Half Moon Bay Considers Outsourcing Police Department
HALF MOON BAY (KCBS) - After a one cent sales tax hike failed to get voter approval on the November ballot, the city of Half Moon Bay has started to outsource its biggest expense: its police force.
The one cent increase would have brought in a critical $1.4 million the city needed to manage the police department.
Since voters rejected the idea, the police chief has been looking at whether to dissolve the institution that led residents of the isolated coastal community to band together in the first place.
"The reason Half Moon Bay incorporated in 1959, one of the main reasons, was to have its own police force," said Mayor Marina Fraser.
The best option would be for a neighbor such as Pacifica or San Mateo to take over the department, she said.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
Fraser worries that not having local control over how many officers patrol which parts of the city will have a real impact on how long it might take deputies to respond to remote calls for service.
Fraser said a shortage of money at the county and state level is forcing small towns to become self-sufficient, either raising money or cutting spending.
Those post-recession economics will govern any talks with nearby cities for a partnership.
"People are not going to take over our police department unless there's something in it for them, meaning they're going to make a profit on it," Fraser said, noting that even allowing the sheriff to take over will cost Half Moon Bay taxpayers money.
Other Peninsula cities wrestling with budget problems have gone this route. Most recently, San Carlos dissolved its police force and its officers were sworn in as deputies of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
