WEST AMWELL: Delaware will not join West Amwell for police services

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   WEST AMWELL — Delaware Township has declined to merge its police force with West Amwell’s and instead has offered to provide coverage for a price, but West Amwell is saying, “no thanks.”
   West Amwell is in the process of finalizing a contract with its own officers and will keep its Police Department intact, Mayor Thomas Molnar said.
   ”We are not going to disband our Police Department,” the mayor said. “I am in the rebuilding stages of the Police Department. We decided months ago that if we could not merge with Delaware, we would have to invest in our own department. I am in the process of updating our fleet and also hiring new officers.”
   Delaware’s top police officials, in a memo to Delaware’s governing body, made it plain their own residents must be a priority.
   The memo, written by Police Chief Ed Ziolkowski and Police Commissioner Kristin McCarthy, said, “Whereas we recognize the importance of shared services and the possible savings in efficiencies and budgetary needs, the most important focus must be on maintaining the efficient and well run Delaware Township Police Department. The residents of Delaware Township have been the sole focus of this department since its inception and this must remain moving forward.”
   If coverage were provided to West Amwell, Delaware said it would require additional manpower to ensure adequate coverage and officer safety. Currently Delaware has six patrol officers, two of whom are sergeants. It would need 10 more patrol officers to expand coverage to West Amwell, two of whom would be sergeants. It also would also need a lieutenant/administrative officer. New vehicles, equipment and uniforms also would be a factor.
   Delaware Township would have retained hiring authority. If West Amwell disbanded its force, its officers would not be guaranteed a place in Delaware Township’s Police Department, despite Delaware’s need to expand. “Qualified officers,” however, would have been able to apply, Delaware’s chief and commissioner said in their memo.
   ”I do not feel that this would be fair to our current police officers and staff,” Mayor Molnar said.
   West Amwell currently has four full-time officers, one part-time officer and one lieutenant.
   The cost West Amwell would pay for 24/7 coverage, as suggested by Delaware, would approximate what West Amwell pays to run its own police force annually with 24/7 coverage, about $600,000, according to the memo.
   The cost for West Amwell has fluctuated in recent years, between $600,000 and $700,000, according to Mayor Molnar. Financial cutbacks were necessary to make up for legal fees related to an expensive lawsuit that was settled last year.
   Mayor Molnar said, “It’s hard to put an exact price on running the police force, as we have had to cut their budget due to the lawsuit. We have eliminated shifts, but not personnel, and have not purchased a new police vehicle since 2007. That being said, we are currently looking to purchase two new SUVs for the Police Department. We are also looking to hire a new full-time officer to replace an officer who retired last year on a medical disability. Starting salary is about $44,000 plus benefits and uniforms. We will also see one, maybe two other officers retiring in the next year. I would also like to hire a part-time officer in the next few months. Rebuilding the department will not be easy or inexpensive, but I think that is what must be done.”
   The mayor estimated the cost of the new vehicles at about $40,000 each.
   The recent discussion with Delaware Township stems from the high cost of running a municipal Police Department. For similar reasons, West Amwell in the past also has looked at a possible merger of its police force with Lambertville’s. Despite a feasibility study that recommended the merger, West Amwell residents strongly supported maintaining their own Police Department.
   The feasibility study, performed by Blue Shield Consulting, of Morristown, and released late in 2009, said neither Lambertville nor West Amwell would have seen short-term savings.
   A feasibility study has not been performed to look at a possible merger of Delaware Township with West Amwell.
   Mayor Molnar praised his officers. He said, “The West Amwell Police Department, under the direction of Lt. Steve Bartzak, have done a remarkable job of performing their duties under severe budget constraints. I commend Steve and all of the officers and Police Matron Donna Griffiths for hanging in there in the tough times. I don’t have solutions to all of the township’s problems, but I think we are on the right direction concerning the Police Department. Unless the county or state says otherwise, for now we will continue to operate the West Amwell Police Department as a stand-alone department.”