Police force savings not worth the price

Police force savings not worth the price

One mile.

That’s about how much roadway Winfield would be able to pave each year with the savings from outsourcing police services to the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.

I gleaned this statistic while attending a recent town hall meeting on the four referendum questions that will be on Winfield ballots Nov. 6. At the meeting, village staff adeptly described the poor conditions of village roads and made a strong case for why it is in our economic interest to pave the streets sooner rather than later. But when it came to explaining the option of outsourcing police services to pay for road repairs, the numbers just didn’t add up.

Here’s the bottom line: Winfield would save an estimated $300,000 a year if it disbands its police department and outsources services to the county, according to the consultant hired by the village. Meanwhile, the cost to resurface one mile of road is $375,000.

I’m sure I am not alone when I say I’d never trade a police force that provides excellent service to our residents, schools, churches, businesses and hospital for less than one mile of newly paved roadway a year. Now if we could just convince village trustees of the same.

Carla Kemp

Winfield