Bellevue Police Department will get two new officers, as the hirings were preliminarily approved at Bellevue Council's regular meeting on May 5.

The borough will hire two police officers from the civil service elegibility list. The motion passed by a vote of 7-2, with council members Jane Braunlich and Linda Woshner opposed.

Braunlich said that she had financial concerns about hiring two officers now, and potentially hiring more through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant that the borough applied for last month. Mayor George Doscher said that the two positions to be filled are already in this year’s budget.

The COPS grant could put up to three additional officers on the streets for three years at no cost to the borough, according to Police Chief Matt Sentner. The borough would be required to keep the officers hired through the program for three years after the grant expires.

Braunlich said that, according to Sentner, that fourth year could cost the borough $269,000. Sentner said that if the borough receives the grant, it could always just turn it down.

Council member Linda Woshner said that the borough should be looking into part-time officers. She asked why every other community had found success using part-time officers, and Bellevue could not. Council member Jerry Walter said that it was "not advantageous" for the borough to have part-time officers, and Doscher said that there is no real cost savings in using part-time officers.

"My thoughts on part-time officers is that the good officers are only there for a short time, you fire the bad officers, and you are left with mediocre officers," Sentner said.