During the Village of Lyons dissolution process, I was invited by then Lyons Mayor Corrine Kleisle to attend Village Dissolution Informational meetings and by the Lyons Public Safety Dissolution Committee to attend their committee meetings. The dissolution process was discussed at these meetings. At the Lyons Public Safety Dissolution Committee meetings, I was asked and responded to the committee of the anticipated startup cost for a Deputy Sheriff, benefits, vehicle and related equipment which was approximately $125,000 per deputy and the costs should decrease to $100,000 for the second and subsequent years. My discussion with the committee was focused on three options for policing the Town of Lyons: (1) a Town of Lyons Police Department, (2) contracting with the Sheriffs Office for specific police services or (3) no action by the town at which time I would have to react to the policing void thereby created. Further, additional resources would need to be reallocated between the Sheriffs Office and State Police within the county as we are a closest car for police services system in Wayne County. I was asked by the Lyons Town Supervisor to attend the Lyons Town Board meeting on September 10, 2014 after the two village dissolution votes were passed. Similar questions were asked by the town board and by residents of the Village and Town of Lyons on what were the policing options. I again reiterated the three policing options, costs per deputy and no matter what policing option that was ultimately selected there would be a change in policing from an intimate village policing model to a suburban/rural policing model of service that would replace the current model because of the increased calls for service, and the time and distance traveled to respond to these calls no matter which agency responds (town, county or state). You cannot infuse thousands of calls for police service into a closest car for police services system to be handled by the State Police and Sheriffs Office without delays and bogging down the response times for emergency and non-emergency calls for the entire county. County business has brought many of the issues to Lyons that requires a robust police presence. When the Lyons Town Board decided not to fund a town police department of any size, it was important that I immediately present a resolution for additional law enforcement resources so there would be no disruptions in essential police services, no compromising of officer safety for all law enforcement agencies (police departments, Sheriff’s Office and State Police) and to continue the current level of law enforcement services currently provided by the police departments, Sheriffs Office and State Police to the entire county. For the reasons stated above, I presented a resolution to the Board of Supervisors for additional law enforcement resources for eight deputy sheriffs. The startup cost for equipment in the third quarter of 2015 and for personnel services in the fourth quarter is $521,860 for 2015. The personnel cost for 2016 will be $815,320. I took immediate action once the Town of Lyons declined to fund law enforcement services to ensure public safety for not only Lyons, but the entire county. Today, the Wayne County Board of Supervisors approved the resolution for additional law enforcement funding. Sheriff Barry Virts
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:40:02 +0000
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