It was late at night last year when Renee Weaver received a phone call from an Eastern Adams Regional Police officer.
One of the back doors at Brewskees Beer Outlet in New Oxford was open. The patrolling officer happened to see it and called Weaver, the manager.
She was at the store in about 10 minutes. And nothing was stolen.
Weaver said that's because EARP was able to catch the open door during one of their patrols. The police department checks up on local businesses, she said.
And that's something that would likely be missed by state police if EARP disbands at the end of this year, Weaver said.
"Not that they wouldn't want to protect us," Weaver said. "They just don't know local businesses like these guys."
Weaver is one of a number of business owners are residents supporting a petition in support of keeping regional police. Officials have said unless there is an agreement among the three municipalities -- Berwick and Oxford townships and New Oxford Borough -- about EARP's budget for next year, the police department could disband.
This year's budget numbers called for Berwick to give $220,953, Oxford to give $510,478 and New Oxford Borough contribute $158,000. But Berwick has said it is no longer interested in EARP coverage and the other two municipalities can't make up that kind of shortfall, said Chief Robert Then.
Still, Then, like some other area officials, says the department can still be saved.
When Oxford Township resident Tina Shultz heard that EARP could disband, she started a petition asking municipal leaders to keep the regional police force. Shultz plans on presenting the petitions to the Berwick Township supervisors at their May 14 meeting.
"It would be good if (municipal leaders) could get together and answer some questions," Shultz said. "Hear us out."
At least 40 businesses have petitions on hand for their customers to sign, Schultz said, estimating that as of Thursday nearly 1,000 signatures had been collected. She said she plans on continuing to gather signatures until the morning of the May 14 meeting.
"This police department has been very trustworthy and a solid foundation in this area," the petition states. "We feel that it would be detrimental to our community for this department to be taken away."
State police just seem to be stretched thin, business owners said.
And there is some truth in that. State police currently face budget and manpower issues of their own, acknowledges Maria Finn, press secretary for the Pennsylvania State Police.
The proposed 2012-13 state budget allocates money for 115 new cadets statewide, but that won't even make up retirements and existing vacancies, Finn said. Anticipated retirements could reduce the number of troopers to 3,924 in 2015, 765 fewer than the department's authorized force of 4,689. The force could continue shrinking through at least 2018 as more troopers who were hired in the early 1990s become retirement-eligible, Finn said.
"This would seriously affect public safety in the state, especially in the smaller rural towns that don't have local police," Finn said.
If EARP does disband, and state police take over its coverage area, there will be no additional troopers in Adams County, Finn said. Nor would troopers work longer shifts.
Currently, state police cover more than 79 percent of area in Adams County, Finn said.
With all that area to cover, Shultz said she worries what that will mean -- especially if it takes longer for police to respond.
"The crime rate is going to skyrocket," Shultz predicted.
Right now, New Oxford area business owners say, crime isn't a serious problem and they want to keep it that way.
"I feel secure knowing they're in the area," Karen Dubois, manager of the thrift store Treasures from the HART, said of EARP. "That'll be lost."
Sue Senft, manager of Rosie's Restaurant in New Oxford, said when her eatery closes at night, EARP officers always stop by, making sure all doors are secured.
Senft recalled when an employee of the New Oxford Family Dollar Store was robbed at the PNC Bank near Rosie's Restaurant in October 2011. EARP was able to respond immediately, and the victim wasn't harmed. She wonders what might have happened if police were slower to respond.
Still, more municipalities are relying on state police as fiscal problems cause them to drop their local police, Finn said, putting additional strain on the decreasing ranks of troopers.
But, she insisted, the troopers will be able to provide good coverage to New Oxford and the townships if called upon to do so.
"It's just something we have to do," she said. "It's not the first, and it won't be the last."
Some, however, remain optimistic that EARP will continue its coverage.
New Oxford Borough Council member Jim Zero said the council will be negotiating with the other municipalities and the police department. Zero said he could not provide any more details on negotiations.
The borough would prefer to keep full-time coverage from EARP, Zero said. That's the goal. But if that's not possible, part-time coverage would have to do.
Whatever the outcome is, Zero said, it's safe to say residents will have concerns if state police take over.
"I don't think they'll be very happy," Zero said.
[email protected]; 717-637-3736, ext. 151THE EVENING SUN -- SHANE DUNLAP Don Troutman, of Abbottstown, signs a petition on Friday afternoon at Rosie's Restaurant in New Oxford. Petitions have been floating around local businesses since last week when word surfaced that Eastern Adams Regional Police might dissolve at the end of this year. THE EVENING SUN -- SHANE DUNLAP Local business owners say they have felt secure with Eastern Adams Regional Police because officers will patrol around their stores. Those who live and work in the area are afraid crime will increase if state police take over coverage in the area. THE EVENING SUN -- SHANE DUNLAP Tina Shultz, of Oxford Township, started a petition to keep EARP coverage. Shultz said so far about 40 businesses have received the petitions. When all are signed, she plans to deliver them to Berwick Township supervisors.
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