This week the Oaklyn Borough council held a workshop meeting where they discussed the Colonial Alliance Police Study. As a result of Haddon Township pulling out Oaklyn’s share of the study went up to $13,000 and may go up to $15,000 if Mt. Ephraim pulls out. (Mt. Ephraim pulled out three days later)
Mayor Robert Forbes said that Oaklyn may be able to make a similar arrangement with Haddonfield and Collingswood that Mt. Ephraim did, where those towns are fronting the money for the study and will be paid back over three years. It is interesting to question, why does Mayor Jeff Kasko, the only elected Republican to support this and Mayor Jim Maley, a former Gloucester City Solicitor and well known Democrat want this Colonial Allinace so bad. It must not be a great thing if Haddon Heights, Mt. Ephraim and Haddon Township opted out; that Woodlynne was never even part of it; and Audubon is revisiting the issue.
During the discussion Mayor Fobres claimed the reason for Haddon Township dropping out is that they would lose their lucrative deal to police Audubon Park. When questioned where he heard this since neither Mayor Randy Teague of Haddon Township or Commissioner John Foley every said that he answered, that he overheard it in Wawa over coffee.
Councilman Ronald Arron and Councilwoman Jennifer DiMarco but questioned the cost of the study.
Arron, a Haddon Township police officer asked if they were asking the chiefs to find cost savings and DiMarco asked if there were ways they could save on little things.
Forbes claimed that he has been discussing issue with chiefs since the meeting at boat house prior to the County takeover of the Camden City PD. He stated the chiefs have not come up with anything and said the chiefs could do a study but was unsure if it was a good idea because of “self-preservation.”
Critics of the Colonial Alliance have long claimed the study is an effort to appoint one chief for all the towns and not cost savings and that is the reason the chiefs have been truly blocked from participating. Haddon Township Mayor Randy Teague and others have asked why the chiefs association haven’t been given the opportunity to see what cost savings they can come up with but it appears none of the Colonial Mayors in Audubon, Haddonfield, Collingswood or Oaklyn have an answer.
During the meeting, Forbes also stated that a reason for doing the study is potential shared service do to Senate President Steve Sweeney’s proposed 0% cap and pushing for shared services. It was mentioned that Oaklyn has over 40 existing shared services.
In response to questions from Arron, Forbes said that the study is looking at more than just the chief and is looking at other administrative issues.
WHAT ALL OF THIS MEANS IS
Critics of the study believe study is nothing more than to have one chief, which will be the beginning of the Colonial Division of the Camden County Police Department.
At this week’s Mt. Ephraim Borough’s Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Andrew Gilmore, the Director of Public Safety who has been attending the Colonial Alliance meetings said that the main purpose of the study was to share a chief to see if it would work.
THAT IS INTERESTING…..BECAUSE
That is not exactly what Mayor Forbes or Mayor Kasko has said.
WHAT IS CLEAR
Someone isn’t telling THE TRUTH. If the towns wanted one chief, what would follow after, one department? The Camden County Police Department Colonial Division???
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