Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 25, 1993 TAG: 9303250405
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
BUCHANAN, COUNTY NEAR POLICE DEAL
Buchanan seems to be one step closer to eliminating its Police Department and entering a contract agreement with Botetourt County for police protection.The arrangement, if approved by Town Council, would be the second of its kind in Virginia. Appomattox also contracts out its police services.
"That's the route we're going to try and take. I believe that will solve our problem," said Tom Middlecamp, chairman of Buchanan's Police Committee.
After meeting with Botetourt County Sheriff Reed Kelly last week, Middlecamp said he was confident an agreement with the county could be worked out. A second meeting among committee members, Kelly and County Administrator Gerald Burgess is scheduled for today.
Town Council may vote on the proposal at its next meeting April 12.
Kelly also was optimistic that an agreement could be arranged, and he agreed with Middlecamp that it may be the best solution for Buchanan's police woes.
"I think they're tired of it," Kelly said.
Problems began for the town's tiny Police Department in 1990 when six-year Police Chief Harry Hood quit in a dispute with Town Council over driving his patrol car home at night. Hood, coincidentally, now is a member of council.
His part-time assistant, Lennie Atwood, quit a month later, saying that he was not fairly considered to replace Hood as police chief. Atwood was replaced by Mike St. Clair, who resigned after only six months.
Then in 1992, three part-time officers quit, charging that they were ordered by the town's mayor at the time, C.D. Barger, to selectively enforce drunken-driving laws.
Finally, Buchanan's most recent police chief, Scott Beard, resigned this month in yet another dispute with Town Council. Council had received complaints about Beard's availability to respond to calls.
Middlecamp said Buchanan budgets about $46,000 annually for its Police Department. He and Kelly said it would cost about $30,000 a year for an additional sheriff's deputy.
Under the contract agreement, they said the county would assign deputies to patrol Buchanan 40 hours a week. However, there would not be a specific deputy assigned exclusively to the town. Deputies would patrol on a rotating basis, Middlecamp and Kelly said.
Middlecamp said he believed the agreement would be approved by Town Council. He said all three members of council's Police Committee support the agreement as does Mayor Wayne Graves. That would be enough for a majority, even if the other three council members opposed the arrangement.