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HOWARD TOWNSHIP — Apple Valley residents can expect to see Danville police officers patrolling their community for at least another nine months.
The Apple Valley Property Owners Association Board, through the Howard Township Boards of Trustees, has contracted with the Village of Danville to provide police protection in the community through the end of the year.
These services will supplement the police protection Apple Valley already receives from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Apple Valley POA General Manager Jeff Harmer said.
“This whole thing is about enhancing the safety and maintaining the quality of life that we currently have (in Apple Valley),” Harmer said in early January. “And getting behind is when you’re always behind, so I don’t want to be behind.”
The POA board began looking into adding police protection in the community late last year, Harmer said. Various factors led to the decision to do so.
“We’ve seen over the last several years – and the sheriff’s lake patrol is kind of the catalyst that started some of this – that because of shift changes and stuff, they couldn’t get a lot of lake patrol people, (as well as staffing for) some of the night patrols. …” Harmer said.
“We also see attitude changes on our common areas when we’re checking beach passes and stuff. And the sheriff’s limited in the number of people he’s got out there.”
Harmer said he experienced this shift in public conduct first-hand last year.
“For 24 of my 25 years (in Apple Valley), I could walk up and talk to a member and, without attitude, be able to resolve a conflict,” Harmer said.
“Last year I experienced, on several occasions, attitudes that were less than pleasant. On one occasion, I thought I was gonna get decked. And I think we just have to get past that. And the only way I know to get past it is to have some presence, because presence is prevention. That’s really what we’re after.”
The POA board fielded offers for additional police protection from both the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Danville Police Department, Harmer said. The board chose to go with the DPD for economic reasons, he added.
“In reality, it was an economic decision. The pricing, for us, was a little more palatable with Danville than with the sheriff’s office,” Harmer said. “It’s nothing against any of the guys down there. It’s just, you know, we’ve gotta watch our nickels.”
Adam Landon, general counsel for the Apple Valley POA Board, Danville Solicitor Noel Alden and Knox County Prosecutor Chip McConville worked together late last year to craft an agreement between Apple Valley, Danville and Howard Township (Brown Township, which makes up a small portion of Apple Valley, began contracting with Danville for police services three years ago).
The agreement states the POA Board will pay the village, through Howard Township (because POAs cannot pay local governments directly for police services, per Ohio law), $89,340 for one officer to patrol Apple Valley for a total of 2,080 hours over the course of the year.
The village will cover all cruiser-related costs, including maintenance and fuel, per the agreement.
“What it comes out to is 40 hours (of police protection) a week,” Howard Township Trustee Joe Toth said at the trustees’ Jan. 5 meeting.
“So it’s not that he’s there for 24/7 protection. But he’ll be there and their hours will be, if I understand it right, it’s not gonna be set hours all the time. It can change depending on the time of year (and what Apple Valley officials and residents request).”
The POA board will pay for the services through its operating budget, Harmer said. It’s unclear if it has or will amount to an increase in fees for property owners, as Harmer could not be reached for a follow-up interview.
“(We wanted) to fund it out of another salary line item,” Harmer said in January. “Instead of me filling a position, I just shifted some money and said, ‘Let’s try this.'”
While the DPD will have jurisdiction over the entire township, the agreement specifies it will provide “additional service” in Apple Valley.
“It will be consistent with what Apple Valley requests,” Danville Police Chief Dan Weckesser said at the Jan. 5 meeting.
The POA board will have the opportunity to renew or terminate the contract with Danville after one year. The cost of services will rise 2% each year the POA agrees to renew the contract, the agreement states.
POA, township and village officials signed off on the agreement in early January, and Danville immediately began serving the area.
Harmer stressed that this year will serve as a trial run with the village.
“This is a one-year contract that we’re looking at to see how it does and what it does, and whether we continue it or not is (up to the board),” he said.
The end goal, Harmer said, is to make Apple Valley as safe as possible for residents and property owners. That’s why this partnership was formed.
“We’re the largest community outside of Mount Vernon,” Harmer said. “The time has come for us to guarantee the quality of life that we so proudly boast about.”
Howard Township marks the fourth community the Danville Police Department currently has jurisdiction over, outside of the village. The DPD also serves the Village of Brinkhaven, Union Township, Jefferson Township and Brown Township.
It’s unclear how long the Knox County Sheriff’s Office has served Apple Valley. Sheriff David Shaffer said the community has used private security over the years to check beaches, building and other facilities. Shaffer said the sheriff’s office has been the only law enforcement agency to serve Apple Valley, until now.
