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Address Gallitzin protection

Although Tunnelhill Borough is questioning the amount of police protection it is receiving under its agreement with neighboring Gallitzin Borough, a bigger issue is how much Gallitzin residents want to pay for the peace of mind that police protection offers. Judging from an article in the Oct. 23 edition of the Mirror, Gallitzin Borough Council was unrealistic regarding the borough’s police budget and staffing for 2016. The council needs to ensure that the situation is addressed adequately for 2017. Part of doing that should involve gathering input from borough residents on questions such as: n Are they satisfied with their current level of on-duty police hours? n Are they satisfied with the council’s failure to hire help for Police Chief Gerald Hagen? Not only is Hagen required to patrol Gallitzin and Tunnelhill and maintain police records, he also must attend court proceedings that require him to be outside the two communities for extended periods. n Are they willing to pay a higher real estate tax to provide the additional money that the department needs? n How much would the loss of the $645 a month that Tunnelhill pays Gallitzin under their existing police agreement — $7,740 a year — hurt the current Gallitzin police operation if Tunnelhill opted not to renew the agreement? Tunnelhill’s current dissatisfaction over the amount of police coverage it is receiving — not the first time Tunnelhill has expressed such a concern — exposed the questionable budgeting by Gallitzin officials. If the borough can’t provide necessary services with current incoming revenue, it needs to figure out a way to increase that revenue or cut back on non-critical services to free up money. Gallitzin officials have reported that the borough’s police budget for part-time officers dried up in August. That apparently is one reason why the council hasn’t hired a replacement for a part-time officer who resigned. Meanwhile, another part-time officer was injured in late August during a call. Thus, the full load was thrust on Hagen. The Gallitzin council has been unfair in allowing that full burden to remain on Hagen’s shoulders. Gallitzin council members agreed to transfer money into the police budget for an additional 50 hours per month through the end of this year, but public safety demands a reasonable, realistic budget capable of meeting the community’s needs throughout the year. Gallitzin Councilman John Palko admitted that the borough needs to better manage its police budget so hours set aside at the beginning of the year don’t run out so early. However, Tunnelhill’s unhappiness complicates the challenge — something with which Gallitzin must come to grips. It’s true that Gallitzin can’t be providing 24-hour protection for the amount it receives from Tunnelhill, but the existing agreement demands a reasonable amount of police visibility. Tunnelhill can opt for depending solely on the state police, but the time it might take for troopers to respond to an incident makes that option less desirable than having local police availability. Gallitzin residents have a voice in how their officials should proceed, going forward, not only for their own town but for Tunnelhill as well. They shouldn’t be reluctant to speak out.

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