September 01, 2011, 04:15 AM Daily
Journal Staff Report
Millbrae will consider contracting with the Sheriff’s Office or working
with a neighboring agency to provide police services.
Tuesday night, the council directed staff to consult nearby agencies
about a possible partnership as well as explore the cost of contracting
with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office for services — a move a number
of other cities have done to save cash.
San Bruno and Millbrae currently share Neil Telford, who acts as police
chief for both cities. Since then, San Bruno has asked that Telford return
as a full-time employee. During a special meeting Tuesday, the Millbrae
City Council explored options for providing police services. The council
expressed a desire to reach out to the Sheriff’s Office, look for other
possible partners and explore funding options, Telford said.
In March 2010, the two cities entered into a contract to share Telford,
a veteran with more than 27 years of experience with the San Bruno Police
Department. The one-year contract called for sharing the costs of his
compensation. Last year, the cities jointly commissioned Municipal
Resource Group, LLC to study further options for sharing police services.
According to the analysis, a shared service model was not viable due to
limited or non-existent fiscal savings, Telford wrote in a staff report.
Cost is one of the issues with keeping its own department. Over the last
10 years, the department has gone from 38.5 full-time equivalent employees
to 29.75, Telford wrote. The reduction includes six less police officers
and two fewer police lieutenants.
Should the city want to maintain its own department, Telford suggested
increasing staffing levels by 2.25 full-time equivalent employees — a cost
of $410,000 annually. Meeting that will require cuts to other city
departments.
Submitted by Jim Alex
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