Bristol Borough Approves Hiring More Cops

The Bristol Borough Council voted to hire one full time officer and up to three part time officers on Monday night in a 6-1-1 vote.

Mayor Pat Sabatini asked members of council to put forth a motion that would hire two full time officers and a single part time officer.

Sabatini’s call for police was answered when Councilwoman Betty Rodriguez put forth a motion to hire one full time officer and one part time officer, once eligibility was established.

The council deliberated for some time, the discussion became heated when Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe III suggested to turn the motion into three part time hires and one full time hire.

Council members had misgiving regarding the motion from the moment it was brought up.

“It is going to be very difficult on the taxpayers now and in the future,” said Tony Devine.

Borough solicitor William Selerno and borough manager James Dillon both spoke against the motion. They indicated that the motion should be put off. Dillon urged the council to delay the vote and form a committee for subject.

It would take about two weeks to hire a full time officer, officials said.

The benefits of hiring more officers shows its true savings in terms of officers which lend their hand in times of borough need; two officers from Bensalem for a single day festival cost $1,400, and comes out to an hourly wage of $91 an hour to each officer, officials said.

Police Benevolent Association Sgt. Joe Moors said the vote to approve the hiring was “huge.”

“I want to thank the mayor and council for approving the hiring of more cops,” Moors said. “No one during December’s budget discussions could have predicted that we were going to lose two part time officers, two full time officers to injury and an additional officer for several weeks to military service.”

He added that the current support from Lower Bucks County law enforcement agencies would continue until the department could get the new officers fully trained.

“We really need the help,” he said as a new call crackled over the air and Moors saying he had to go.

Council voted 6-1-1, with David Girard voting no and Tony Devine abstaining, noting that he needed more information to make an informed decision.

“Nobody can survive losing this many officers,” said DiGuiseppe on the necessity to hire new officers.

“I think it was a very wise and safe vote,”  Sabatini said. “I applaud all of the officers who had to work all the extra hours this summer, we’re running up a lot of overtime.”