Social media posts that spread the word of a potential dissolution of the Sugarcreek Borough Police Department led to a packed conference room at the Sugarcreek Borough Building, where a large number of the dozens of residents in attendance voiced opposition to what they had been reading and hearing.
The information that was the focus of concern and anger during borough council’s meeting on Wednesday evening was Sugarcreek and Franklin having had discussions about the city’s police force possibly working as a contractor to provide police protection for the borough.
In addition, the approximately 30 residents who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting said they have been happy with the job Sugarcreek police have been doing since Bob Wenner took over as chief in March 2019, after leaving the similar post he had held in Oil City for 18 years. The borough’s police force has three full-time officers and three part-time officers.
Speth explained it’s his and fellow council members’ “duty” to explore the best options for services impacting the borough’s taxpayers, which includes the police and maintenance departments, the administration and other aspects of the borough.
Speth, in response to a resident’s question, said the idea of looking outside of Sugarcreek to possibly provide the borough with police protection was his.
He also said “this started with my observation of some other outlying communities who are faced with the same situation and the size of Sugarcreek Borough.”
“At my request, after some discussion, council has unanimously agreed that we would explore some different options that could improve and expand our police coverage for the borough.”
According to Speth, he and Sugarcreek Mayor Matt Carlson, who had no comment, have had two meetings with Franklin to discuss whether that city’s police force could provide round-the-clock police coverage for the borough.
“If and when the time comes that Sugarcreek Borough would enter into any agreement with the city of Franklin, all the pros and the cons and the details and the costs of any such agreement will be available to all the taxpaying residents of the borough,” Speth said.
Police budget
Speth said the borough budgeted $477,000 for the police department, but could not answer as to whether the department came in over or under budget during the past year and also could not provide figures from past years.
Wenner, who spoke later in the meeting, said his department “returned over $125,000 last year in this budget.” In the four years that he has been chief, Wenner said, “we’ve been under budget every year.
“I’m not sure (about) the financial concern; I doubt the other departments are anywhere near that. We want to do more, we’re committed. Every officer here is committed 100%. What the financial issue is, obviously that’s council’s thing to do, but I guess what is that?”
Public comments
John McClelland, who served as the borough’s mayor for 36 years and also served as council president, said it would be “unwise at this time” to make changes in police protection because “we’re getting the job done; we’re getting it done at a price that we can afford. I have the utmost confidence, and I’m sure that the public does as well, in the personnel that we have. Chief Wenner and his officers, they do a tremendous job.”
McClelland mentioned a similar discussion was held in 2016 and suggested “We need to let the dust settle and adopt the mantra that if it’s not broke, we don’t fix it,” and that he “respectfully” is asking council to drop the idea.
Rocky Grove Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ryan Hefferman, who also serves as a police officer in Conneaut Lake, said, “This has nothing to do with state police, because they’re short-staffed as well, but when the borough’s working, they beat (the fire department) there.
“I can’t comment 100% on the amount of money that the police department gives back to you guys, every year, but I know it’s very large. And I know that you’ll have that number for next meeting for everyone else in this room.
Kyle Peasley, Venango County first assistant district attorney, said he wasn’t informed about anything concerning the idea and that he would speak with the Franklin Police Department.
Peasley said he wants to “find out why the chief law enforcement agency of this county,” the D.A.’s office, “wasn’t even involved in any of this. The drug issue is getting worse. My caseload is getting higher; the officers here are getting a higher caseload. I am not going to indicate that it’s a good idea whatsoever to try and spread coverage even more. All that’s going to do is cause issues for (the borough).”
A Reno resident who lives closer to Oil City than Franklin said two of the three times she had to call police, Sugarcreek responded quickly. The third instance in which she needed help, at about 8:30 p.m. on Labor Day, she had to wait over an hour for state police.
“The talks for the police department should be expanding our current coverage, hiring more of our officers, to provide 24/7 coverage to the citizens of the borough,” she said.
A borough resident whose children attend Valley Grove School District said it should be taken into consideration that a lot of high school students walk home. Because the police department monitors the crosswalk, it makes both her and her husband comfortable in knowing that while they are at work and their children are walking home.
“We’re at the other end of Rocky Grove, but I don’t have to worry that something’s going to happen because the police are always out there,” she said. “They’re back and forth to the elementary school when I drop our youngest off. To be honest, there needs to be a little bit more police coverage. There’s a lot of speeding, people pass through streets, up and down Wiley (Avenue).”
Daryl Dziekciasz, who owns and operates Wyattville Country Store & Garden Center, said Sugarcreek police have been helpful throughout the years when summoned to investigate many incidents, such as retail theft, bad checks and drive-offs.
“We can’t be in business without 100% backup from these guys; so we’re 100% in,” he said. “Whatever needs to happen, we’re behind you financially, whatever it takes, we’re in.”
Tim Lowry, owner of Lowry Auto Body, said the security of his business is highly dependent on the local police department.
“I wish we could have them 24 hours a day,” he said. “The crime; the vandalism is terrible when they’re not around. You can’t get help.
“State police — they’re spread so thin. Someone’s breaking into my place, and we don’t have our local police on, and (state police) could be an hour before they can be there. I can’t think that you’d even consider a change with our existing police department.”
If it happens
In response to a resident’s question, Brian Spaid, who serves as solicitor for both Sugarcreek and Franklin, said borough residents would not pay taxes to both the borough and the city.
“How it works is if (Sugarcreek) … would enter into a contract with (Franklin), there would be a fee that would be paid to that municipality. Your tax dollars (paid to Sugarcreek) would pay that fee. There wouldn’t be taxes paid to (both) Franklin and to Sugarcreek Borough.”
After the meeting, Spaid told the newspaper that any possibility of police presence in Sugarcreek by Franklin officers would have to first be agreed upon via contract. As it stands now, he said, that would not happen until January of next year because Sugarcreek police are currently under contract through the end of this year.
Other business
- Council approved payment to Rossbacher Insurance Group to provide the borough’s 2024 worker’s compensation and property and casualty insurance at an annual cost of $114,843.
- Spaid said Howard Barger, who was appointed the Ward 3 position on council after Carlson was appointed mayor in October, was approved to appointment for an additional two years for the seat during Tuesday’s reorganization meeting. At the end of that two-year time frame, that seat will be open for another for election for the final two years of what would have been Carlson’s term.
