Question:
Did we save money by switching from Barrett Township to Pocono Mountain Regional police?

Answer:
I'm going through the "Public Safety - Police" total expense lines for years available to me and here is what I have:

[Updated 1/7/21 to include 2020's budget]

2010: $552,000 (When Barrett had 6 officers)
2011: ?
2012: ?
2013: ? (+ $100,000*)
2014: ?
2015: $709,000 (The year that Barrett police disbanded. Had 5 officers)
2016: $520,000 (Regional)
2017: $520,000 (Regional)
2018: $578,000 (Regional)
2019: $551,000 (Regional)
2020: $575,048 (Regional)

Due to the fact that all three banks in Mountainhome have been robbed since 2015, after the Barrett Police department disbanded, I wanted to share an idea that I heard:

The three banks should share the cost of an armed security guard. They would patrol the section of Route 390 where First Keystone, NBT, and ESSA are situated along a 0.8 mile stretch of road.

MOUNTAINHOME — Pocono Mountain Regional Police are searching for a bank robber. According to Police Chief Chris Wagner, the First Keystone Community Bank at 1154 Route 390 in Mountainhome was robbed just after 9 a.m. Thursday.

The suspect is described as a 6-foot tall, heavy set male, wearing a grey-hooded sweat suit. The suspect was wearing a mask and gloves and therefore his race was unknown at the time of this story.

According to Wagner, at the time of the incident the suspect entered the bank and accessed a teller drawer, removing bundled US currency. After removing the currency, he fled on foot across Route 390 and up toward Golf Drive.

Fellow Barrett Resident,

In July 2015, the Barrett Township Police Department merged with Pocono Regional.  Since then, have been numerous “unofficial” (unreported) break-ins, vandalism, and thefts.  There have also been two bank robberies:

• In November 2015, the ESSA bank on Route 390 was robbed. (link)
• In January 2017, the NBT Bank on Route 390 was robbed. (link)

 I wanted to share some thoughts and ideas, suggestions and pointers, so that the next time one of our (three!) banks is held up, the citizens know what they can do:

Well, that didn’t take long.  Only a few months after getting rid of the Barrett Township Police Department, the ESSA Bank on Route 390 in Mountainhome was robbed.  

This article may be “too little, too late,” but we can still ask questions about the way our Township Supervisors are conducting business.

1.  Why did we go with Regional over State?
Looking only at the distance between Barrett Township and the corresponding police headquarters:
- State Police Barracks in Swiftwater: 11.1 miles (19 minutes according to Google)
- Mount Pocono Regional Police: 14.9 miles (26 minutes according to Google)

Please note:  As of July 16, 2015, the Barrett Township Police Department has merged with Pocono Mountain Regional Police.