Police Chief: 'I'm Concerned With Where We're At'

Chief Joseph Borell gave a gloomy report of the Bloomingdale Police Department's level of manpower Tuesday night when he urged the borough council to apply for a grant that would pay for the first three years of salary and benefits for a new officer.

The council unanimously adopted a resolution to permit the department to apply for the grant. The department must apply by May 25. If the department is awarded the grant, the borough would be required to keep the new officer for an additional year after the grant stops funding his or her salary and benefits.

Mayor Jon Dunleavy said that in addition to applying for the grant, the borough should consider possibly hiring in the department as well. 

During his report, Borell said that the police department will have lost between four and five officers in the past two years by the end of 2011 due to retirements.

"So to say the least, I am barely staying afloat here," Borell said.

Some changes that have already come about as a result of the department being low on manpower are the disbandment of a two-man traffic bureau and officers having to stay longer than their shifts to help cover the department. Borell said the traffic bureau brings in the largest amount of the department's income and brought in over $550,000 last year. The chief also addressed response time and said that with fewer officers available, a delay could be caused in responses.

Additionally, Borell said the department will have to disband its detective bureau. Borell said the one-man detective bureau is currently overwhelmed with cases and the department cannot offer more manpower to help. Borell also said many of the programs the department has been proactive in implementing, such as the child safety car seat program, school walk throughs and door checks, daily radar checks and the D.A.R.E. program, will also have to be eliminated.

"Not because I want to," he said. "Obviously I love the idea that we're a proactive department. We are to the point right now where we have to be reactive. That's the only way we can operate as of today and moving forward."

Dunleavy said that the borough will work on helping the department and that "the programs you mentioned are valuable to the community."

"The last thing I want to do is come up here and sing the blues, but I'm concerned with where we're at," Borell said.

Council President Linda Huntley said she would like to meet with Borell later in the week to discuss the department's needs and how they can be worked into the municipal budget, which is in progress.