Recently Springdale decided to discontinue the tradition of having police officers lead funeral processions in our city.

The funeral procession has been around for hundreds of years. It’s a time-honored tradition that is an integral part of the funeral experience and its value to family and friends cannot be measured.

Sisco Funeral Chapel has been involved in funeral processions since 1915. My family has been in the funeral industry in Springdale since 1953 and during that time there has been tremendous change.

Springdale has grown and sometimes managing that growth can be challenging.

Back in the ’50s funeral processions garnered two police officers to assist in getting the funeral procession to cemeteries.

One of the more progressive changes seen is the development of the traffic safety division.

Former Chief Mike Blocker formed the division so first-line officers could continue answering more urgent calls while traffic safety officers handled accidents and funeral escorts. This addressed call volume while allowing the police department to serve citizens.

The city’s leadership team has decided to end this service basically for two reasons: liability and cost. While I understand the risks, as a citizen I believe the day-to-day operation of a police department is, by its very nature, risky.

Officers have been leading escorts in Springdale for generations and I have the utmost confidence they can continue to do so.

The management of a police department can be expensive. In 2012, Springdale spent 18 percent of its budget on the police department. That ranks only second to capital expenditures. That is an investment of $10.8 million by taxpayers.

Certainly manpower is another concern. In 2006 the Springdale Police Department had a total of 152 employees and in 2012 that level was increased to 173. Make no mistake, Springdale has an excellent police department. Kudos to Chief Kathy O’Kelley, Mayor Doug Sprouse and the City Council for having the vision to see to it Springdale’s citizens are served and protected. The courageous men and women of the department are to be commended for the great job they do.

As a funeral director, I believe strongly in the role the funeral procession plays in the ceremony during the loss of a loved one. Taking all points and opinions into account, I believe funeral homes and local government can come together to solve issues and find a way to continue to work together in serving Springdale citizens.

I encourage citizens to reach out to the city administration and its elected officials to voice their opinions on these matters.

CHARLES FARMER IS A LOCAL FUNERAL DIRECTOR, FORMER ALDERMAN AND CURRENT MEMBER OF THE SPRINGDALE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 01/21/2013