A consolidation project : Mahoning County, Ohio

Abstract

Since Mahoning County, Ohio, is basically comprised of small, undersized policing entities of ten or less men, extensively utilizing part-time help in patrol and investigative services, one can infer that inefficiency in overall services rendered has resulted. These undersized departments are not only understaffed, but they are also poorly trained, poorly organized, and overworked-- all because some inate concept of local autonomy and home rule. Because of the attempt of these departments to remain autonomous, they duplicate services of neighboring agencies and prevent the structuring of area-wide police services. This study was designed to assess the feasibility of a merger of all police agencies in Mahoning County, Ohio, into one centralized operation of line, staff and supportive services. The defined population includes all police deparments within the legal boundaries of Mahoning County-- nineteen departments with more than 610 employees provide policing services to the 304,595 residents of the county, in an area size of 422 square miles. In order to ascertain the number and variety of interjurisdictional cooperative arrangements existing in the Mahoning County Area, interviews were conducted with representatives from all but one of the departments of the area. A structured questionnaire, see Appendix A, was administered in each case, and respondents were asked to elaborate on the types of arrangements their respective department was involved with, so that as much information as possible could be obtained. After analyzing the data gathered by the instrument, the following conclusions were made: Given the situation that presently exists in Mahoning County, Ohio, there is little argument concerning the realization that there is a dire demand for improved police services. Local autonomy and home rule have hindered the growth of law enforcement and is a major detriment to the consolidation of police organizations. A high centralization of police services; the extensive use of part-time help; limited area-wide capabilities; poor training and recruitment standards; limited financial community resources; duplication of services and facilities; inconsistent and contradictory objectives; inconsistent police services and policies; and the high mobility of the criminal population are all reasons to reevaluate traditional methods of operation and turn to alternatives, such as consolidation of police services, which seem to be the most viable solution.