Lock Haven and City Police arbitration: seven months and still no decision

LOCK HAVEN, PA – It’s been a year since word that Lock Haven government proposed 10-hour shifts for its police department and nearly seven months since an arbitrator held a hearing between the City and the Lock Haven Police Officers Association. Even though the binding arbitration was held on March 31 of this year, there has been no announcement on any Board of Arbitration findings.

The old pact between the city and its police bargaining unit ended on Dec. 31, 2022, and applicable force members continue to serve and be paid under terms of the old contract.

The closed March arbitration, before a neutral arbitrator from the American Arbitration Association, heard the city proposal to move to 10-hour shifts for officers and provide 20-hour coverage a day instead of the current 24-hour coverage.

The initial expectation from the city had been that the arbitrator’s decision could be forthcoming in a matter of weeks. However, there is no time limit by which the determination must be issued. According to City Manager Greg Wilson, when the determination is received, it will be reviewed by the city’s labor attorney and the city manager to see what can be implemented administratively and what must be implemented with legislation through ordinance adoption. Actions requiring ordinance adoption must occur within 30 days at a public meeting but can’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2024, per Act 111.

Prior to the arbitration hearing held in March, therecord-online talked with Craig McGowan, a retired police officer from suburban Philadelphia who was representing the city department’s police association and presented the association’s side at the hearing.

McGowan said then the two sides had held some five meetings starting in August of 2022 and the March 2023 arbitration was scheduled after the two sides reached an impasse. He said at the time, “Our argument is you (the city) need to go to the citizens…there should be public meetings to see where we should go with the police department.” He said the citizens were never given a voice in the matter, charging the city had “never even done a study and didn’t do their due diligence,” instead proposing that “we’re going to save money by closing shop for four hours a day.” He also charged that the city had not reached out to the state police about providing coverage for the hours that no city officers would be available.

McGowan also said while the city is seeking to convert its force to 10-hour shifts, the police bargaining unit is seeking a raise in salary comparable to similar communities.

Lock Haven has historically provided 24-hour, round-the-clock police protection. That scope of coverage could change, based on the arbitration hearing outcome. It was written in March that it normally takes about 60 days to learn the binding hearing results.

The reduction from 24 to 20-hour daily protection, Wilson had told council a year ago, would create a reduction in taxpayer-funded city costs “in our community already struggling with 37% of the city’s real estate exempt from contributing taxes” to “services we all require.” He did not detail the amount of prospective savings if the reduced hours of protection were put in place.