Nine Municipalities Reviewing Lock Haven Area Regional Police Study

LOCK HAVEN — Governmental representatives from nine Lock Haven area municipalities are to gather again sometime in the latter part of September to consider a wide-ranging menu of options which would bring an expanded police presence to prospective community participants.

Representatives from the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services gathered information and presented findings to the local study panel in June. Those representatives were to return to their home municipalities to share the results and report back in September at an as-yet unspecified meeting date.
Communities participating in the study are Lock Haven, the boroughs of Flemington and Mill Hall, along with Allison, Bald Eagle, Castanea, Dunnstable, Lamar and Porter Townships. They include all municipalities in the greater Lock Haven area with the exception of Woodward Township which has its own part-time police department and opted not to participate in the study.

As presented by the Harrisburg representatives from the Governor’s Center, annual costs for a regional set-up could range up to $3.1 million for all nine municipalities to $1.769 million for eight municipalities minus Lock Haven (which has its own fulltime police department) to as little as $1.552 million for a Lock Haven/Flemington/Allison Township configuration.

Seven different options in all are part of the study entitled Clinton County Regional Police Study:
All nine municipalities in one combined department;

Lock Haven remains alone; remaining eight in one combined department;
Five municipalities in one “North” police department with Lock Haven;
Four municipalities in one “South” police department;
Four municipalities in one “North” police department with Lock Haven;
Lock Haven contracting services to Flemington and Allison Township;
Remaining six municipalities combined into one regional police department.

The most costly option, all nine municipalities for a cost of $3.1 million, would see a police force of 25 members and three civilian staff members.

Lock Haven assistant city manager Greg Wilson noted the numbers contained in the Harrisburg report are on the “high end of the spectrum.” The proposed nine-community budget would have a police chief at $80,000 a year, a lieutenant at $70,000, four sergeants at $65,000 each and 19 officers at $60,000 each; all well above the pay scale currently in effect in Lock Haven, the area’s only community with a fulltime force.

Wilson said the likely reality would be the costs would be less than those contained in the state proposal. He said the cost per household across the nine municipalities would be 20-some dollars per month.

Ron Stern, local governmental policy manager at the Governor’s Center, was involved in the study, as he was in last year’s Renovo area study. The Lock Haven area report says the study findings “strongly supports our recommendation that the nine municipalities should combine their resources and create a new regional police department.” If one larger force is not feasible, his office recommends two smaller regional departments.

Consolidation, the report said, will result in major improvements in the delivery of police services, ranging from a uniform and consistent enforcement program to creation of a fulltime detective division resulting in more thorough investigations.

Total cost for police services in the nine municipalities, per 2016 numbers, total $1,788,580:
Lock Haven, $1,682,507…
Lamar Township, $48,962…
Mill Hall, $48,722…
Dunnstable Township, $8,388.

The other five municipalities depend on state police for police protection.