DuPage townships asked to pay more for cop patrols

Four townships could be asked to pay DuPage County more money during the next four years to keep additional sheriff’s deputies patrolling their unincorporated neighborhoods.

But whether Bloomingdale, Milton, York and Wayne townships are willing — or even able — to pick up the cost remains to be seen.

DuPage for years has provided the extra patrols to parts of the four townships. As part of the arrangement, the townships are supposed to pay 80 percent of the six extra deputies’ salaries and benefits.

But a review of the “special policing districts” show that DuPage is paying more than its agreed-upon 20 percent. The latest estimate has townships contributing about $403,700 of the program’s roughly $635,600 cost.

So the county board’s judicial and public safety committee is considering a proposal to have the townships pay annual increases the next four years until the $104,000 gap is closed.

“To be fair our taxpayers in the whole county, we need to make sure we’re recouping our costs,” county board member Paul Fichtner said.

However, supervisors in two of the four townships Tuesday questioned whether their residents can afford to pay more for the program — even if the increase is spread out.

Each township has a separate tax levy to pay for the deputies.

Bloomingdale Township Supervisor Ed Levato said he would need voter approval to increase the levy enough to raise the money needed to address the shortfall. He said it would be easier to drop the program and stop collecting the special tax.

“They (the sheriff’s office) have to provide us with police service, anyway,” Levato said.

Wayne Township Supervisor Thomas Arends says he sees a benefit to having deputies assigned to specific areas. They are supposed to work on crime prevention initiatives, attend homeowners association meetings and meet with residents.

While Arends said the deputy assigned to Wayne Township is doing community policing, he added his board will have a decision to make if DuPage approves the cost increase. One option could be paying another police department within the township to provide the special patrols, he said.