HYDE, Pa. — Lawrence Township supervisors voted Tuesday to begin reforming a township police department, while expressing hope that the Clearfield Regional Police Department (CRPD) can still be salvaged.
Supervisor Randy Powell, who made the motion, said Clearfield Borough is welcome to continue negotiations, noting his preference is to maintain the regionalized force. However, Supervisor Jeremy Ruffner noted that a lack of clear communication has complicated those efforts.
Ruffner emphasized that dissolving the regional department is not as simple as “turning the police department back on.” He noted that assets between the two municipalities must be divided through a structured process.
“If we do this, we have to do it in a very organized, structured manner,” Ruffner said. “The CRPD was designed so that the two municipalities can work together. t’s still the best way…and it’s the right way.”
The supervisors also voted to appoint interim Chief Julie Curry as the police chief for Lawrence Township should the dissolution occur.
According to previous Gant News articles, the future of the CRPD has been uncertain since last year, primarily due to funding disputes between the township and the borough. The borough has voted multiple times to leave the regional agreement and restart its own force, most recently earlier this year. Both the borough and the township have not held joint meetings to discuss the CRPD since March 25.
Supervisor Scott Way expressed frustration over the lack of transparency in recent discussions.
“I feel like there’s a lot of back-door, one-sided conversations going on, and they’re not involving everybody,” Way said. “Just come up with a plan! Quit wasting everybody’s time.”
Contract negotiations between the department and the police commission are scheduled to begin next month. Powell said the township must be realistic about the possibility of moving forward alone.
“I am very distraught with the other half of the commission,” Powell said. “There’s been no talks with this side. We are coming down to the wire to start negotiations on a new contract, and I think it’s just time that we move on since they seem to not want to be here.”
The next supervisors’ meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. May 19.
