News

I have lived in Ocean Ridge for going on 30 years. In that time I’ve felt the need to contact the Police Department on very few occasions. To me that means I live in a safe place.  
    When I tell people about Ocean Ridge I always mention the frequently patrolling police cars, the dark house inspections and friendly cops with dog biscuits. Every time, the response is, “Really? I wish I lived in a town like that!”  
    Our commission should not forget this.
    How many real estate agents do you know who don’t mention the police when showing property in Ocean Ridge?
    It’s possible Gulf Stream and Manalapan are a little different and police protection is not always part of the sales pitch — I acknowledge that some residents can afford to provide serious private security measures —  but most of us count primarily on our municipal tax dollars to make sure we are safe at home.
    Every family needs kitchen-table talks about money and budgets and planning for the future. It’s no different in our small towns along the coast.
    In recent months the talk has turned to employee compensation, benefits packages, bonuses. All are good topics to visit periodically.
    But let’s not go too far. Let’s not start talking about saving money by reducing the quality of police protection that makes our small town unique.
    I’ll pay my local taxes to keep my local police force. That’s one of the reasons I live in Ocean Ridge.

— Mary Kate Leming, editor