Police force wanted in Holley

Police force wanted in Holley

Safety, security and a deterrent, were ideas tossed around when the residents met to discuss whether they wanted to keep or disband the police force in the village of Holley.

Deputy Mayor Ross Gaylord said from what he observed, the majority of the residents in attendance were in favor of maintaining the department. "I know the board and myself are in favor of it," he said. "But we said we'd let the people decide so it will still go to a public vote."

Mayor John Kenney said if the village disbanded its force and contracted with the Orleans County Sheriff for police coverage it would cost about $80,000 to have them in the village for 40 hours a week - that figure includes benefits but Kenney said no concrete figures have been worked out. The sheriff's department has 23 people on staff but there are only three deputy vehicles on patrol during any given shift. 'There isn't enough man power to cover the county," he said.

Holley's police department has a response time of two minutes. The response time for a sheriff's deputy could range from two minutes to 20 minutes, depending on where the patrol car was at the time of a call.

Resident David Shaffer said there is no need for Holley to have its own department while resident Sandra Pilato said that while Holley appears to be a low crime area, there is still crime in the area and that would likely increase if there was no police presence. They spoke following the meeting.

The 2007-08 budget for the Holley police department is $193,000, or 27 percent of the total tax to be raised in the village. With a projected tax rate of $14.08 per $1,000 of assessed value, the police department accounts for about $3.80 of the tax rate.

There will be a meeting at the Holley Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. on November 13, prior to the regular board meeting to give residents another chance to voice their feelings on the fate of the department.