Chief: Cash infusion from levy brings Butler Twp. police stability

The mood at the Butler Twp. Police Department is good, now that voters went to the polls on Election Day and approved a 3.5-mill police levy that also delivered stability to the department.

Before Nov. 8, township police officers were facing an uncertain future, Chief John Porter said. Contracting with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office or borrowing from the township’s general fund were ruled out as possibilities to shore up the department financially.

“Now, they are looking at some stability,” the chief said Wednesday evening. “The mood has been really good today and we want to keep it that way.”

The infusion of funds that will come through the spigot of the levy means at least one or two new police officers — and maybe more over the next eight months to a year, Porter said.

Residents will begin to see changes in the department close to the start of 2017 as new officers will have to be hired on and trained before they can be put on the street, Porter said.

Right now, the department has 13 officers (including himself) and one on military leave. There are two openings Porter said he’ll begin working to fill.

It’s what residents wanted, he said, and they made that plain by passing the levy.

“We’re gonna make this work the best we can,” the chief said.