Friends of
Perry Township
FAQs
Have questions? You're in the right place. Below are answers to what the police do, what will happen if the levy doesn't pass, why the police department needs the funding, and more.
​
Perry Township's official resolution and press release are still forthcoming
What Is The Levy For?
This police levy is for the purpose of providing and maintaining motor vehicles, communications, buildings, the payment of salaries of permanent and part-time police, communications, or administrative personnel, and the payment of other equipment and related costs. The Perry Township Board of Trustees passed Resolution 177-24 to proceed with putting this issue on the November ballot. The Perry Township Police Department has also issued a resolution (172-24) indicating what will be cut should the levy fail.
​
The Perry Township Police Department currently receives funding from two separate levies. The first levy was passed by voters in 2008 and the second levy was approved in 2015. Once a levy is approved, the amount of money the township receives is capped at a specified dollar amount. This means that the revenue does not increase over time except in instances of the construction of a new home or an addition to a current home.
What Will Be Cut If The Levy Doesn't Pass?
Should the levy fail to pass, the following cuts have been solidified by Resolution 172-24:
​
-
​Personnel: Reduction in the number of police officers, administrative staff, and/or support staff. This could lead to slower response times, decreased community outreach, and a generally reduced capacity to address and prevent crime as well as addressing community needs and concerns. It would also mean not replacing an officer who just resigned, not replacing an officer who is slated to retire in December 2024, and not hiring the two additional officers recommended by the staffing study, leaving the department short four officers total.
-
Training and Equipment: Cuts to training programs for officers and a reduction in the budget for necessary equipment and technology. This could impact the effectiveness and safety of law enforcement operations, thus impacting their crime-solving capability.
-
Community Programs and Services: Reduction or elimination of community policing programs, crime prevention initiatives, and community engagement efforts. These programs include staffing for 4th of July events, Beggar's Night, holiday carriage rides, and other township community events. It would also eliminate vacation house watches, business checks, and the Drug Takeback program. These programs are often essential for building positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
-
Investigative Unit: Cutbacks in the detective bureau such as responding to crime scenes and overtime for investigation and follow-up. This may result in a decreased ability to address and solve specific types of crime.
-
Patrol Services: Reduction in the number of patrol officers and vehicles, potentially leading to longer response times and decreased visibility in neighborhoods. The police department would become reactive instead of proactive.
-
Specialty Units: Reduction and elimination of specialty units such as the mounted unit, K9 unit, UAV unit, bike patrol, and the honor guard.
-
Facility Maintenance: Deferred building(s) maintenance affecting the overall working conditions for law enforcement personnel.
It's crucial to understand that these potential reductions could have profound effects on public safety and community welfare.
What Do The Police Do?
The Perry Township Police Department performs numerous duties to engage with the community and keep our community safe. You can find more information in the 2023 Annual Report. Personnel:
​
-
Are the first responders for all law enforcement calls for service in Perry Township.
-
Respond to calls for service, such as: traffic accidents; burglaries; thefts; DUIs; homicides; and more.
-
Perform residence and business checks, gather evidence, compile reports, testify in court, and perform routine patrol of the township.
-
Assist Fire and EMS units as needed.
-
Participate in community events to ensure the safety of the attendees as well as to effectively engage with members of the community. Such events include: Easter egg hunts; K9 and Mounted Unit meet and greets; 4th of July celebrations; National Drug Takeback days; and Beggar's Night festivities.​
-
Complete continuing professional training (CPT) and in-service training.
-
Attend specialized training sessions.
Why Do The Police Need Another Levy?
Per a staffing study performed in 2023, police officers need to divide their time into three focus areas: one-third of their time committed to reactive and responsive work; one-third of their time performing all the tasks and activities associated with the 'business of policing;' and the remainder of their time in uncommitted patrol activity, where community engagement happens and focused efforts on addressing crime trends occur. They would need a certain number of personnel and total hours worked in order to maintain this balance.
At the time of this study, the Perry Township Police Department had:
​
-
(1) One Chief of Police
-
(1) One full-time Patrol Lieutenant
-
(1) One part-time Administrative Lieutenant
-
(3) Three full-time Sergeants
-
(8) Eight full-time patrol officers
-
(8) Eight part-time patrol officers
​
During 2022, each patrol officer, or one full-time equivalent (FTE), worked an average of 1,610 hours with the total FTEs being 11.6. In order to have coverage 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, the police department would need ~5.4 FTEs and 8,760 hours of coverage evenly distributed around the clock. However, current staffing allows for only two officer coverage but relies heavily on part-time staff and supervisors to perform the work of the second officer. In order to fulfil the 1/3 of allotted time for responsive work, the police department would need 21,922.8 hours of patrol staffing, or a total of 13.6 FTEs.
​
The pocketed layout of Perry Township also makes answering calls challenging because of the small size of the agency relative to the area covered. Due to the substantial traffic on the roadways connecting the various areas of Perry Township, the average response time for the police department is 14 minutes. This means there will be non-value travel time added to any assignment.
​
Therefore, in order to fulfill the work requirements needed for the Perry Township Police Department, they would need to hire at least two more full-time officers. Part-time staff cannot satisfy this requirement as, due to the hours worked by part-time officers, ten additional part-time personnel would be needed to fill the same number of hours.
​
Now, at the time of this election, the police department only has the following personnel:
​
-
(1) One Chief of Police
-
(1) One full-time Operations Lieutenant
-
(3) Three full-time Patrol Sergeants
-
(11) Eleven full-time Patrol Officers
-
(1) One full-time Detective
-
(1) One full-time Administrative Assistant
-
(1) One part-time Admin Lieutenant
-
(1) One part-time Sergeant
-
(5) Five part-time Patrol Officers
-
(1) One part-time Admin (Ohio Collaborative)
-
(1) One part-time Records Technician
-
(2) Two reserve officers
Will My Taxes Increase?
In short, yes. The Franklin County Auditor has certified that the dollar amount of revenue that would be generated annually by the proposed 8.51 mill levy is $2,701,000. The annual cost to homeowners amounts to $298.00 for each $100,000 of the County Auditor's appraised value.
I'm Already Paying So Much In Taxes, Why Can't They Use Other Funding?
The Police Department can only use funding that specifically came from police levies, which are funded primarily through property taxes. They cannot use funding from any other department or parts of the township. The two levies currently in place are outdated; one is ten years old, and the other is sixteen years old. Costs for maintaining equipment and vehicles, training and hiring personnel, and utilizing better technology have increased significantly since those levies were first passed.
Volunteer
Do you want to help the Friends of Perry Township in their endeavor to spread the word about the levy? Let us know! We'd love your help. Sign-up below, and we'll let you know how you can help.
Donate To The Campaign
All proceeds go directly to the Friends of Perry Township committee and the efforts to educate residents about the police levies.