Dissolving police department considered by Jenkintown officials, amid financial concerns
JENKINTOWN, Pa. - Jenkintown Borough officials say they have financial concerns, and they are taking a hard look at spending. One item that might be on the chopping block is keeping the local police department.
It could be a big shift in a small, tight-knit municipality where some say it’s hard to embrace change.
"My first instinct is just no, but I respect, deeply respect people that serve our public office and value their time and commitment," says Trish Miller, owner of This Little Gallery and long-time Jenkintown resident. "Having said that, I’m still hopeful that maybe that’s not going to happen."
Jenkintown’s mayor and police chief tell FOX 29 that sustaining a police department budget that takes up half of the borough’s annual budget will put them in a tough spot down the road.
Currently, the department has ten full-time officers, plus the police chief, and they say salaries take up more than half of the police budget.
"This is not just going to impact the community it’s going to impact ten lives and their families," says Chief Thomas Scott. "We can’t take this lightly, because we have to be prepared for the future."
Borough officials say residents have the second-highest school taxes in the county and the sixth-highest municipal taxes. They are weighing all options, but do not want to make that any worse.
"It would include dissolving, it would include contracting for services, it would include partially contracting for services, it would include state police possibly, it would include a lot of moving parts," says Mayor Gabriel Lerman.
The borough says they plan to have several community meetings for input, and want to be clear that no decision has been made.
"Residents that have been here like me won’t let that happen, they have to watch the spending and the budget," says Michael Kelly, who was born and raised in Jenkintown. "I think it’ll be talked about, and the residents will have their say, and I don’t think it’ll happen, myself."
FOX 29 reached out to both Cheltenham and Abington Township offices and police departments and they say they have had no discussions yet about contracting services.