No Agreement Made on WEGO Contract

The Daily Local reports that township officials from Westtown and East Goshen have told township police that the department will be disbanded after the current contract ends.

The Daily Local Reports:

According to Westtown-East Goshen Police Association president Anthony Ruggieri, the department’s officers received word this weekend that the department’s police officers must accept a final contract proposal from the townships or face the end of the 31-year-old regional police department. The officers rejected the proposal, Ruggieri said.

According to a press release sent out Monday afternoon by the WEGO police department, the police had negotiated down to about 92 percent of the savings the townships wanted, but the townships would not come down from their number.

The press release also says that the proposal put forth by the police would have provided services at a cost of $207 per resident.

The release goes on to say:

Based on rough estimates, West Goshen’s cost of police service is $244 per resident, Tredyffrin spends $279 per resident, and the cost of police services for East Whiteland is $367 per resident.

According to the Daily Local:

Residents of East Goshen and Westtown are guaranteed police protection from WEGO until the officers’ contract expires at the end of 2013. The townships will likely now begin a search for alternative police options, which could include forming new police departments, contracting with other municipalities, or relying on state police.Westtown’s board passed a motion to form a search committee for a chief of the potential Westtown Police Department at a meeting on Sept. 17.

There will be a public meeting Monday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Westtown Municipal building to discuss the police matters.

To read the complete story on the Daily Local please click on the link: here.