To investigate contracting with Eastern Pike sends the wrong message about our police department

The proposal for the “Formation of an EPRD Exploratory Committee” on tonight’s Council agenda is, I believe, ill-advised. At best, it is premature. I urge the Council to step back and consider this carefully before rashly reacting to news coverage about what Matamoras Borough has proposed to pay for coverage Eastern Pike Regional Police.

Over the past six years, the Milford Police Department has been revitalized, increased its professionalism, training, morale and commitment to the residents, businesses, property owners and visitors we serve. Chief McCormack and his team deserve our appreciation, not a proposal to investigate abolition of our independent Milford Police Department before even asking Borough residents what they want in local policing.

An important role of the Council is to watch our tax dollars, that includes being aware of the cost of alternatives for all sorts of services provided by the Borough. Some Councilmembers may believe forming the committee proposed by the Council President does this.

I disagree and am concerned that it may create unintended consequences. Creating this “EPRD Exploratory Committee,” in advance of determining what Borough residents want in local policing, risks demoralizing the department we have worked so hard to rebuild. It is also potentially harmful to recruitment and retention efforts. It will inevitably lead some to believe, correctly or not, that there are members of the Council with an agenda to eliminate our independent department. Why create that shadow of doubt for our officers?

A more measured approach would be to initiate an effort to understand what Borough residents want in policing services and wait to see if the contract proposed by Matamoras is even signed, and what it guarantees it provides Matamoras. Chief McCormack and I will be very happy to participate on a committee with Council members to hold community forums, conduct research via Survey Monkey or some similar tool, and other measures to get a clearer handle on what Milford residents want in local policing.

Do our residents want less coverage and less service, for less money, or are they prepared to pay a higher price for the excellent independent department we have today? That is a legitimate question for the Council to ask of Milford residents.

Skipping that step and going directly to “exploring” a contract with Eastern Pike is a bad idea. The conversations members of MPD and I have with Borough residents lead us to believe that Borough residents want an officer on duty within the confines of the Borough 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Speaking as a resident, that is important to me. Yet that is highly unlikely under a contract with EPRD at the price being proposed. Matamoras paid EPRD $470,000 in 2021, and $455,000 this year, without having 24/7 police presence within their Borough; they surely aren’t going to have that with a contract that is nearly a third less than they are paying now.

My belief is that Milford Borough residents appreciate the “community policing” approach that Chief McCormack and I have championed in recent years. That includes pedestrian and bicycle patrols, resident wellness checks, nighttime door checks at businesses, the Safety Day in Ann Street Park, the Easter Bunny chocolate drop and other holiday activities for children, and a range of other efforts.

Many Borough residents expressed appreciation for the manner in which the Milford Police Department handled the potentially contentious protests after the death of George Floyd, and the political rallies we have had in recent years, all without arrests, injury or serious incident. I believe this is in large part because of the close and respectful relationship our department has established with so many in our community, including the political activists. It is almost impossible for a regional department to have the same level of familiarity and interaction with our residents.

A few months ago, the Council implemented an Earned Income Tax. One of the main arguments in its favor was that it would not only enable us to maintain our independent police department, but also make it possible for us to increase our service level with additional shifts (which had been cut in recent years due to budget imperatives). The results from the recent survey for the new Milford Borough Comprehensive Plan shows the exceptional support Milford residents have for its police department and how important the department is to our residents.

To create a committee to investigate contracting with EPRD and eliminating our independent department without surveying Borough residents first, or even seeing a final contract with Matamoras Borough, does no service to Milford Borough. It sends the wrong message to our residents and, importantly, the wrong message to our Chief, Assistant Chief and the officers of the Milford Police Department. I urge the Council to table this proposal.

Editor’s note: Please see related story on page 2.