Urbanna drops police services agreement
by Tom Chillemi
For the first time in 11 years, the Urbanna Town Council has not agreed to pay for extra police patrols in town.
On Monday, a unanimous council voted to notify Middlesex County and Sheriff Guy Abbott that it will not be renewing the police services agreement between the town and county.
Tough economic times prompted the finance committee’s recommendation to cut funding for an extra 40 hours per week of police patrols in town, said finance committee chair Bill Thrift.
Cutting out the police services agreement will save the town about $40,000, noted Thrift.
According to the town audit, the total cost of the police services agreement was $51,500 for fiscal year 2008-09. A state grant paid $15,100 and the town paid $36,400.
The state has reduced its share in the current fiscal year that ends June 30, and the town has been notified there will be further state funding reductions, said town administrator Lewis Filling.
Although the town budget is still in committee, the contract requires a 90-day notice of termination. On Monday night, council voted to have Filling write a letter terminating the police services agreement.
The police services agreement funded one deputy’s position with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. On Tuesday, Sheriff Guy Abbott said a deputy’s position will have to be eliminated unless the county steps in and provides the funding. “I don’t think the county will pick up the cost of the deputy,” said Sheriff Abbott. “It’s going to take another deputy off the road.”
The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office has 12 full-time deputies who are paid totally by the state.
In addition, Middlesex County pays for four deputy positions with local funds. The four positions include two patrol deputies, a courthouse security deputy, and a school resource officer.
Sheriff Abbott said the extra deputy paid mostly with funds from the police services agreement with Urbanna has helped his department respond to emergencies in the town and the county. “It’s going to make us short,” he said.
The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office laid off one deputy in November, 2009 and laid off a secretary on December 31, 2009 due to state cuts. The sheriff’s office also had to give back $39,000 to the state.
Sheriff Abbott explained that the proposed state budget will keep deputy funding at the same ratio as before, so his office should not lose any state-funded deputies.
