Dear Editor,
My response to the Village Public Safety Committee’s request for input regarding the future of the Owego Police Department requires more space than the check box provided on a postcard. I do not believe that this issue can be distilled to postcard length nor should it.
The survey method of “providing this information” lacks the “real facts, data, and information” necessary to make a prudent decision. Secondly, the blatant reference to the upcoming election suggests that the primary motivation for this communiqué is political not public-spirited. Where was this outreach prior to election eve?
Clearly, the committee wants the residents to see the issue as a matter of cost. Period. The committee has also homogenized the safety needs of the village with the “rest of Tioga County.” This simplification is given without explanation or justification. What level of protection does the Village of Owego need? What are our safety concerns? What forces threaten the welfare of the village? The needs of the village, the county seat, differ from other areas of the county.
Cost is certainly an important factor in resolving this dilemma. Budget constraints are real and resources are limited, but costs must be balanced with needs. If we are going to rebuild Owego and make positive change then there must first be a vision of what Owego is to become. Should it become a drive-through where people stop, shop, and move on or a community where people can safely live, work, raise a family, and retire?
This discussion needs to take place in an open forum where any resident can express his or her view and where there is a free exchange of ideas before a decision can be fairly rendered.
Respectfully,
Patricia S. Williams
Owego, N.Y.
