Oct 6, 2013 3 min read

Morris Township in Greene County is not unlike other rural communities caught up in the burgeoning natural gas drilling boom.

There are, of course, pros and cons the industry brings to such communities, like instant wealth for landowners, but there are serious environmental concerns related to land and water.

And then there is traffic, so much of it that residents, many at their wits end, made their way to a township meeting this summer to discuss the issue.

The residents were fed up with speeding and what they perceived as blatant disregard for the community. There had to be a solution, they said, to the problem of traffic and trucks driving on roads they shouldn’t be on and damage to roads that are not bonded. That leaves no recourse except for them to being fixed with the municipality’s money.

Residents also expressed concerns about an increase in illegal drug use and crime in general throughout Morris Township. It relied on state police to provide protection, but the state police simply don’t have the manpower to patrol the township as often as many residents would like.

Morris supervisors understood their residents’ worries and found a solution by entering into an agreement with Southwest Regional police for part-time police service. It’s being made possible, ironically, with money from the natural gas impact fees the township now receives.

Southwest Police Chief John Hartman said his department’s presence in the community has so far been a work in progress. The department has been working in Morris since late July and the supervisors believe they have made a difference.

“Even the conventional vehicles, the speeder you used to see every day at 3:30 p.m. fly up the road, now go slow enough he can wave as he goes by. It has been a noticeable difference,” Supervisor Bill Keller said.

The number of calls the supervisors receive regarding drug activity also seems to have diminished, he noted.

The department has not been heavy-handed in citing drivers for traffic violations, issuing warnings to first-time offenders. The supervisors “haven’t asked us to slam the public senseless over this; what they want is safety on the roadway,” Hartman said.

And with respect to drugs and crime, Keller said, “I hear it all the time. Apparently, we have more of a drug problem than we were aware of.”

Officers have learned from their talks with the supervisors and residents where they should keep a wary eye for drug activity. What would commonly be considered crime that you would find in an urban area is now everywhere. Hartman guarantees drugs are in the township.

We recognize Southwest Regional police will not solve every problem in Morris Township. Truck traffic will probably increase, or, at best, remain the same. And it is very unlikely the scourge of drugs will suddenly disappear. But having them on board is a start.

The supervisors listened and acted. And isn’t that what government is supposed to do?