Upper Nazareth: Not Enough Time to Consider Nazareth Police Coverage

Nazareth Borough Council on Dec. 3 approved a motion to revisit contracting police services from a neighboring municipality. The borough asked six municipalities if they were interested.

But the sirens from Nazareth continue to fall on deaf ears.

With less than a month to mull and draft a proposal, the Upper Nazareth Board of Supervisors on Dec. 19 said there was insufficient time to properly consider providing police services to Nazareth Borough, according to a report in The Express-Times.

The Lower Nazareth Board of Supervisors -- the township is covered by Colonial Regional Police -- came to the same decision Dec. 12, and Palmer Township officials answered the call on Dec. 10 with a swift, stiff "no."

Bushkill Township and each municipality that makes up Colonial Regional were also on the list. Colonial Regional covers Lower Nazareth Township, Bath Borough and Hanover Township (Northampton County). It has a contract to cover Chapman Borough.

Nazareth Mayor Fred Daugherty Jr. in December 2011 withdrew his recommendation to buy coverage from Colonial Regional Police after negotiations failed to move forward.

This time around, the borough had guidelines it wanted each municipality to keep in mind:

• Three-year contract at a cost not to exceed $2.8 million.

• The borough’s three full-time officers must be added to the police department of the contracting municipality with wages and benefits at least equal to the current Nazareth police contract.
  
  Police Chief -- $67,830
  Patrolman (over 6 years) -- $59,660
  Patrolman (after 4 years) -- $55,979

• The contracting municipality must agree to lease and operate a substation at 134 S. Main St.

• The contracting municipality agrees to periodic foot patrols in the business district and business checks.

• Nazareth Borough Council shall be permitted to appoint a liaison to attend all Police Committee meetings and receive all correspondence.

According to The Express-Times report, the Upper Nazareth supervisors are open to revisiting the proposal under different guidelines.

For more information and resident response, read "Nazareth Borough Council Revisits Buying Police Coverage" on Nazareth Patch.