Lansford’s mayor told council that they need to hire more police after a councilwoman called state police response into the borough “inexcusable” during Wednesday’s council meeting.

“Council need to hire more police officers,” Mayor Hugh Vrablic said, in response to Councilwoman Michele Bartek’s comments.

Vrablic gave the police report, listing 198 response calls in the borough, which included a home invasion, sex abuse cases involving children, stolen property recovered and three overdose deaths – two of which are under investigation.

Bartek, who chairs the public safety committee, first questioned the number of tickets issued by the police, which was 26 in the month of April.

“So in the whole month, it was 26 tickets given?” she asked, and Vrablic said that was correct.

Bartek then asked if the number of police calls included state police response into the borough, and Vrablic said no.

“”There were 62 emergency state police calls,” she said. “And I got that information from the corporal and the sergeant at Lehighton state police. And honestly, that is inexcusable.”

Vrablic agreed, stating they needed more officers and asked her if she looked at the information he provided her the previous month regarding a program to hire police.

Bartek explained that it’s a grant to hire three extra police officers for three years, and she does intend to apply for the grant next month. Vrablic said that the Recruitment Incentives for Law Enforcement program covers the officers’ training and salary.

The program does not cover benefits, Bartek noted, but Vrablic said that he’d rather spend a little on the benefits.

The grant would be a big help, because it would put more officers on the streets, Vrablic said.

Councilman Joseph Butrie pointed out that Summit Hill has five officers, the same number as Lansford, and they have 24-hour coverage.

Bartek believed it came down to the 10-hour shifts that the officers are working, and rather than eight-hour shifts, which would provide more coverage across the schedule.

Vrablic said that council should not discuss police schedules in a public forum, but council members disagreed saying that was public.

The new police contract, which came as a result of binding arbitration late last year, calls for eight-hour shifts, Bartek said.

Vrablic questioned whether the contract has been signed by both sides yet.

“It’s not signed,” Bartek said. “But once it went through arbitration because of the police, it’s completely legal and binding.”

Solicitor Robert Yurchak agreed.

“Despite the fact that it hasn’t been signed, it was an arbitrator’s decision. It should be binding,” he said.

Councilwoman Jennifer Staines said that she spoke to an officer Wednesday, who told her that the police signed the contract, and that they’re waiting for the borough to sign it.

Council President Bruce Markovich said that the borough never got the contract back to sign.

Bartek asked if the officers got their salary increase, and Markovich said “Not until they sign it.”

Bartek said that if the officers accepted the contract with eight-hour days, the borough also has to pay them what’s in the contract.

Markovich said that the contract has been in limbo for six months now. He explained that the arbitrator sent a ruling, which the borough secretary incorporated into the contract.

“She incorporated exactly what was sent to her,” Markovich said. “She didn’t add anything. She didn’t detract anything.”

The contract was sent down to the police union to sign, and the police union claimed there were substantial changes made to the contract, he explained. The contract has been in the hands of the attorneys since, Markovich said.

Staines asked the mayor to verify with the police that they did sign the new contract, and Markovich said he would check with their labor attorney, Michael Miller, to see if he received a signed contract.

Also related to police, the borough added Joseph Pavlis as a member of the borough’s Civil Service Commission, and Thomas L. Dahl as an alternate member.