Township Committee Calls Study Of Police Merger 'Premature'

Matthew Hersh

Already in the middle of a study examining the merger of Princeton Township and Borough dispatching services, Township Committee Monday quickly dispatched the idea, at least for now, of launching a full police departmental consolidation of the two towns.

On March 1, Princeton Borough Council introduced and passed a resolution that encouraged the two municipalities to explore the possibility of a combined municipal police department, citing cost and logistical benefits. Council had encouraged members of Township Committee to introduce a companion resolution, but on Monday night, the five-member Committee unanimously declined the invitation.

Both the Borough and Township had already approved a joint dispatch study conducted by Virginia-based consultant Carroll Buracker & Associates earlier this winter, at a cost of $70,000, $20,000 of which was funded by the state, and with each splitting the difference. Having yet received results from this study, Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand said that it is too early for the Township to embark on a consolidation study, adding that she would at least want to see the results of the dispatch study.

Ms. Marchand also cited the independent study currently underway by the same firm that is evaluating the Township Police Department. "We have expended money to evaluate our own police department. We are waiting for the results, and the consultant has written to us, telling us that at this point in time, the study of a joint police department was not in [our] best interest," she said.

On the Borough side, Council has introduced a $1.3 million bond ordinance that contains its own $105,000 department study as a rider component of that ordinance. But that component, slated for last night's Council meeting, has been called into question by some Council members, who expressed an interest in carrying out the dispatch study and subsequently moving on from there. Ms. Marchand took it even further, speculating the possibility that it could benefit both municipalities to maintain the status quo.

"It's very possible that it may be more cost-effective to have separate police departments ‹ I can't predict what the numbers will be," she said.

Committeeman Bill Hearon agreed, saying it was "fiscally irresponsible" to consider a joint study. "I think that we need to maintain the track that we're on."

Encouraging a "thoughtful, objective" approach, Committeeman Bill Enslin said that taking part in a consolidation study could "compromise public safety."

"These studies are disruptive, but this is something that we thought would be a benefit to the community, as well as the police department, to take a step back, take a look at what we're doing, and see what we can do better and more efficiently," he said.

Mr. Enslin added that any changes that came out of a study would have to be phased in and "carefully considered."

Littlebrook Road

In other business, as part of the Littlebrook Road improvement project, Committee unanimously introduced an ordinance that, if approved, would allow for the installation of a blacktop pathway along a portion of the road. Described as a 1,500-foot "missing link" of pathway near Littlebrook Elementary School. The Princeton Regional Board of Education submitted a letter to the Township endorsing the proposal. The pathway ordinance will be subject to a public hearing at Committee's April 18 session.

Robert Kiser, Township Engineer, conceded that there is not "100 percent" support from the residents whose properties would be affected by a pathway. Residents will be assessed half of the total $23,000 pricetag.