FARRELL, Pa. - A representative from the International City Management Association presented its operations and data analysis of the Southwestern Regional Police Department Wednesday night.

Farrell City Manager Michael Ceci hopes the report will be useful for his city since it is fiscally distressed.

"This plan and this study was just a tool for us to use for five year forecasting, budgeting and to know what we have and don't have in terms of an efficient police department," Ceci said.

Along with Farrell, Southwest Regional Police serve Wheatland, West Middlesex and Shenango Township.

Better record keeping of police calls in each community and minimal manning were among the recommendations from the analysis.

Tom Tulip, Chairman of the Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Commission, says, "That would be a cost-cutting measure, but it also becomes a public safety issue; how many men you have on the street at any given time to cover a pretty large area."

Shenango Township Supervisor Chairman Tom Hubert says he had some concerns about the financial aspect of the report and Mr. Ceci's allegations that the township was underpaying Southwest Regional Police by over $129,000. Hubert says Shenango does not follow the same formula as Farrell.

"Ours was based on an agreement that was done 20 years ago that Shenango Township would pay 24.9 percent of the budget," Hubert said. "And we have done that and even in the report it says we paid 26 percent."

Ceci explains, "It was a deal that was great at the time. It didn't take all things into account as far as cost sharing and that was my contention based on the parameters of road miles, calls for service, population. It would appear that you're not paying as much as the other communities are."

Ceci says he would like to see the Southwest Regional Police Commission come up with a new formula that is user friendly to all four communities that rely on the police services.