With over half of its budget spent on policing, Jenkintown Borough officials are worried that the cost of policing is outpacing the growth of the rest of the borough. Jenkintown’s budget for 2024 is just over $5 million, and its 4,000 residents pay the sixth-highest municipal tax and second-highest school tax in Montgomery County. Mayor Gabriel Lerman said that as stewards of tax funds, officials should look toward cutting spending, and one option is to dissolve the borough police force and contract out with neighboring municipalities like Abington or Cheltenham for those services. Jenkintown Police Chief Tom Scott said the idea is not a new concept, Hatfield Borough has been contracting with Hatfield Township’s police for more than 20 years. Scott said that smaller boroughs can be ill-equipped to perform “21st century” policing and they struggle to find and retain quality candidates. Borough Council President Jay Conners said he understands the shock and concern residents might feel about the issue. Council Vice President Christian Soltysiak stressed the importance of hearing what community members have in mind.
Source: WHYY; 2/13/2024