NLCRPD Chief Kilgore, Sergeant Burdis, Regional Police Commission Chairman Martin, Vice Chairman Eshleman and Executive Assistant Rebecca Borne attended the Special Meeting for Police Services relating to the request from Ephrata Township. The meeting was held September 13, 2023 held at Ephrata LCBC on Hahnstown Road; the NLCRPD would like to thank LCBC for being our gracious hosts.  Please find Chief Kilgore's opening statement below and his visual presentation. 

YouTube link to view presentation:  https://youtu.be/Ij2InXdrUWU

Opening Statement:

September 12, 2023
Good evening. My name is Josh Kilgore. I am the Chief of Police for the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department.
I want to quickly introduce members of my staff who are here tonight. Staff Sgt. Dave Burdis and our executive assistant, Ms. Becky Borne. I would also like to introduce two of our Police Commission representatives; Chairman Keith Martin (Clay Township representative), and second Chair Mr. Ken Eshleman (Warwick Township representative).
Thank you to everyone who is in attendance tonight. Your attendance means that you have an invested interest, and hopefully support, for the police - regardless of where you are from or where you live. I believe that behind every successful police department stands a strong community - and behind every strong community - you will find a successful police department.
We appreciate the opportunity to respond to some of the rumors and propaganda that have been circulating in the Ephrata community and it is our goal to provide both clarity and valued information about our agency to best support the upcoming policing decisions for the Ephrata Township Community.
Approximately 12 years ago, led by Warwick Township Manager Dan Zimmerman and his team, numerous townships and boroughs in Northern Lancaster County discussed the possibility of regionalizing resources under the umbrella of one police department. Three of those interested municipalities made the decision to move forward; Warwick, Penn, and Clay Townships. Since the inception of the Regional Police Department, all the projected outcomes have come to fruition. A premier-quality of police service, and a reduction of redundancies - all with measurable cost savings.
As you will see in the following presentation - A Regional Policing business model is different from that of many traditional PA law enforcement agencies. Regional policing focuses on a collaborative effort of varied stakeholders. Townships and or Boroughs become Charter members of a single entity. Members make both financial and operational investments into the membership. One of the goals of membership is to have an invested oversight of police costs.
In regional police departments, the Chief of police remains the chief executive officer of operations however he or she works alongside the township and borough managers, and together they answer to a police commission, made up of representatives of the different participating municipalities. Cooperation, collaboration, and sometimes compromise are key components to the success of the organization.
It has been our experience that through combined assets and needs, partners have seen both an increase in professional policing and a reduction in overall costs. Historically, our success has exceeded expectations, it has been noticed, and it is becoming a popular business plan for law enforcement services in Pennsylvania.
As an example - East Petersburg Borough inquired about joining the regional department a few years ago. After similar research to what will be presented tonight, East Petersburg Borough made the decision to move away from contracted police services and has taken steps to join the regional business plan. Since their inclusion with the NLCRPD, East Petersburg has reported exceeded expectations, an increase in the quality of police services, and has seen the financial benefits as projected.
Today - Ephrata Township currently contracts police services from the Ephrata Borough Police Department. The current contract is set to expire at the end of 2024. In anticipation of the expiring contract, and with the responsibility of due diligence to the Ephrata Township Community, Ephrata Township contacted us, the Northern Lancaster Regional Police Department to inquire more about the regional concept and to see if it may be a good fit for police services moving forward.
Once approved by the Ephrata Township Board, and the Regional Commission, my staff and I were tasked with completing a ‘feasibility study’ to determine ONE - if the regional business model may be a viable and attractive option for Ephrata Township, and TWO - If Ephrata Township would be a beneficial partner for the Regional Police Department. The study was completed, submitted, and presented. I will be sharing some of those outcomes with you tonight.
The request for the study has little to do with Ephrata Borough or the Ephrata Borough Police Department. To date, Ephrata Borough has expressed no interest in regionalization and is expected to continue police operations for the borough as they have done - with a continued high level of service -for so many years.
The Ephrata Borough Police have been excellent neighbors and partners of the NLCRPD. There have been no issues or concerns from Ephrata Township regarding the quality of service the Borough Police Department has provided. The feasibility study was completed to provide both a different perspective and options for police services moving forward.
In my 26-plus years of service here in Lancaster, I have developed both personal friendships and professional relationships with Officers at the Ephrata Borough Police Department. I have nothing but praise and respect for Chief McKim, his staff, and his personnel.
Yes, in the event Ephrata Township would choose not to continue contracted services with the Ephrata Borough Police Department and pursue charter membership with the NLCRPD in 2025 - it would be naive to assume there would be no operational impacts, most specific to staffing, to the Ephrata Borough Police Department.
These staffing impacts were not a focal part of the study. However, I can assure you I have a deep respect and understanding of some of the difficult decisions that will need to be made with respect to these potential changes - Chief McKim was made aware of the Ephrata Township inquiry immediately so he might best prepare for any associated outcomes.