The final meeting of the Upper Perk Police Commission, held Monday night in Pennsburg, lasted just four minutes. Commissioners from Pennsburg and East Greenville breezed through an agenda that included no old or new business, as well as no comments from the audience. Chief Michael Devlin's May crime report took up the most time.

            According to Devlin, the department responded to 43 criminal incidents, including 26 in Pennsburg. He said they included nine assault/harassment/stalking incidents, six each of theft/motor vehicle theft and vandalism/criminal mischief, five narcotic violations, four each of forgery/fraud/identity theft and burglary/attempted burglary.

            The members offered no additional comments on the June 1 dissolution of the commission or the process by which the equipment currently utilized by the Upper Perk Police District will be distributed.

            In September, East Greenville voted unanimously to withdrawal from the commission on March 6.

            In December, amidst discussion with its neighboring municipality of entering into mediation, council voted to extend its withdrawal date by 13 weeks, to June 1. At the same meeting, the members voted to have Mayor Ryan Sloyer, Tracey Hunsinger and Solicitor Stephen Kramer represent East Greenville in the discussions.

            One month later, Pennsburg officials voted unanimously to move forward with formal mediation. However, they added a condition that East Greenville must extend its withdrawal date from the commission to December 31. At the time, Pennsburg Borough Council President and commission Chairman Kris Kirkwood said the condition was attached to assure that the communities could have "meaningful time to mediate."

            Later in January, East Greenville officials rejected Pennsburg's requirement. In a statement read by council President Tracey Hunsinger, East Greenville officials described Pennsburg's conditional motion as "ultimately a rejection" of her community's January 10 "motion to mediate."

            "The motion we passed contained no strings," Kramer said after the public meeting. "The motion Pennsburg passed included a substantial string."

            On Monday, Kirkwood rejected a suggestion that Pennsburg's conditional approval sabotaged a potential resolution.  "We were protecting our residents," he said after the public meeting.

            Later Monday night, Sloyer declined to comment on the machinations that led to the end of the commission after 43 years.

            "We're only looking forward," said Sloyer, during an informal meet and greet with Drew Skelton, the interim chief for the East Greenville Borough Police Department. "This is a new era."

            Kirkwood also said after the commission meeting that the boroughs are waiting for Alderfer Auction to appraise the police inventory, including the department's vehicles, weapons, ammunition, furniture, equipment, radios and additional gear.

            He said Pennsburg's new department, which will be known as the Upper Perk Police Department, will continue using the equipment until officials from both boroughs negotiate who gets what.

            According to Kirkwood, Pennsburg officials are completely prepared to run the new department.

            Vicki Lightcap, a commissioner and Pennsburg's mayor, said she was prepared to handle the additional work related to overseeing the department. According to Lightcap, she and Devlin will be responsible for the new department's budgeting. The mayor said the chief will present crime statistics during council meetings, beginning in July.

            Pennsburg residents should not expect a lapse in coverage, according to Devlin. He said they won't be affected by the change in any way, shape or form.

            The commission, initially known as the East Greenville - Pennsburg Area District Commission, met for the first time on July 3, 1973. During the meeting, the members - which included Pennsburg Mayor Jim Mullen, Pennsburg Council President Clarence Bechtel, East Greenville Mayor Roland Spaar and East Greenville Council President Jacques Kline - voted to approve payment for 350 hours of officer patrol time.

            They also established that new Chief James Warden would be paid on a weekly basis, and that he would receive his check the following Wednesday, according to meeting minutes.