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The North Cornwall Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to advertise a charter agreement that, if adopted, would begin the merger of the North Cornwall and North Lebanon police departments.
Public hearings will be held in both North Cornwall and North Lebanon for residents to voice their opinions on the plan. If both township boards vote to adopt the charter, they will undergo the regionalization process.
If passed by both boards, the Lebanon County Regional Police Department Commission will be formed to oversee the new department.
In case you missed it… Background on this story
Late 2023, North Cornwall and North Lebanon townships informally began conversations about merging their respective police departments.
The goal of this regionalization, North Lebanon police chief said, would be to increase safety for officers who currently occasionally have to work alone.
A police regionalization study had found the townships to be compatible for regionalization, with comparable populations of 8,511 (NCT) and 12,041 (NLT).
As of the time regionalization talks began, North Cornwall had 11 officers and North Lebanon had 10, though 12 were in the budget. They expected a regional force to include 24 officers.
North Lebanon hosted an informational meeting Sept. 2023 to present residents with details on possible regionalization, and decide whether to continue.
Read more: North Lebanon Township supervisors consider regional police with N. Cornwall
The next month, the townships formed a Regional Police Development Committee consisting of supervisors from both township’s board, their police chiefs, and their township managers. This committee was tasked with creating and reviewing a charter for a prospective regionalized police force.
Read more: N. Lebanon Township creates committee to consider regional police force
Public meetings of the committee were held through this year to review the charter, including ironing out details like a 50/50 budget split, the workings of the governing Regional Police Commission, and what would happen if either township backed out after forming the regionalized police.
Read More:
- Committee begins to review charter for regional police in N. Cornwall, N. Lebanon
- N. Cornwall, N. Lebanon agree to 50/50 split for proposed regional police charter
- Regional police steering committee reviews draft of updated charter
- Former NLT manager airs concerns with police pact, committee reviews budget
- N. Cornwall, N. Lebanon discuss 12-hour, 3-zone proposal for regional police pact
After the draft was completed and reviewed by attorneys on both sides, both townships agreed to hold hearings on the charter.
Read more: North Lebanon Township to take steps toward regional police formation
If, following the hearings, both townships opt to go forward with the charter, the Regional Police Commission will be formed and the townships will go forward with regionalization.
In other news, the board:
- Unanimously agreed to allow Ed’s Automotive to place a sign at an existing signpost on the property, though this is past the typical distance from the road that signs may be situated.
- Unanimously agreed to grant a time extension letter to 72 Storage LLC.
Read More: Storage facility planned for Route 72 and Rocherty Road across from Sheetz
- Unanimously agreed to advertise the Dairy Road pump station replacement project.
- Heard that a controlled burn will be held June 22 by Neversink Fire Company.
North Cornwall Township meets the first Tuesday of the month and holds a workshop the third Tuesday of the month. Meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.
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