 |
War takes toll on
local police,
By JODI PREISLER HARRISBURG, Pa. – Since the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the nation has seen many changes. A void haunts New York’s skyline, Americans have displayed increasing patriotism, the Department of Homeland Security was born, and war has been waged against Iraq. The events that have transpired over the last two years have imposed hardships on some area police and fire departments. Some of the men and women who protect Dauphin County’s streets also moonlight in the military. As the nation watched a war unfold, local police and fire departments lost officers to active duty. Susquehanna Township’s police department lost one of its officers soon after the collapse of the World Trade Center. “The loss of manpower is felt in the department because we are down some other officers as well,” Chief Robert Martin said. The Pennsylvania National Guard boasts that its 3,800 men and women are the most deployed Guard in the nation. Several units stationed at Fort Indiantown Gap and Harrisburg International Airport have been deployed to support various peacekeeping missions and the war on terrorism. Lower Swatara Fire Department assistant chief Dwayne Black said that the department lost its fire chief. “He resigned when he was called to active duty,” Black said. Black said that it was not hard to find a replacement so there were no adverse consequences to their operations. Still, he said, it was hard to lose such a dedicated volunteer. Hiring new officers is a solution that has been adopted in some departments but raises the issues of time and money. Martin said that it takes nearly eight months to train an officer. Currently, Susquehanna Township has three officers at the academy but they will not graduate until August. “At times overtime is utilized to cover lost manpower,” Martin said. He also said that the officer has still receives benefits and the department has compensated for the difference in pay while he is on active duty. In addition, Dauphin County’s police forces have seen an increase in their workload. Domestic criminal activity is no longer limited to drugs, murders and the various other crimes law enforcement is used to dealing with. Today, policing against potential acts of terrorism is also part of the job. Active military units have seen major reductions over the last decade. As a result, the reserves and National Guard currently make up nearly half of the country’s military force. With the ongoing battle against terrorism and the President’s promise to rebuild Iraq, Dauphin County’s police and fire departments may have to deal with this dilemma for quite some time. “I believe that a new look must be given to police officers that are reservists now that we are dealing with a… military that relies heavily on reserves,” Martin said. Despite the consequences of lost manpower, Susquehanna Township has seen a reduction in crime since the attacks of September 11th. “It is still too soon to know if that will last,” Martin said. All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual
authors. |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||