Three-month test run slated to evaluate full-time policing
Township residents can expect to see New Garden Police cruisers on patrol now even in the middle of the night, starting Sept. 11, as a trial program for 24/7 police coverage begins.
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
NEW GARDEN — The township’s pilot program to offer 24-hour, seven-day a week police coverage will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 11, Chief of Police Gerald Simpson said Friday.
Simpson issued an update to township residents Friday morning announcing the formal beginning of the program to close a four-hour gap in the township’s daily policing schedule, ending a 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. schedule gap that had previously been covered by the State Police.
The three-month trial is slated to run through Dec. 12, and if all goes as planned, would lead to the permanent establishment of full-time policing for the township.
Simpson told residents that since the start the of trial caps a process in which “Thoughtful deliberations have been going on for a very long time to best comprehend the advantages and disadvantages of providing 24/7 coverage.”
Although the township’s Board of Supervisors approved the trial in May, and there has been much planning and work to make the new schedule succeed, as with any test, there will likely be issues and adjustments that need to be made, he said.
“During this time we will evaluate the success of the program and the merits of continuing beyond December,” he said. “With anything new, we accept there may be a few minor adjustments needed or, frankly, things we didn’t think of may come to light.”
Should the schedule change become permanent, after the test period, a few issues will have to be worked out. The police union agreed to temporary accommodations to allow for the trial run, and the current labor agreement would need some reworking if or when the 24/7 schedule becomes permanent, something Simpson is optimistic about.
“The expectation is that the contract will be reviewed and revised so that the program can continue beyond December,” Simpson said. “We are confident this will be accomplished and that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year police coverage will continue to be provided.”
