Sheriff to Take Over Half Moon Bay Police on June 12

If all goes according to plan, the Half Moon Bay Police Department will be dissolved by 12:01 a.m. on June 12, according to discussion at a special city council meeting held Tuesday night.

Council members discussed the current status of negotiations with the county Sheriff's Office and particular details for the contract that the city plans to approve the night of June 7, assuming that the Board of Supervisors approves it earlier that morning.

The contract is for five years with an option to renegotiate and extend it for another three years, Half Moon Bay City Councilwoman Marina Fraser said.

Fraser said that she does not expect any problems with the Board of Supervisors' approval.

"Laura [Snideman, Half Moon Bay City Manager] and [Half Moon Bay Police] Chief Violett have been over at the county night and day working out the budget so that the Board of Supervisors can see the contract on June 7," Fraser said.

If the contract is approved by both the county and the city, Half Moon Bay police officers will be sworn in as Sheriff's deputies on the steps of the Redwood City Courthouse on the morning of June 14, Fraser said.

"The police discussion was high-level as there are so many extensive details that staff are working with the county on daily," said Fraser.

After transition, the Sheriff's Office plans to implement a blended staffing approach to the Half Moon Bay patrol. While half of the deputies will be chosen from the current city police force, the other half will be sent over from the Sheriff's Office. Both front office staff at the Half Moon Bay Police department will remain working in their positions after the handover to the Sheriff, Fraser said.

Lt. Lisa Williams of the Sheriff's Office will oversee all police officers in the city after the transition.

Interviews to select which individuals from the county Sheriff and city police department will be patrolling Half Moon Bay took place on Tuesday.

"By Friday, we should know who will be working in Half Moon Bay," Fraser said.

Other details discussed included whether the police cars patrolling Half Moon Bay should have "Half Moon Bay" written on them in addition to the Sheriff's Office logo.

With the exception of Rick Kowalczyk, all council members felt that the police cars should not have special labelling on them. That's in contrast to the police cars driven by sheriff's deputies in San Carlos since the city outsourced their department last fall.

"There were several options to choose from that were worked out with the sheriff, but the rest of the council decided, against my strongest recommendation to the contrary, to require no reference to Half Moon Bay on the vehicles whatsoever," Kowalczyk said.

"We don't have a police department anymore," Fraser said as to her reasons for not wanting the cars to read "Half Moon Bay," adding that the city's patrol car fleet will be comprised of three vehicles.

Despite its worn condition, the sheriff's deputies assigned to Half Moon Bay will work out of the current city police department as a temporary location, as in Half Moon Bay Patch.

Half Moon Bay Police Department staff are currently attending orientation meetings at the Sheriff's Office, Fraser said.

The draft contract will be posted on the city's website on June 2.