Manheim Township Manager Michael Rimer says that, although newspaper reports have presented the MT proposal as a “done deal,” the process has actually been an exploratory one, not only for Lancaster Township, but for Manheim as well.
Under the current policing contract between Lancaster Township and the City of Lancaster, 10% of the City’s annual fee amounts to “pure profit,” as Lancaster Township Manager Bill Laudien explained. Under Manheim Township’s proposal, there is no provision of direct financial profit for MT, even though the plan would expand the patrolling territory for several of their officers.
Whether MT residents are aware of such inter-municipal philanthropy is uncertain; however, Rimer says that maintaining current protection is certainly a matter of concern for MT officials.
According to Rimer, MT presented their proposal at Lancaster Township’s request. The MT Commissioners, Rimer said, are comfortable with the plan from a financial perspective, but remain in discussion regarding how it might affect the quality of police coverage within MT.
Of particular concern to Rimer is whether MT will have to lower its level of service in the process of “ramping up” to cover the additional territory.
Rimer also noted that the contract presents some risks for MT. For example, he said, if there was a massive incident in Lancaster Township requiring the use of several detectives, these resources would simply be lost to MT without the ability to bill for the extraordinary services.
Without the obvious, substantive benefit of a monetary profit, MT officials are presently unclear as to how this relationship would serve their constituents, especially in light of the contract’s inherent risks.
