Bath police get two new cruisers and a drone

by Laura Bednar

Nov. 7 board of trustees meeting

Earlier this year, the Bath Police Department was awarded $230,826 from the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program administered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services for police officer retention, recruitment and hiring. Trustees approved a memorandum with the Fraternal Order of the Police bargaining unit and non-bargaining police and dispatch members to distribute the money to each officer appropriately.

The department paid $77,252 for two 2023 Ford Explorer police cruisers ordered last November and recently delivered to Montrose Ford for pickup. Police Chief and Township Administrator Vito Sinopoli said according to a representative from Montrose Ford, the price for a Ford Explorer will increase by $9,000 next year.

Also delivered was an $18,907 drone to be used for tasks like searches and rescues. Trustees approved the purchase earlier this year. Sinopoli, Planning Director and Zoning Inspector William Funk and Fire Chief Robert Campbell are all licensed drone pilots. Sinopoli said the plan is to expand licensing to additional police and fire personnel. The cost was covered by money from the township’s general fund and the Wilson Memorial Trust, a fund restricted to training and equipment costs for safety forces.

Bath Township is supporting the Summit County Surface Water Management District’s Idle Brook Bankfull Wetlands restoration project, which will restore the natural floodplain wetlands along Idle Brook, Yellow Creek and West Fork in Bath. Sinopoli said the project will protect and maintain water quality in the area, and the Summit County Engineer is applying for funding through the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program.

The fire department is again participating in “Toys for Tots” by collecting new unwrapped toys for toddlers through teenagers. Donations are accepted through Dec. 4 at the collection bins in the reception area of Fire Station 1, at the corner of Cleveland-Massillon and W. Bath roads.

Summit County District 4 Councilman Jeff Wilhite, representing part of Bath Township, spoke during the citizen comment portion of the meeting to inform trustees he has filed to run in the 2023 Akron mayoral race. If he becomes mayor, someone will be appointed to fill the remainder of his term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2024. ∞