Deputies from the Summit County Sheriff’s Department will again patrol and peruse the streets of Northfield Center Township in 2023.
The contract was approved August 8, by trustees after reconvening from an executive session.
According to trustees, the township will pay $828,908 for services beginning January 1st, 2023.
Not all residents were happy about the single deputy coverage.
“Do you feel we have enough coverage per deputy, per hour, to keep us safe?” a resident asked Captain Chris Plance of the Summit County Sheriff’s Department. “Yes or no. I know what your deputies tell me.”
Plance was at the meeting to give the monthly policing updates.
“I think we do have a good hold on it,” Plance said. “I think we have a good response time for what we have.”
Plance told the man he knew the answer the man was looking for.
“I know that our response time to the majority of the calls is fair,” Plance said. “It’s travel time.”
Plance said there are other units available if officers need backup.
Trustee Chair Russ Mazzola said there is no reason to believe residents are in danger from lack of coverage.
According to Mazzola coverage was decreased in 2021 from 1 1/3 deputies to 1 in 2021 after consulting with the deputy chief at the time.
“I would like to say, for the record, that while we did reduce coverage from 1 1/3 to 1, there has been absolutely no reason to suspect that Northfield Center Township residents are in any way put in any danger or that they have inadequate coverage.”
According to Mazzola, his son recently attempted to cut the grass of a 96-year-old neighbor. However, the neighbor did not answer the door. The son notified Mazzola. Within minutes two deputies responded. The woman contracted Covid-19 and had not answered her phone.
Mazzola said there was “no coverage gap” in township patrols.
The same man disagreed with Mazzola.
“A coverage gap will only be noticed when someone dies”, he said. “But also, a coverage gap means that a deputy is not driving around seeing stuff and being proactive before stuff happens.”
The resident told the trustees that several people were in his backyard one night, with flashlights. The deputy on duty “was stuck at Target or whatever.”
“Luckily I was armed, and I dealt with it,” he said. “You are rolling the dice.”
Mazzola disagreed.
“The notion that we don’t have enough coverage is not accurate,” Mazzola said.
If needed, additional coverage from the Sheriff’s Department can be purchased in blocks of time, Mazzola added.
Other legislation:
A resolution passed to accept a change order from Infinity for “Geo-Sci Testing” in the amount of $15,622.
A resolution passed to accept the Ohio Public Works Compensation Grant Agreement for Bayberry Drive $420,00. The township is also responsible to contribute $420,000.
A resolution passed to enter a deferred employee plan from the Ohio Public Employees Deferred Compensation Program. The plan will be administered by the Ohio Public Employee Compensation Board.
A resolution passed to accept a government grant in the amount of $250,000. The grant can be used for fire equipment only.
A resolution passed to Hire Sharpscape, Inc., to mow 9097 Pleasantview Drive. The property is in violation.
A resolution passed to accept a $25,000 improvement grant from Summit County.
