‘They want to know if their job is secure;’ fate of Perry Twp. police department remains unclear

PERRY TOWNSHIP — For now, the Perry Township police force is still intact, but the department’s future is unclear.

Township trustees and the community met Tuesday night to talk about a proposal for New Lebanon police to take over services for the district.

“They want to know if their job is secure, what are they going to do to move forward to provide for their family?” Tim Littleton, chief of Perry Township police said.

In Tuesday’s meeting, Perry Township trustees, New Lebanon’s police chief and municipal manager admitted they’ve had conversations since December about concerns with Perry Township’s police force.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trustees to decide fate of township police department Tuesday

“The officers have seen them patrol in areas that are not in Perry Township,” Curtis Hensley, chief of the New Lebanon Police Department said.

Township trustees said last year Perry Township police had 20 days’ worth of shifts where the department was understaffed.

“If I could get my staffing up and be able to retain some people, that would eliminate the need for relying on the sheriff’s office to fill in on gaps,” Littleton said.

He thought that would also help eliminate the need for New Lebanon police to come in.

Hensley said he, along with New Lebanon’s municipal manager, sent a proposal to the township in late January or early February.

He did not go into specifics of the contract but said at least one New Lebanon officer would patrol Perry Township and potentially up to two officers would respond to calls.

“We want them to have the coverage that they need, the coverage that they deserve,” Hensley said.

Littleton said he did not know about the proposal until last week. He explained what would happen if the township trustees support the proposal.

“Perry Township Police Department would be gone and then New Lebanon would be patrolling the streets of Perry Township,” he said.

Township officials refused to comment on the proposal.

A decision was not made Tuesday night, and trustees said they will continue to discuss this issue.

News Center 7 will follow this developing story and update as new information becomes available.

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