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Politics
The Town Board received a July 11, 2007 letter from Lancaster Police Chief Gary Stoldt recommending the appointment of three police officers to the police department, with full benefits and salary. If resolution #9 is approved at Monday evening’s board meeting, Supervisor Robert Giza will take the necessary action with the Personnel Officer of the County of Erie to accomplish the foregoing.
It is my understanding that two of the police officers will be assigned patrol duties and the third would become a School Resource Officer (SRO) at the Lancaster Middle School.
What appears to have precipitated the need for more police presence came from the recent flap about drug abuse taking place at the High School and in town.
What is bewildering is that this writer appeared before the School and Town Boards asserting there was a drug problem in the school district and in the town, at a level more serious than what the school or town were admitting to, and took heat for it.
Whereas some parents, students and even teachers voiced that the drug problem was serious, Lancaster Justice Timothy Dwan appeared before the town board and protested that there was no drug epidemic in Lancaster, in fact, nowhere near as bad as it was made out to be by a few individuals.
Yet, in the next breath he proposed that the town consider forming a narcotics squad, made up of two detectives, and that an SRO officer be placed at the Middle School.
The drug problem was overstated said Dwan, yet he proposed the hiring of three police officers - at an added expense of at least $200,000 to the town. Don't you find that a little odd?
Chief Stoldt did speak out at the Town Board meeting that there was a serious drug problem in the town and encouraged the town to consider forming a narcotics unit.
Until the drug issue was brought to public light, there was no mention of a drug problem in town and certainly no discussion on addressing the situation. For some reason, the town has been reticent on bringing problems to light, and then denying problems exist when residents bring issues to them. And then they expect to have public trust and support.
The school district was taking steps to deal with the growing drug issue this past year, but can still be faulted for not enforcing codes/regulations and for denying the seriousness of the problem at the high school.
The School Board tabled the SRO officer consideration the other day, citing that School District Superintendent was absent. The SRO officer matter was consider by them before budget time, but was not adopted at that time because it was not felt the need was there. The question is whether an SRO officer is warranted at the Middle School, and if so, how will his effectiveness be measured?
Residents may have a problem with accepting the hiring considering the staffing for the town is right sized, the police budget is at $7.2 million and overtime expenses appear to be out of control. The town will have to be forthcoming and transparent on this as far as needs go and will have to assure results to get public support.
No one protests paying for services that are rendered when following the old adage “an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work
© Copyright 2008 by Speakupwny.com
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