The Scranton City Council recently signed a new law enforcement coverage agreement.

Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams proposed a new 28E agreement for basic law enforcement coverage in Scranton. The main changes he wanted were to eliminate animal control calls and specified times that a deputy was to patrol the city. In the new agreement, a deputy is required to patrol the city at least two times per day, seven days per week. Also the Sheriff’s office is only going to respond to animal bites and vicious dog incidents in the City. Williams noted to the Greene County Supervisors that he wanted to make those changes so that all of the towns in the county were the same.

As far as the municipal service contract goes, Williams made a change to the rate for service calls for incidents like nuisance properties. The rate was $60 per call and it is now $60 per hour.  Also included in the contract was a ten percent annual increase to what the Sheriff’s office charges to the City for law enforcement, which will start at the beginning of the next fiscal year, July 1, 2018.

The Supervisors approved to dissolve the former contract on July 10th and the Council had 30 days to sign the new contract. If the Council didn’t sign it, the Sheriff’s office would only have to respond to emergency calls.

The Council unanimously approved the new contract Tuesday.