Sheriff backs joint police force

CARTHAGE — A consolidated police force would best serve the needs of the twin villages, Jefferson County Sheriff John P. Burns said.

Mr. Burns, who is part of a police consolidation study steering committee, said that he is not "pushing either way," but that he thinks consolidating police departments would be beneficial to the Carthage and West Carthage communities.

"Running police departments is very expensive," Mr. Burns said. "Just being able to merge and have one police department for the two villages would be good for them."

Mr. Burns said a consolidated police department for the twin villages could provide adequate coverage for the two municipalities given proper scheduling of employed officers.

The police consolidation study, which is measuring the feasibility of consolidating the Carthage and West Carthage police departments, is in its earliest phase, collecting information for the "what exists" report. Carthage President G. Wayne McIlroy said he does not expect the study to make recommendations until May.

Mr. McIlroy said budget constraints, growth in the communities and increased need for police protection influenced the twin villages to pursue the study.

"It becomes more and more expensive for us to have a full-time police department," he said.

The Carthage police department employs four full-time officers and six part-time officers.

Although the village of West Carthage was the lead agency in the Shared Municipal Services Incentive grant that is funding the study, and although none of the eight officers at the village police department works full time, feelings there about possible consolidation are lukewarm.

"At this point I really don't think it's necessary to consolidate," West Carthage Police Chief David J. Pustizzi said.

Village Mayor Scott M. Burto said he would like to explore all the available options, which the study will present after completing the report.

"I think we need to come up with some models that will be beneficial to everybody involved," Mr. Burto said. "I think there are other opportunities to provide better protection for all residents at a cost savings."

Charles Zettek Jr., a consultant from the Center for Government Research, has been collecting data and interviewing police department personnel and village leaders in the twin villages, the county sheriff's department and other public safety people to develop the report. He said he will not release any information he has collected until it is presented to the study steering committee, which should happen in January.

Mr. Zettek said at the first meeting of the consolidation study steering committee that options may include consolidation, remaining separate entities or anything between those two extremes. Mr. McIlroy mentioned an additional option, inspired by the absorption of the police department in Clay into the Onondaga County sheriff's department, but he admits this option is "far-fetched."

"It's one of those things that is out there," he said. "It's probably on the low end of looking at the possibilities."

Mr. Burns said the absorption of the Carthage and West Carthage police departments by the county sheriff's office would be an ineffectual remedy for the growing costs of police protection.

"I don't think up there it would work," he said. "The needs of the villages are more than what we can supply. We couldn't give them the services that they're getting now."