The levy would have two primary effects. The money would be used to hire two officers — one patrol officer and an additional full-time school resource officer with Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools. And the funds would go toward purchasing vehicles and equipment, township Administrator Barry Tiffany said.
The Sugarcreek Police Department currently has 17 sworn personnel, and handles 35,000 calls per year. Dispatch services are provided by Greene County.
The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek School District in January approved a plan to have two SROs for the district, one from the Bellbrook Police Department and one from Sugarcreek police, with each entity paying half of the total salary and benefits. Bellbrook is among several communities looking to increase the number of police officers in schools amid the rise in school shootings and threats nationwide.
The other officer would be an additional patrol officer in the community. Sugarcreek Twp.’s population jumped 18% from 2010 to 2020 per U.S. Census data, one of the largest percentage increases of any community in the greater Dayton area.
The last police levy Sugarcreek Twp. residents passed was in 2010. Until recently, the township had projected an ability to fund the department for another two years at their current levels, but COVID and skyrocketing costs have shortened that timeline, Tiffany said.
“Police cruisers have doubled in cost, from about $45,000 to $85,000, if it’s fully outfitted,” he said.
Tiffany said the township will not meet its goal of 25% in carryover funding for next year.
If passed, current projections show the new levy would adequately fund the police department for the next 10 years, Tiffany said.
If the levy doesn’t pass, it is possible there would be personnel cuts, Tiffany said, though it would be “up to the trustees to decide whether cuts are made immediately, or next year.”
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