Page 4 SUSQUEHANNA TIMES
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AL) (RU
) or EF Third fhe Redon Sts., nce 1292
September 20, 1978
...text of police statement (continued)
[continued from page 2]
ammunition. We should
have target practice at least
twice a year.
We need 100 feet steel
tape measures - one for
each cruiser. These are
needed for accident inves-
tigations, etc.
We have been ‘‘bumm-
ing’’ fuses from other
departments for a long
time in order to keep up
the supply in the cruisers.
They are very necessary at
times.
We need stationary with
proper address, zip code,
phone number, etc. which
our old stationary did not
have. We need a supply of
notebooks, statement pads,
etc. We have been ‘‘bum-
ming’’ various police forms
from other. departments.
Some forms are required
by the District Attorney’s
office, Probation and Parole
Office and District Magis-
trate’s offices. We should
have our own.
We should have an
electronic siren, outside
speaker, etc. on the old
cruiser to replace the
g inefficient old ambulance
siren.
We do not feel that each
of the officers should be
burdened with the expense
of dry cleaning the town-
ship uniforms. We do not
wear the uniforms except
for Township duty and we
try to look neat. They
frequently become rain-
soaked, muddy or other-
wise soiled even after they
have just been cleaned.
Past history of almost
hostile attitude of some
township supervisors to-
ward the township police
officers.
Some Township Super-
visors have been known to
criticize and even condemn
the actions of police of-
ficers when the action
taken was perfectly legal
and completely proper.
This has occurred when the
Supervisor was given an
inaccurate or false descrip-
tion of an incident by an
individual. On some oc-
casions when the super-
visor was approached, he
| had immediately agreed
with the individual that the
officer in question acted
improperly. The officer was
never given an opportunity
to present his version and
the facts of the incident.
The individuals involved in
some of these situations
have been known to spread
the word that even a
Township Supervisor made
the statement that the
officer was wrong.
In general, there has
been a lack of under-
standing or interest in the
problems that the officers
are faced with along with
their needs in order to do a
proper job. This lack of
| understanding and coopera-
tion has existed for several
years and has become very
difficult for the officers to
deal with.
What is to be the future
for the East Donegal
Township Police Depart-
ment?
If the present police
officers can no longer
tolerate working under the
conditions they have had
for a long period of time
and the Township Super-
visors are not willing to
help correct some of the
problems, it would appear
that the officers will then
have no choice but to con-
sider resignation. The
Township would then have
no police force.
If the police officers of
East Donegal Township are
forced to resign, the Town-
ship would have to rely on
police protection by the
State Police. The average
response time for State
Police patrols in our area is
approximately 40 to 45
minutes. The State Police
were unable to respond for
three hours on at least on
occasion that we know of.
The State Police will not
answer all domestic com-
plaints plus numerous oth-
er types of complaints as it
is simply impossible for
them to pick up stray dogs
due to the overload of more
serious matters in their
patrol areas. Each State
Police patrol area covers a
number of Townships and
Boroughs in each part of
the county. Although the
State Police do the best
they can, they still have a
limited number of men to
cover the entire county.
The East Donegal Town-
ship residents would not
put up with this sort of
police protection on an
everyday basis and espec-
ially on week-ends, holi-
days, Halloween or any
other time when police
activity is normally in-
creased. Certainly no one
could blame the State
Police if a Township resi-
dent needed a police officer
and it was imnossible for
them to answer the call.
To hire new untrained
men would involve con-
siderable expense for the
480 hours of police training
which is now required by
Pennsylvania Law. Un-
trained police officers can
create serious problems of
all sorts. Without proper
supervision and training,
they almost always do.
To hire trained officers
from other departments
would undoubtedly result
in increased costs as they
would probably demand a
lot more than we have ever
requested in the past.
Many other Townships and
Boroughs have experienced
this situation. They either
keep changing men or they
meet the demands in order
to have a police depart-
ment.
The Township taxpayers
are always going to de-
mand police protection.
East Donegal Township
presently has a police
department. Do the Town-
ship Supervisors want to
keep their police depart-
ment or drive the men
out?
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G.C. Murphy Co.
12 - 14 Ww. ‘Main St., Mount Joy, PA