Durkin said she plans to attend Monday to make sure her voice is heard.

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