Evesham Police Department celebrates 50 years, Evesham Saves Lives program continues
In addition to the dispute regarding the closure of Evans Elementary School, this year the township and BOE also argued over who should pay what for the expansion of the school resource officer program that posts Evesham police officers in schools.
Originally, the school district was set to present the township a nearly $700,000 referendum to pay for an expansion of the program, which was already costing the township and school district about $500,000, with the township paying $300,000 and the district paying $200,000.
Ultimately, the township and police department agreed to fund the expansion without additional funds from the district to prevent any members of the public from confusing the issue with the debate related to the closure of Evans Elementary School.
“The last thing any of us want is for our men and women in uniform to be given the stinkeye by teachers, parents and students,” Czerniecki said in March during the announcement.
Czerniecki also said he would ask the BOE to address contributing more for the cost of the program in the future.
Police Department turns 50
In 2016, Evesham’s finest turned 50 years old with the 50th anniversary of the Evesham Township Police Department.
In May 1966, Evesham lost its part-time and volunteer police force that was only on duty from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., which was replaced by a full-time police department with a chief and six officers in the following months.
With two 1966 Ford patrol cars and the former Nike Missile Base on Tomlinson Mill Road as headquarters, the ETPD was on its way.
And from there the department only grew.
Upon the department’s 25th anniversary in 1991, it had 43 officers to protect Marlton’s 35,000 residents, and in 2016, that number had grown to 77 officers for the township’s 45,000 residents.
As the police celebrated 50 years in May, Chief of Police Christopher Chew praised the department as a proactive agency — a trend Chew said dates back to the department’s inception.
“I know that for a fact it started from the guys from 1966 all the way to the current group that we have now,” Chew said. “I couldn’t be more proud of this organization and proud of our forefathers.”
Evesham Saves Lives program continues
The program was so successful that in September officials extended the initiative for another year.
The program has continued to utilize transportation services Uber and ByMyDD to provide free rides home to Evesham residents from establishments in town that serve alcohol between the hours of 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The program also continues to operate at no cost to taxpayers, with funding entirely based on donations from local businesses and other groups.
According to officials, more than 2,000 people took advantage of the program within the first year, and arrests of residents had decreased to the average of about one resident arrested every two months.
The program also continued its partnership with neighboring Voorhees Township, providing rides home to Voorhees residents from Evesham establishments and vice versa.
