Sheriff’s office to provide patrol for Newton Twp.

A joint police district for Newton Falls and Newton Township would be ideal, one township trustee said.

STAFF REPORT

NEWTON FALLS — Newton Township trustees have selected the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Department as their police force, but they are not closing the door on an eventual partnership with Newton Falls.

Trustee Peter Augusta said he and Trustee Mark Spletzer voted to authorize an agreement with the sheriff’s department, while Trustee John Nemet preferred a Newton Falls proposal and cast a dissenting vote.

Trustees disbanded their part-time department at a meeting Monday. Part-time Chief Tom Thompson will remain on the job through the transition.

The sheriff’s department will provide 40 hours per week of patrol coverage to the township for $49,000 per year — the amount the township’s police levy generates.

The sheriff’s department will begin its new coverage by Jan. 1 or sooner, Augusta said. An exact date hasn’t been determined.

Until then, the sheriff’s department will handle township police calls on an as-needed basis with mutual aid from Newton Falls and Lordstown, Augusta said.

The agreement calls for the sheriff’s department to use the township’s police station in the township hall as an outpost and to put Newton Township identification on the sheriff’s department cruiser used in the township.

Augusta said the city’s proposal called for providing three hours of patrol coverage per day for a total of 21 hours per week.

He admits that having Newton Falls answering calls might provide faster response times than the sheriff’s department can provide.

But he rejected the city’s proposal because he doubts the city can provide the service to the township for long at the cost the township can pay. Both the city and township have about 5,000 residents, Augusta said.

Eventually, Augusta hopes to establish a joint police district with Newton Falls that is funded with one levy paid by city and township residents, he said.