Report suggests OP police consolidation

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) - A new study that's already generated some controversy is showing where Orchard Park taxpayers could save big money.

The town supervisor says the price of running the police department keeps going up. Wednesday night, a private consultant agreed, recommending some consolidation in the Orchard Park Police Department.

"We all need to be open to change," said Orchard Park Town Attorney Sean Beiter.

Beiter summarized the independent study that cost the town $50,000. The International City-County Management Association used the police department's own numbers and determined that Orchard Park Police officers spend an average of more than an hour on police-initiated traffic stops, that the average officer spends 30 percent of his time responding to citizen calls, and that response time averages 10 to 11 minutes. Much of the response time is lost in the dispatching process.

"I notice those numbers, and that's something I'm going to look into. I don't... I would have to see that," said Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz.

Still, Chief Benz isn't sure he likes the recommendation to consolidate dispatching with another town or with the sheriff's office dispatch at Chestnut Ridge.

Chief Benz said, "My concerns are situations like when Hassan came in here to tell us he had killed his wife. If there's nobody here, how's that going to work out in the end?"

"We cannot afford to continue to do the same thing over and over with the operation of the police department. We need to do something unconventional; we need to think outside the box," said Beiter.

The 130-page report that was released Wednesday will be placed on the town's website in the coming days. The public will be able to comment on the report for at least a month or two.