Time for Lancaster County to get (fully) together on police service - LancasterOnline Editorial

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Stedman favors leaving the Lancaster Bureau of Police in place and putting the rest in a single regional force. Such an approach would be a first in the region.
Such consolidation would not only save money by pooling resources and reducing overhead, Stedman said. It also would improve crime fighting by making seamless what now takes coordination across municipal lines.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
It will never happen simply because it will save money for some municipalities, but cost more for others. For example, townships in the southern end who rely on the state police will not go for a county tax increase to fund such a department. Even some smaller municipalities provide adequate police protection for a much cheaper cost than what our DA said it will cost for a county wide department. While it would make sense, I can see push back from those whose residents would pay more.
January 12, 2015 at 11:25 PM
Anonymous said…
You can bet with the state in the financial difficulties its in, the days of these little municipalities getting free state police coverage is coming to an end. And it should.
In case anybody didn't see Columbia's 2015 budget, real estate taxes collected was $2.5 million. Police budget is now $2.7 million.
January 13, 2015 at 9:09 AM
Joe Lintner said…
Something has to give. And I don't mean the residents. They've given enough.
January 13, 2015 at 9:34 AM
Anonymous said…
This will never happen either. The legislature has been talking about his for at least 10 years or more. Again, they are getting push back. The only thing the legislature did was to pass a bill that does not allow fine money created by citations issued by the state police to go to the municipalities that do not have their own police overage.
January 13, 2015 at 12:59 PM
Anonymous said…
Right on Cole!!
January 13, 2015 at 1:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I have not seen the budget but the real estate tax is the smaller portion of the tax revenue generated for the borough. The earned income tax is the big one. Do you know what that amount is?
January 13, 2015 at 1:00 PM
Anonymous said…
We should all have to pay, and pay fairly. It's kind of like school/property tax. People who live in rentals and have kids don't pay near their fair share. Then you have people who don't have kids who think they shouldn't have to pay at all to educate children. However, aren't we ALL better off with kids receiving an education? We are also all better off with having a better solution to fighting crime. So nobody should be getting free police service.
January 13, 2015 at 1:19 PM
Brian Long said…
the 2015 budget is now online: http://www.columbiapa.net/budget-information/

Property tax revenue is budgeted to bring in 326 percent more than earned income tax.
January 13, 2015 at 1:45 PM
Anonymous said…
Blame the banks and mortgage companies!! Thats why people cant get home loans!!!! Look no further then this!!
January 13, 2015 at 3:02 PM
Anonymous said…
Yeah that's the reason people aren't buying in Cola
Apparently your not driving around West Hemp, & the Donegal area to see all the new developments being built. Just look at the deeds recorded in the paper & see all the transactions for these neighborhoods.
Don't blame others for the fiasco created by our towns past leaders.
January 13, 2015 at 7:18 PM
Anonymous said…
No one wants to buy a home in Columbia because it is known for high taxes and school problems. Why would anyone choose to raise a family here unless they have roots in the borough. Little by little it is becoming all rental units. The borough can't buy every house to make sure it doesn't turn into a rental unit. The rentals are spreading out farther now in areas that I never would have expected to see it happen.
January 14, 2015 at 5:51 AM
Anonymous said…
Cola is landlocked & cannot add anymore taxpayers. The 10, 000 existing taxpayers will forever foot the increase in expenses of this town. There is only one direction our leaders should be going in & that is propositioning the state for help in consolidating with a surrounding community. There is no expert who can make the numbers work when only 10, 000 people are trying to support a school district, a police force, & all the associated municipal forces.
Anybody who tells you different is selling you a pipe dream.
January 14, 2015 at 7:27 AM
Anonymous said…
Bankruptcy is soon here! This is no joke!!
January 14, 2015 at 6:42 PM
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