The return of the Middlesex Township Police Department has brought a response from residents that cannot go unnoticed by the township's board of supervisors.

While the supervisors debated the possibility of disbanding the department last year amid opposition from a significant number of residents, the township's elected leaders might have felt that the aversion to the move would dissipate once the action took effect on Dec. 31.

Obviously, it hasn't, as evidenced this week as the department resumed operations in response to an arbitrator's ruling — although an appeal challenging that decision has been filed in Butler County Court.

The enthusiastic welcome-backs voiced by residents this week upon encountering a township police officer have been uplifting to the officers. Only one of the seven officers employed by the township prior to Dec. 31 chose not to return. He is former Chief Ed Brooks, who now works as an assistant chief in Adams Township.

The supervisors disbanded the department to make money available for repair of the township's badly deterioriated roads. Road- repair work still is an important priority.

However, the fate of the road-repair plan as a result of the reinstatement of the department has yet to be determined. Its current status is that it is on hold.

Regardless of what that roads decision ultimately will be, it is clear that the department was missed during its absence. Residents said they longed for a return of the sense of security they felt when local police officers were patrolling the municipality's roadways.

While the state police accepted responsibility for patrolling Middlesex roadways in the local department's absence, the state police could not have patrols in the municipality at all times, and that proved troubling to many residents and business owners.

Bruce Edwards, general manager of H.P. Starr Lumber along Route 8, summed up his and other business people's opinions when he said thieves and vandals might have chosen not to hit the business because of the amount of overnight patrolling that was a trademark of the Middlesex officers.

Meanwhile, resident Kelly Hibbssaid she thought the state police patrols were OK, but "I'm glad to have our own policemen back."

Edwards expressed the hope that the police department will not only survive the as-yet-unresolved appeal, but be allowed to remain in operation beyond the end of 2008, when the current police contract expires.

It was language in that pact stipulating that the department would be maintained until at least the end of 2008 that was the basis for the arbitrator's ruling.

It isn't often that people are waiting for their municipality's police with a cake and a card, a fruit basket, or even to deliver a welcome-back hug.

But all of those were part of Middlesex residents' enthusiastic reception for their police beginning last Sunday — not to mention the blowing of vehicle horns and waves when residents encountered a police vehicle.

Understandably, the return of the police hasn't been welcomed by some of those who had been taking advantage of the department's absence, finding more opportunity to speed or otherwise drive recklessly on township and state roads in the municipality. The vehicles pulled over for violations this week sent a clear message that the speeding holiday is over.

That's good news to responsible motorists.

The uncertainty over the township's appeal and the longer-term police picture — beyond 2008 — is no doubt tempering the current enthusiasm surrounding the department's return.

However, the message being delivered to the supervisors this week is that they shouldn't again rid the municipality of this important, valuable resource.

Only time will tell whether the elected officials heed that message.