Village council member Joe Curran, a longtime proponent of the idea, said while many in the community were opposed, this was the most fiscally sound and safety-minded decision.
“I always say nostalgia and relationships with one person is not a reason to keep a $400,000 operation in business,” Curran said.
The village has been paying around $66 per hour, for an average of 94 hours a week, adding up to just more than $320,000 a year, which is $80,000 less than the department’s total annual budget.
The plan is for the Champaign County sheriff to appoint a sergeant who will act like a police chief for the village. The sergeant will be paid by the village and carry out a community policing plan, as well as coordinate with the Graham school district to increase policing during bus hours. A deputy, also paid by the village, will likely help the sergeant, and the two will work opposite shifts to cover the village.
Village buildings on Main Street will serve as a substation. Deputies will use existing St. Paris Police cruisers and the village will pay for maintenance while the sheriff’s office will pay insurance.
Chief concerns about the plan include how long it will take for the sheriff’s office to respond to emergencies.
Curran said this plan will ensure the village is covered at all times, so response times should not be negatively impacted.
“We’ll have law enforcement around all the time; I think the coverage will be better,” Curran said.
The village police department has seen its share of controversy recently. Its chief, Eric Smith was placed on leave over the summer following now-dismissed charges related to bringing a firearm to the county fair while off duty, and its only other officer quit in September, with no new-hire interest.
In the last two-and-a-half years, there have been 17 resignations with no patrol officers and no pending applications.
“Having a police department is just unworkable for a small town like this,” Curran said.
Some proponents of keeping the police force have pointed to other communities like Mechanicsburg and West Liberty that still have police, but Curran said size and income tax differ too much to make a proper comparison. He said St. Paris could become a “model for other villages” of similar sizes in similar financial situations.
The sheriff’s office is already engaged in the community, taking around 29% of calls from the dispatch center, Curran said.
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