SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, OH (WTOL) - Springfield Township trustees say they can no longer afford to staff a full-time Lucas County Sheriff's deputy for the area.
Trustees say it does not mean that deputies won't respond to situations in Springfield Township. But it does mean that a deputy won't be designated specifically to the township 24/7.
Springfield Township administrator Leslie Kholi says property values are to blame for the $800,000 deficit that is preventing them from keeping a full-time deputy.
"We have been using our carry-over for the last couple years to kind of cushion that, hoping that the property values go up and that we'd be able to recoup that. But they just have not gone up enough to be able to afford that," she said.
Kholi says a deputy had been patrolling the township 24/7 or 168 hours a week. Now, that's been reduced to just 67 and a half hours a week. While Kholi says serious crimes will still take precedent, this change could affect response times for non-violent crimes.
"What they're going to do is set up a telephone reporting line, so when they call into 911, if it's something that's not an emergency, let's say it's a petty theft or criminal damaging, harassment, something like that, they'll be directed to that telephone reporting line, and then from that point it will be determined whether or not a detective is necessary," she said.
Kholi says if voters approve a 3.68 mill police levy on the ballot in March, they could afford a full-time deputy.
"We wouldn't necessarily be able to do anything about 2016 services, but for future services we would be able to bring back that enhanced level of service that we're used to," said Kholi.
Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp says the officers who worked to fill the full time deputy position in Springfield Township won't be out of a job. He says they'll be bumped out of the field to work in the jail.
Kholi also says the sheriff's sub-station in the township will remain open.
