Supporters say it will greatly improve safety at reasonable cost
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
New Garden Township Police Chief Gerald R. Simpson presents the proposal to provide 24-hour police coverage
New Garden Township’s supervisors authorized a pilot program Wednesday night that will provide 24-hour-a-day police coverage.
The supervisors’ unanimous decision came after a nearly two-hour meeting that included a presentation by Police Chief Gerald R. Simpson, who then fielded questions, comments, and concerns from the board and the public. Those exchanges were followed by an executive session with the board, Simpson, and Officer Gerard M. Lindenlauf, president of the New Garden Police Officers Association.
In making a motion to approve the pilot program, which will begin “as soon as operationally possible,” Supervisor Bob Norris attached several conditions, including approval by the township solicitor and a resolution to amend the 2013 budget as needed. Norris also said the police union and township must come to an agreement on contract terms before the program ends on Dec. 12 so that the supervisors will have information in time for next year’s budget planning.
New Garden Township Supervisor R.J. Perrotti said even though he will be leaving his post after 12 years, he wanted to make sure the township made a decision in the best interests of future residents.
After the meeting, Simpson said the selection process for hiring three part-time officers, who will enable the department to staff the presently uncovered 2 to 6 a.m. shift “will begin tomorrow.” He said he hoped to have the additional staff trained by late summer. “This is something’s that’s long overdue,” Simpson said.
Nearly 30 residents attended the meeting, and the seven who spoke expressed support for the 24/7 coverage. “I’ll pay more taxes for safety,” said Art Santoro, a retired Delaware State Police lieutenant who echoed the sentiments of several residents.
But Norris said keeping expenses in check was a top priority after the board just raised taxes 116 percent, the first increase in 30 years. “We’re very cognizant of not doing that again,” he said.
Simpson said he was also mindful of staying within budgets. He said by adding the extra officers, the department would be better able to cover time-off requests as well as reduce overtime expenses. He said he expected the cost of the extra manpower – estimated at $52,400 – to be offset by other savings, primarily the overtime reduction, bringing the total cost to about $23,000 to $28,000.
Lindenlauf said members of the police association were willing to make concessions because the community will benefit. He said the decision came down to “what’s best” to serve residents. He acknowledged some “gnashing of teeth” over the planned reduction in overtime hours, but he said the township’s growth necessitates the change.
In response to a question from Norris about what would happen if the pilot program was stopped, Simpson said, “Failure is not an option.” He expressed confidence that all parties were committed to making the experiment work. “If both management and labor adopt a ‘win-win’ philosophy, we will never have to face this question. The pressure is equal on both labor and management to make this succeed.”
Simpson said the average response time for New Garden’s 12,000 residents when township officers are covering the township’s 17 square miles is six minutes, which can be “a long time” in an emergency. He said the state police – who “are doing a lot with a little” – do not release response times; however, they serve more than 92,000 residents spread over 207 miles, averaging three cars on the road during a shift.
“I’m a believer in getting in front of problems,” Simpson said. “We should be out there [between 2 and 6 a.m.] creating a barrier” between residents and those who would take advantage of the gap in coverage.
Supervisor R.J. Perrotti questioned whether the township should help subsidize other municipalities’ police coverage by freeing up the state police to focus its efforts outside New Garden, but Norris said a legislative proposal for a per-capita tax for state-police coverage failed. Perrotti also expressed fear that the costs will rise and that Simpson was creating more work for himself.
“You hired me to tackle some problems, “ said Simpson. “That’s what I’m doing.” He reminded residents that he wasn’t Carnac the Magnificent, a psychic created by comedian Johnny Carson, but he said he would make every effort to contain expenses. He also said he envisions a push toward regional policing in the future.
Complimenting Simpson on the sincerity and professionalism of his presentation, Norris said, “You are the finest thing to happen to New Garden in a long time.”
“The men and women of the Police Department make that easy for me,” Simpson responded.
