The most important question isn't whether there will be upfront costs associated with having the county's 911 center handle all calls to the city police. No one is denying that there will be.

Instead, the key questions from the city's perspective are whether the city will save money over the long run from the change, and whether such a change would improve or compromise city police efficiency and effectiveness.

The answers to those questions should be determined before city leaders make a final decision on the issue, which also presumably would involve assigning some or all of the current desk sergeants to patrol duties.

Additionally, city leaders must determine the cost of additional equipment that might be needed as part of the change.

Obtaining answers to those and other questions are a focus of studies already conducted or currently under way, not only for the city's benefit but also the county's. In addition to the city, the county might also face additional costs stemming from the new responsibility, if it would come about.

Making the 911 center responsible for all city police calls would impose additional pressure on that center's dispatchers. The city averages 30,000 to 40,000 calls annually, the majority of which have been handled by the desk sergeants. Of the city calls in 2006, about 12,000 required that officers be dispatched.

Currently, calls to the city police that are received by the 911 center are rerouted to city police headquarters, but that rerouting adds to the time for processing the calls.

An article in Monday's Butler Eagle noted that Butler police Chief Tim Fennell and the county's director of emergency services, Frank Matis, both have concerns about the proposal to have all city calls go to the 911 center, including the number of city calls, the need for additional dispatchers and the cost of additional technology.

But the city would speed up getting information to police officers on patrol if city cruisers were equipped with computers and up-to-date software systems that eliminated the need for a middleman at police headquarters.

And, the argument that the amount of foot traffic at the police headquarters dictates having a desk sergeant on duty around the clock is not really valid. The police station need not be open to foot traffic around the clock; the station could be open to such traffic during the regular city business hours only.

If it were deemed that a desk sergeant on duty during those hours was beneficial, that sergeant could be maintained, with the sergeants from the other two shifts returning to patrol duty.

That is an example of the kind of options that are available to city officials and the kind of decisions those officials ultimately should be expected to make.

"We have been told . . . that this move will save us money and we can't just dismiss it without researching all of the options," said Councilman Jim Kraus. He is correct.

It would be no more difficult for Butler to implement the proposed changes than other municipalities that have already done so and are happy with the results.

The apprehension that exists regarding the proposed changes is rooted in the understandable fear of the unknown as well as the desire to maintain the desk sergeant tradition, whether it's best for the city or not.

It is the responsibility of the city council to shift apprehension and tradition to the background and do what's needed to both improve police department effectiveness and efficiency as well as bring equipment and technology up to the latest standards.

Once all of the studies are completed, city and county officials should report the findings and recommendations to the public and encourage public comment before rendering final decisions.

Meanwhile, city officials should make known their short- and long-term thinking regarding minimum manpower on police shifts. There is concern within the department that having all city calls going to the 911 center would be a temptation for the council to reduce shift manpower below its current levels.

The proposals under study are not new to the city; until now, the leadership and determination simply haven't been in place to move the ideas forward — or even to thoroughly study the issue.

The Butler Police Department should be the best that it can be, recognizing that resources are limited. The studies and upcoming decisions dealing with 911 and the desk seageant positions are part of the means to that end.

What is under way now should not become sidetracked, even with the prospect of significant — albeit temporary — upfront costs.