(1/19) The Carroll Valley Police Department is losing yet another officer, leading the department chief and members of the borough Council to find ways to retain officers, rather than lose them to positions elsewhere.

The two officers who have left the department were identified as officers Courtney Herring and Jonathan Harvey. Herring left to become a member of the McSherrystown Borough Police Department, while Harvey has joined the Northern York County Regional Police Department (NYCRPD).

When asked by Councilwoman Jessica Kraft at the Council’s February 11 meeting about the status of replacing officers leaving the police force, Police Chief Richard Hileman replied, "Civil Service (State Civil Service Commission) was told to begin their process, so they’ve started that process. Applications are due… February 19, and then shortly thereafter, we’ll have the written test, (and) we’ll schedule the oral (interviews). "After that," he said, "background investigations will go on. At the end of that process, Civil Service will provide you with a list from which you can choose a hire (applicant)."

Kraft then asked how the police coverage in the community would be, in the interim. Hileman responded, "We’re going to be hurting."

The police chief stated that state police have offered to assist as needed, and in addition, former Carroll Valley officers Nathan Groft (now with Conewago Township Police) and Jonathan Harvey (now with NYCRPD), have offered to assist with coverage. "These guys have stepped-up to help us out," he said, further noting, the county Constable also occasionally provides backup.

As the conversation turned to finding new police officers, Borough Manager David Hazlett, said, "When you’re hiring an entry-level position in any field, there’s a lot of turnover. Unfortunately for us, especially when you’re talking about the police department with four people, and two of them are entry-level position, you’re going to see a lot of turnover, and it’s almost completely unavoidable. It’s just part of doing the business."

Hazlett suggested that the council consider hiring individuals with more experience, over hiring entry- level ones. "I don’t think there is any value in trying to make some changes."

"I don’t know that we could have been competitive with anybody else. I don’t know that there’s things that we could have changed in term of pay or benefits or really anything," Hazlett said.

The borough manager noted that potential job candidates just out of college or academies "tend to bounce a little bit" before they settle down into a longer-term position, further stating the borough should consider prospective hires with more experience, "which might be ultimately costing you more money in terms of salary upfront, but then you might not be replacing people as frequently."

"It takes months for us to replace somebody, the way we’re doing it now," Hazlett stated. "The cost-benefit to the community is that we’re going to be understaffed for several months: Would it have been a better benefit to the community to spend a little bit more on police officers, or can we find a way to do the process so that when there is turnover, we can minimize how long it takes to make that replacement?"

The board took no formal action on the issue, aside from approving the monthly police report.