By Diane Petryk
NORTHUMBERLAND — Police say the borough's threat to replace the entire department with contracted services from Point Township amounts to an unfair labor practice.
Borough Council members won't discuss it.
On behalf of himself and the three other officers on the force, Edward Cope, Northumberland Police Officers' Association president, has filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.
The men have been working under an expired contract since January. The next negotiation meeting has not been set.
Cope states in his Feb. 23 complaint that the borough and the officers' group have been in negotiations, with Northumberland seeking a drastic pay cut and the police requesting a cost-of-living increase for each year of the new contract, with no other enrichments.
At a Feb. 5 meeting, the complaint states, borough solicitor Ryan Tira told the officers the borough had begun negotiations with Point Township.
"The borough said that the Point Township Police Department would take over police services in the borough " for a contracted price of $400,000," Cope wrote, "and NPOA members would be fired."
Failure to negotiate with his organization over a merger, or contracting for services, is a violation of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act, Cope said.
According to Point Township Supervisors Chairman Randy Yoxheimer, it was not a question of "would" but "could." The borough asked in a February letter if Point Township could take over the policing, Yoxheimer said Wednesday.
"The simple answer is 'yes,"' Yoxheimer said. "We could. But why would we want to take on added responsibility without some benefit to the citizens we serve?"
He said there would have to be some profit in it.
As for the $400,000, Yoxheimer said that was what he quickly figured would be the cost of salaries for five additional officers and their health insurance. He said that didn't take into consideration things like paying into the municipal pension plan, additional weapons or training.
"The figure is probably $80,000 to $100,000 short," Yoxheimer said.
Overall, however, there would be a savings in eliminating duplication of infrastructure like computers and vehicles, not unlike the savings expected in regional police mergers.
But Cope said he was told: "It's not a merger. You're going to be out of a job."
When Borough Council members were asked at their public meeting Tuesday if this was something they were seriously considering, Tira intervened and said it was a labor matter and could not be discussed. But in a letter to the Northumberland Police Officers' Association dated Feb. 25, Tira wrote: "It is the borough's intention to consider both the contracting out of services and the retention of services through the Police Association ... the borough intends to continue its discussions with Point Township. ..."
Neither would Tira let council members discuss the implications of a theoretical firing of the entire police department, including men who had worked for the borough 18, 17 and 10 years, and the chief, who, although not in the labor negotiation, would find his job eliminated as well.
"We're part of the community," Cope said.
Point Township officers are paid, on average, $5,220 less annually than Northumberland officers, according to Yoxheimer.
Cope said Point Township police have lighter duties. For instance, he said, in the borough police are often called upon to investigate banking fraud "” there are no banks in the township. The township does not have a detective on its force. In the borough, he said, police must monitor a parking meter district and enforce parking restrictions along sweeper routes. They must patrol more troublesome bars and edgy housing enclaves.
He said the police department costs the borough about $450,000 a year, not much more than Yoxheimer's off-the-cuff and admittedly low estimate of $400,000.
Long-time Northumberland resident Carl Libby said he doesn't think the people will stand for elimination of the police force.
"I absolutely support the police department," he said. "These guys are willing to take a bullet for you."
Most of the force has been injured one way or another on the job, Cope said.
Are they paid too much, as Borough Council members contended in negotiations, according to Cope?
Under the last year of the expired contract, imposed by binding arbitration in 2007, a first-year officer in the borough earns $43,014 annually. After five years of service, an officer earns $52,062 plus a longevity bonus of $1,375 for seven years or more of service; or a $2,300 bonus with more than 12 years of service, as in the case of two of the borough's officers. There is also a sergeant on the force earning $54,308 plus the $2,300 longevity pay.
The officers are covered under a Geisinger health insurance plan.
In Point Township, officers have five pay grades that cap at five years. The beginning salary is $36,261, rising to $37,735, $40,682, $41,202 and $48,465. A sergeant is paid $52,608. There are longevity bonuses in Point Township as well, roughly comparable, Yoxheimer said, but the cap is set at $2,000.
Point Township would have to hire about five officers to police Northumberland, Cope said, adding he was told by borough negotiators: "That's not our problem."
"I know the council focuses on money," said Steve Cimino, Emergency Services board chairman, "but I think they need to look at the big picture. There's value in the experience and time put in by those fellows who are familiar with everything."
Cimino said he thinks it's in the best interests of Northumberland residents for council to maintain the existing police force.
This isn't the first time borough police have felt threatened by a takeover.
About three years ago, people became convinced that the Point Township chief was interested in swallowing the borough up. It wasn't true. The idea was floated then, as now, by the Northumberland Borough Council, Yoxheimer said.
Police officers would never do anything to put any other police officers out of work, Cope said.
"It's the politicians who are behind this," he said.
He said the two departments have a good working relationship.
"I don't want this to get in the way," he said. "Our lives literally depend on each other."
n E-mail comments to dianepetryk@dailyitem.com
