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The municipality said the village could no longer afford the police department and would close it down
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The municipality said the village could no longer afford the police department and would close it down

ADDYSTON, Ohio (WKRC) – The Addyston village council says it can no longer have a police department and will turn public safety over to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

When the village learned of this, money was already tight. INEOS would close. While it was a tough decision, council members were blunt: It was cheaper for the county to take over police work.

It will also provide coverage that the village does not currently have. There is only one full-time officer and one part-time officer each weekend. Mayor Lisa Mear said paying for the police department, as well as keeping officers on the job, has been a problem all year.

The closure of the INEOS factory was the last straw. Hamilton County agreed to take over for $87,000 annually, Mear said. As part of the decision, the village will transfer all of its equipment to them.

“We’ve been trying since last November. I mean, it’s been a year of trying to keep a police department together. It’s been a very difficult road just to find officers to work, and there are costs associated with that,” Mear said. .

“Addyston has been around for a long time and they’ve been struggling, but we need to give someone else the opportunity to get in so we can properly patrol it,” said area resident Aletha Nortila.

Addyston police chief’s absence from Tuesday’s vote left residents dismayed. The sheriff’s office also said it would have no problem assuming the additional responsibility. Mear said he hopes to have Hamilton County take over by Friday if the paperwork goes as planned.