While the $1.2 billion in annual state police costs are covered by all residents, some communities are getting significantly more bang for their buck, writes Emily Previti for Keystone Crossroads.

Nearly half of Pennsylvania’s communities do not have their own police force and instead rely on state troopers for protection. Not only that, but according to a recent study from the Pennsylvania Economy League, those benefitting the most are among the wealthiest communities in the state.

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The PEL report scores each community’s fiscal situation in areas such as tax base, median household income, and population. The organization then highlights those that have their own local police versus relying on state troopers for law enforcement.

Out of the 20 municipalities with the highest score, five are from Chester County. Out of those five, four have their own local police, including Birmingham, Easttown, Tredyffrin, and East Marlborough. London Britain is the only one that relies solely on state police.

“We aren’t saying we think that all 2,500-plus municipalities should have their own police force,” said Lynn Shedlock, spokeswoman for PEL’s central office. “That’s not really practical. It’s not really necessary. But the current system is not fair; it is not equitable.”

Read more at Keystone Crossroads here.

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