CLEARFIELD – On Tuesday night, Chief Mark Brooks presented his first report to the Lawrence Township Board of Supervisors since taking over the helm of the police department. Brooks notified the supervisors that residential burglaries had increased in February.
“It is a bit unusual for this time of the year,” said Brooks. He said there had been six burglaries, which combined with thefts added up to $14,000 worth of affected property.
Brooks believed the increase was an isolated event and not a general increase in crime. He recommended that residents secure their premises and lock their doors. Brooks urged residents to call police if they observe suspicious activity.
“We are eager to be inconvenienced,” said Brooks. He added that a tip can help them quickly resolve a case.
Brooks said the “Officer Phil” program went well in February. He said it’s a school safety program geared toward the first through fourth grades. Brooks said they held programs at the Centre and Clearfield Elementary Schools.
He said the department is also working on outstanding warrants. He said that letters of intent have been mailed to hopefully avoid sending officers to seek out the individuals. So far to date, he said four individuals have replied.
Solicitor James Naddeo told the supervisors that the Teamsters Union had notified him that they wanted to negotiate the new contract for the police department before the current contract expires in December. He said they want to avoid a gap between contracts.
Naddeo also told the supervisors he had been asked by a member of the public if police regionalization would ever occur. He told the person that he believed the township had favored and proposed a regional police force; however, its neighboring municipalities weren’t interested. All three supervisors confirmed Naddeo had answered the question correctly.
“I wish we could get [regionalization] on the ballot. But we could only get it on the ballot in Lawrence Township and not the other municipalities,” said Supervisor Glenn Johnston.
