Special Ford City Meeting Called to Discuss Police
Resident Amy Moody begged Ford City Borough Council at Monday’s special meeting not to disband the local police department because of increasing drug activity and violence in the municipality. She and other residents will be able to voice their opinions to Police Committee members before they receive final budget projections this Monday.
by Jonathan Weaver
For the past nine months, Ford City residents have been protected by two full-time police sergeants and a dwindling number of part-time officers due to a reduced budget.
Residents have routinely spoken against this, and will have another opportunity to voice their opinions on the issue during a special meeting with Borough Council Police Committee members Monday evening.
Suggestions will start being taken at 5PM at the Ford City Public Library along 4th Avenue.
Current ideas brainstormed by Police Committee officials include re-building a full-time department with a full-time police chief and part-time officers (at an estimated cost of $150,000), maintaining 120 hours of local coverage with a full-time police chief and Pennsylvania State Police coverage (at an estimated cost of $115,000) or receiving complete coverage by State Police troopers.
Council members also considered contracting police protection to nearby-Manor Township, but according to Borough Manager Eden Ratliff, Township Supervisor Pat Fabian suggested supervisors are not interested in a proposal at this time, but might in the future.
Resident Amy Moody begged council members to reconsider the lack of police coverage due to rising violence and drug activity.
“We have children in our town, young children that are coming of age and have enough peer pressures. And we have elderly that cannot defend themselves,” Moody said. “I’ve only lived in this town for three years, and I felt safer three years ago than I do now. The police department is very, very important.
“And, if you get rid of our police department completely, it’s only going to get worse.”
Councilman Gene Banks sympathized with residents and recommended council members consider appointing a public safety director.
Police Committee members Vicki Schaub, Jerry Miklos and Beth Bowser welcomed residents to forward more questions, concerns or suggestions.
“I think this council body is totally open to listening to any and all ideas from any Ford City resident,” Miklos said.
Residents worried about losing the department more after the five council members present unanimously agreed to a proposed amendment to the police pension plan, lowering the retirement age and allowing Officer-in-Charge Sgt. John Atherton to potentially retire at year’s end.
Sgt. Mark Brice is also poised to take a buyout offer and leave the department, leaving only a handful of part-time officers.
The amendment also allows the Borough the freedom to restructure the department as they deem appropriate.
Mayor Marc Mantini has 10 days to either sign or veto the ordinance.
Police Labor Counsel John McCreary explained to residents arbitration history during the past three years between the full-time officers and Borough Council members that culminated in Monday’s vote.
Police Labor Counsel John McCreary – who has represented Ford City for about three years – explained to residents the history of arbitration negotiations since 2013. He said he began when officers did not have a contract and requested arbitration.
“That agreement essentially preserved many of the terms that were in the pre-existing contract that had expired – many of which from my perspective constrained the Borough’s ability to manage the police department,” McCreary said.
Those issues worsened when Sgt. Ron Klingensmith retired in 2014 and the Fraternal Order of Police felt Sgt. Klingensmith needed to be replaced.
Borough Council members have not yet hired a third full-time officer, but have negotiated with the union for about a year to resolve the issue and restructure the department to the current plan.
“The labor contract here reflects, I think is fair to say, when times were better in this town than they are now,” McCreary said. “It carries forward some of the same previsions that make it expensive to run a police department.”
The final projected police budget will be available from Early Intervention Program coordinators in the middle of this month.
Local News | jweaver October 2, 2015
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