In all, 89 rural municipalities would contribute $20.5 million to fund rural State Police patrols under the proposed state budget. In addition, those paying towns must hand over a surcharge: $330 per housing unit.

The state Attorney General's Office does not anticipate effects on Corbin City, Port Republic and Buena Vista and Weymouth townships in Atlantic County, Woodbine and Dennis and Upper townships in Cape May County, Shiloh, Deerfield, Hopewell, Stow Creek and Upper Deerfield townships in Cumberland County, Eagleswood Township in Ocean County or Woodland Township.

State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones cautioned against using crime rates to gauge policing needs.

"I've patrolled very rural areas," Jones said. "Those campgrounds have full-time residents, and some of those areas tend to be areas with higher levels of crime like trespassing and simple assault."

Also common in rural areas are charges for trespassing on all-terrain vehicles, Jones said. Indeed, in a section of Woodland off Route 72, roads change 300 feet north of the highway from asphalt to dirt, and signs warning ATV's to slow down and keep out are far more frequently encountered than people.

At 530 people, Corbin City is the smallest of the state-policed towns. Upper Township has the largest population, at 12,115. Upper also boasts the highest assessed land value but does not collect a local purpose tax from its residents.

Upper Township Mayor Richard Palombo said population and land area - Upper is fourth-largest geographically among local rural towns - aren't necessarily great indicators of policing needs, especially in areas with high proportions of open space and state land also patrolled by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Palombo said he and officials in nearby communities started to explore cost-cutting options shortly after the state announced municipal aid would be cut in 2009, and merging court systems is still on the table.

Rumors that Upper would be among the 89 towns statewide that might have to pay for State Police patrols prompted local leaders to start researching at what point it would become cost-prohibitive should they have to pay, he said.

"We can't help but plan ahead," Palombo said. "We'd be shirking our responsibility if we didn't."

It was the first time Upper Township considered starting its own force, as the people are satisfied with the job done by State Police, Palombo said, and keeping them would have been the communities' first choice.

The last time a community moved away from State Police protection to start its own department happened so long ago that no one from the State Police's Trenton headquarters knows when it last happened, according to Jones.

To e-mail Emily Previti at The Press:

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