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Resident warns Portsmouth against stationing city officers to patrol Washington Township
Summary
A Sciotoville resident told Portsmouth City Council the city should not provide 24/7 police coverage to Washington Township, saying current payments for two deputies are insufficient and would create financial and safety gaps for Portsmouth.
Tate Skinner, a Sciotoville resident, told Portsmouth City Council on Jan. 13 he opposed any plan for Portsmouth police to provide around-the-clock patrols in Washington Township, saying the proposal would be unaffordable and would reduce protection inside the city.
"It's financially irresponsible to even engage in anything like that," Skinner said, summarizing information he obtained through a public-records request to the county sheriff. He told council the township currently pays about $250,000 for two deputies and that full 24/7 coverage would require about five officers, which he estimated would cost roughly $640,000 — a difference he described as a "$390,000 shortfall" that he said would fall on city taxpayers if the city absorbed the additional costs.
Skinner also raised public-safety concerns, saying city officers sent to patrol the township would draw backup resources away from Portsmouth. "If that city officer who's patrolling Washington Township happens to need some help, that help is gonna come from the city," he said, and added that recent incidents in Washington Township had required multi-officer responses.
Skinner urged council to halt discussions about providing township patrols; the remarks were delivered during the meeting's public-comment period. Council did not take a formal vote or direct staff to take specific action on the matter during the Jan. 13 session.
No sheriff's office or Portsmouth Police Department representative spoke during public comment to confirm the staffing or cost figures Skinner cited.
