April apparently will decide whether a study materializes regarding formation of a regional police department in southwestern Butler County.

Regardless of the fate of this latest joint-police-protection proposal, it's refreshing that so many municipalities are capable of mustering the cooperation to at least weigh the benefits and drawbacks of forming such a law-enforcement network.

On March 2, seven of nine municipalities invited to a regional police meeting attended the session. That session was a followup to a meeting in December to which 18 municipalities were invited and 15 were represented.

Municipalities represented at the March 2 meeting were Evans City, Connoquenessing and Zelienople boroughs and Adams, Connoquenessing, Jackson and Lancaster townships.

One focus of the latest meeting was the challenges that face communities that choose to opt for a joint police force — issues such as police wages and pension plans, vacation schedules, and ways in which communities can keep their identities within the joint department's name.

But probably the most formidable obstacle that must be overcome is the cost of forming such a department. That could be expensive.

However, Chief Robert Amann of the Northern Regional Police Force of Allegheny County, who spoke at the March 2 meeting, made an excellent point when he observed, "It's not always a dollar savings; it's when people go to bed at night (they know they're protected)."

"I can tell you it's a lot of work, but it's worth it," Amann said.

Whether the Butler County communities in question agree will become known over the next several weeks. Without doubt, it is an issue that deserves careful consideration, but it also merits officials' efforts to collect their residents' opinions.

That can happen only if officials take steps to review the issue with as many residents as possible.

A study can answer many of the questions and concerns that exist about police regionalization. At this juncture, no community is obligated to become part of a regional venture and there will be no obligation to join even after the study is completed, assuming that there will be a study.

The idea of forming a regional department for the county's southwestern sector is not new. The topic has come up several times before, with no joint department emanating from those discussions.

Even if the result is the same this time, the communication between the municipalities can be valuable in terms of future cooperation or guidance on other matters.

However, regionalization has been becoming more common across the state. If a regional department is forthcoming here, efforts must be geared toward employing the best features of those other regional forces while avoiding the pitfalls they encountered when they were being formed.

April will be important as to whether the latest proposal goes forward. "Yes" is the correct answer to whether a study should proceed at this time.

Findings of the study will guide officials on how the municipalities should proceed beyond that point.