YOUNGSVILLE – Youngsville Borough Council is pushing back against the criticism that there are too many police in town.

Council members have received comments and complaints about the number which, depending on the rumor, sees the borough having up to 15 officers.

In reality, there are two full-time officers and a few part-timers.

Councilwoman Catrina Leamon noted that “out of all the stops that were done” less than 36% resulted in a citation.

“You hear the feedback,” Mayor Scott Nelson said. “You guys are everywhere. People say don’t go to Youngsville. There are a lot of complaints.”

Leamon said that borough officers have picked up hard drugs including cocaine and fentanyl.

“They’re not looking for people to pull over, for stuff to do,” she said, but rather “to make the community safe.”

“These are legitimate stops,” Councilman Troy Clawson added. “We have body cameras. If there are any unsavory actions… we would make sure to address them. I would much rather have a police force than not have a police force.”

Shifting to EMS, Clawson outlined a proposal where the borough might be able to financially incentivize volunteer ambulance response. His idea was to set aside a pot of funds and then pay the Youngsville VFD $150 for each call it responds to in the borough limits. The funds would then be distributed in some way to the responders.

Clawson called it a way to “navigate the animosity from volunteers” and “something we need to start moving forward.”

“If you look at the numbers, we’re not looking at a lot of money,” he said, calling the idea an effort at “trying to find a way to help them get to those calls.”