COLUMBIANA Police chief seeks funds for new full-time officer

The department could reduce overtime by adding one full-time officer, the chief said.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
COLUMBIANA -- Council discussed at length adding a full-time patrolman to the police force but took no action.
Police Chief John Krawchyk said an additional full-time officer is needed to patrol the growing community.
In a prepared statement, officers and dispatchers cited a U.S. Department of Justice annual report that says the national average for sworn police officers is one for every 400 residents. By those standards, the village should have 14.5 officers if the village population is 5,000, and 17.4 if it is 6,000, they said.
Adding a patrolman would give the department 12 full-time officers and reduce overtime, Krawchyk said. He noted two full-time officers have been added to the department in the past 10 years.
Village Manager Keith Chamberlin said he did not want to recommend hiring a full-time officer until questions regarding a new officer's civil service status are answered.
New hires will be subject to civil service testing, and the village will likely obtain city status when census figures are released in a few weeks, he said.
Paying for it: Council gave first reading to an ordinance that would change disbursement of village income tax revenue from 60 percent for capital improvements and 40 percent for the general fund to 58 percent capital improvements and 42 percent general fund.
Finance Director Mary Louise Dicken said increasing the general fund 2 percent would make money available to hire an additional full-time patrolman.