Mayor Gives Update on Police Progress

The following is an update from Doylestown Borough Mayor Libby White:

The municipalities of Doylestown Borough, Doylestown Township, Plumstead Township, New Britain Township and New Britain Borough are continuing to meet to work out the details of their merger into a regional police department. It is expected that sometime in the summer months the plan will be completed and brought to the public for discussion.

Presentation of the plan will be made in each municipality for its consideration, and a local decision made to go ahead with regionalization or to remain as separate police departments.

The modern world demands more competence and efficiency to ensure the safety and security of its residents. This means better educated and better trained police officers; use of more sophisticated equipment; pooling of resources; better access to grant money; efficient use of personnel and equipment; and better communication.

When this is the goal of the municipalities involved, differences can be resolved, economies of scale achieved, esprit de corps raised, and best practices developed for policing the larger community.

How will this new regional department function, and how might this look for the residents of Doylestown Borough?

Sometimes there is a concern that residents will not know the regional police as they do their “own” officers. If this happens, it will be temporary until the police officer becomes acquainted with their “new” area. Residents experience this also when officers retire or leave and new officers are hired.

And what about local control? Each of the five municipalities will have a representative on the Regional Police Commission. In the case of Doylestown Borough, for example, this person will act in accordance with the interests of the borough and according to the Borough Council’s wishes.

Will there be savings involved in going to regionalization of police departments? If we consider all the current duplication of efforts in buildings, police cars and maintenance, weapons, office supplies and equipment, computer hardware and related equipment; all of these will contribute to savings. Money will also be saved in purchasing the new radio system required by the federal government, as larger police departments can more easily acquire grant money.

These questions and many more issues will be presented and explained at the public hearings this summer. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to email the borough manager at jdavis@doylestownborough.net and the Borough Council President Det Ansinn at detansinn@gmail.com, or call the Doylestown Police Department at 215-345-4143 with your questions or concerns.