Newton County’s 911 has submitted a proposal to the Union Board of Aldermen to take on dispatching duties for the Union Police Department, and it may be something that deserves more discussion.
According to figures submitted to the town during a Board of Aldermen meeting earlier in December, the city would only be charged $24,000 on a three-year contract to take on dispatching duties based on the city’s population at $12 per person. If the city didn’t like how it worked, Mayor Wayne Welch could buy out the contract and still save $25,000.
Currently, the city is spending more than $100,000 per year to handle dispatching duties at the Union police station. That consists one full-time employee and eight part-time employees.
Union Police Chief Billy Pat Walker said he is adamantly opposed to the shutting down the city’s dispatch services, even though the move could save the city $76,000 per year. One of the main reasons is due to service. By eliminating those positions, the department couldn’t keep its doors open to the public 24/7.
While we don’t want anyone to lose their jobs, the city does have a responsibility to be fiscally responsible. The city has taken some large hits in taxes over the last few years, as Marshall Ford moved to Philadelphia and just a general downturn in sales taxes for items spent on online goods. Even if the city keeps control of its dispatch, it’s likely the city’s equipment will need to be updated to stay current with constantly changing regulations for emergency communications. So, the city could be staring down additional costs in the future.
That $76,000 could potentially be spent in other ways that could benefit the city, especially the Police Department. That $76,000 could be used to finish renovations of the old armory building to convert it to a new police station. Currently, the city is seeking grants to help fund the project, but there are no guarantees that the grants will come through.
And even when they do, they always come with strings attached, and the city could lose control over what they want in the building.
Once that project is complete, the funding could be used to hire another employee in the department, perhaps someone who could handle animal control complaints or to help with other areas of administration within the department.
By the way, Union isn’t the only department who is having to face a tough decision on this. Our neighbors in Newton are also facing a nearly $50,000 question with moving their dispatch. They are facing layoffs if they move their police dispatch to Newton County 911. While they don’t want to fire employees, they are also investigating it to see what their best option is.
This is a difficult decision, but perhaps it’s something that in the long run could be best for the city if it’s done the right way. Whether the city ultimately makes the decision, it is necessary to find out all of the information before a final choice is made.
