In the old days (and on television shows like Dukes of Hazard), miscreants and persecuted hot-rodding good ol' boys alike could escape the clutches of the law by crossing the county line.

The doctrine of "hot pursuit" arose to erase artificial boundaries when it comes to chasing real bad guys. But those artificial boundaries still crop up when it comes to the administrative side of law enforcement.

Lines may separate communities on a map, but how many criminals bother to read a map before committing crimes? Yet policing policies and coverage levels can vary greatly depending on what side of the street someone is standing.

Unlike most other states, which have built-in regional police forces in sheriff departments, Pennsylvania relies on a hodgepodge of local departments and its thinly stretched state police for law enforcement.

Such an arrangement does not make for efficient police protection. Departments must each provide patrols when times are slow, yet may be understaffed in a pinch.

Communities are beginning to realize the benefits of pooling police resources.

Some of that realization is based upon increased costs. Police cost money. Their health care plans cost money. Their cars cost money. The gas in those cars costs an ever-increasing amount of money.

While money alone is not a good enough reason to justify merging police departments, it is a good enough reason to start looking at the process.

Lewisburg and New Berlin boroughs and Kelly and East Buffalo townships are formally looking at a joint police force.

It may take some time to turn the "looking" into "doing," but the first step is important. It also is important to involve the public in the decision-making process, as the Lewisburg-area communities are doing.

As population in the Central Susquehanna Valley increases, and the costs of keeping all those people safe skyrocket, other community neighbors will want to take a few first steps of their own.