Edgewood Mayoral Candidate: Ruth Pickering

Ruth Pickering, the Republican candidate for the Edgewood mayoral election, took some time to discuss her qualifications for the position. She is running against . The election is Nov. 8.

What are the main issues the mayor should deal with in the borough?

• I think the chief needs a strong person who is going to work with him accomplish what needs to be done. We need more police cars. They’re being run into the ground and not being replaced enough. You can’t run a car 24/7 without it falling apart. It’s all about working with the chief.
• I’d like to see an additional seargent as well and I would like to see more training. Right now, the sergent works daylight and I think we need a sergent on the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift, or even one who would rotate shifts.
• I’d also like to see more crime prevention efforts. Block watches used to be well organized in the borough and we have more people working from home these days. could be stronger than ever.
• The Citizens Police Academy—I would like to see this come back. It’s important because it gave people a strong feel for what happens. The people who came to the classes from outside were pleased to learn about its caliber.
• I understand people think one of the areas they might want to cut are the crossing guards, and I think they are very important to our total public safety.

What would your approach to working with Police Chief Robert Payne be?

I would meet with him on a regular basis, but he is the boss. The mayor’s role is supportive, not a dictatorial role.

What are the main budget issues?
The budget should be prioritized to help the police. I just think it’s important that we have strong police visibility and protection. Our police response time is amazing and they work very well with the fire department, too and neighboring fire departments.

Importance of mayor position in community?
The mayor has to be visible and know that they are representative of the borough in everything they do, whether it’s a church meeting or other event. You’re always a representative and you always have to be cognitive of that and be positive about the community, which is why it is so important for the mayor to be on the library board and a part of the Edgewood Foundation, which I did for 12 years.

Differences between you and Ed Cook?
We have different styles, I think.