2 Jenkintown Police Positions Eliminated

JENKINTOWN, PA —The Jenkintown Borough Police Department is shrinking.

Following studies that said police department costs make up 50 percent of the municipal budget, Town Manager George Locke —in his budget presentation —said there will be a two-position reduction in the police department staff.

"As supported by two separate independent studies there will be a reduction in police department staffing in 2025," Locke said.

Locke said one of those position eliminations comes from a retirement in February.

He said the police department contract was still under negotiation when the budget was required by the state for final adoption.

Locke stated that the budget "is adequately funded for this situation" and that there would be no loss of police services while the PBA and Borough Council work to come up with an agreement on contract terms.

Costs to run the borough's police department are nearly 40 percent higher than the average Montgomery County police department, according to figures provided in a cost analysis study.

However, a citizens group questioned the DCED presentation about an analysis of whether the force is worth keeping.

Jenkintown Matters —a non-partisan resident research group concerned with the future viability and independence of the borough —said that findings of a report presented to the public last week by the Department of Community & Economic Development appear to have used a staffing model based only on activity levels and not coverage requirements.