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City may move desk officer out to patrol streets

Butler is considering eliminating the desk sergeant position from its police department.

Mayor Tom Donaldson said he hopes to reassign the position to put another officer on patrol on the streets by July 1.

“I think it would be a big benefit to the city,” Donaldson said following the city council meeting Thursday night. “We would have an extra officer patrolling the streets.”

The police department has an officer at its desk 24 hours a day to answer phone calls and speak with residents who walk into the station.

If the position were to be removed, all calls to report an emergency or a crime would go through 911 at the Butler County Emergency Services department.

Donaldson said it would take about six months for the county to prepare for the change in policy.

“I am going to send the county a formal letter,” Donaldson said. “But I have already spoken to commissioners Dale Pinkerton and Bill McCarrier, as well as Steve Bicehouse.”

Bicehouse is the county emergency services director.

Donaldson said the county likely would have to hire additional dispatchers to handle the task.

Now calls made to the county 911 center requesting city police assistance are typically transferred to the police desk. Without a desk sergeant, the calls would be handled by 911 dispatchers.

Donaldson said Butler Township police uses 911 dispatchers for its calls.

However, the city department would still have personnel in the office during the day.

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