With Police Contract Vote on Horizon, Department Readies for Takeover

Seven months after the Half Moon Bay City Council directed Interim Police Chief Lee Violett and city staff to as a cost-saving strategy, the City Council will vote tomorrow (June 7) to approve a contract with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office for provision of police services. The 5-year contract, which has a built-in option for a series of 3-year extensions until 2025, is set to begin on June 12, 2011 and sunset on June 30, 2016.

The vote is contingent upon the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors' approval of the contract tomorrow morning at their regular meeting in Redwood City. Violett has said in recent weeks that he does not expect any major problems standing in the way of the board's approval.

City officials say that the contract's first-year cost of $2,281,322 represent annual savings of $500,000 which will start in the second year due in part to services that will be absorbed by the Sheriff's Office. Those services, according to the city, include jail access fees, booking fees, message switch, and forensic laboratory fees. Savings will not begin in the first year due to the one-time costs of transitioning the department to the county -- costs that are estimated at $400,000.

Under the contract up for approval, both the city and the county have the right to terminate the contract with or without notice via written notification at least one year before ending services. However, the city has optioned for the right to terminate portions of the contract at any time if there is a lack of funds to pay for services at the negotiated price.

Performance will be monitored quarterly through reports from Sheriff Greg Munks to the city and will include service-related complaints, response time data, year-to-year crime trend analysis, arrests, and details of calls received for service. Every six months, the Sheriff's Office will meet with City Manager Laura Snideman to discuss the contract and performance measures.

All fourteen Half Moon Bay Police Department employees have been given conditional job offers, according to city officials. Conditions include passing a background check and being in good standing with the city upon exiting service with the department.

Staffing will include six full-time Sheriff's deputies, two 20 hours/week Community Service Officers, and one full-time records supervisor. Additional services available to the city through the Sheriff's Office include part-time services from an additional Sheriff's deputy, a Detective Deputy Sheriff, a Sheriff Sergeant and a Sheriff Lieutenant.

The three Half Moon Bay police officers who will continue serving the city are Sergeant , Sergeant Mark Reed and Officer John Sanchez. Remaining Half Moon Bay officers will become Sheriff's deputies. Current Sheriff's deputies selected to work in Half Moon Bay are Dennis Tealer, Patrick Taylor and John Lothia.

"Given the local knowledge and history they have with the city of Half Moon Bay, this will be a win-win for the city and county and serve to ensure a smooth transition," said Violett of Loubal, Reed and Sanchez.

Violett will remain employed by the city on a part-time basis until Aug. 31 to take care of any remaning of transition issues between the city and county.

Under the proposed contract, city residents will continue to be able to receive full-time services at the from Cheryl Martin, who will continue to serve as Records Supervisor, and will also process special licenses and permits, in addition to records requests. All case files in the city's system will be transferred to the county's system.

However, city officials are seeking to reduce the hours of the Community Services Officer (CSO) position from a previous 50-hour per week committment to two 20-hour per week positions. CSOs would focus their efforts on parking enforcement and abandoned vehicles.

The contract provides for services from the current Sheriff's School Resource Officer that works in the unincorporated Coastside areas. The officer would work in the Half Moon Bay schools at no additional charge to the city. Discussions are also in place to expand the Sheriff's Activities League to Half Moon Bay.

If both city and county approve the contract, the Sheriff's office will take possession of the Half Moon Bay Police Department at Shoreline Station on 12:01 a.m. on June 12, and the Sheriff's Office will hold a public swearing-in ceremony for Half Moon Bay Officers on June 14 at 11 a.m. at the San Mateo County History Museum/old Redwood City Courthouse at 2200 Broadway (see attached PDF for invitation).

In recent weeks, the police department reconciled their property and equipment for transfer to the county Sheriff's Office through a . The county will reimburse the city for all property and equipment it chooses to repossess, which could include firearms, ammunition, safety equipment, computers, electronic equipment, radios and telephone equipment, in addition to items in the city's property evidence room.

"Everything was reconciled over the course of two days," said Half Moon Bay City councilmember Marina Fraser of the audit.

A weapons conversion will take place as well. According to Fraser, Half Moon Bay officers will be issued new weapons upon employment as deputy sheriffs to meet the standard of the Sheriff's Office. The contract up for approval gives officers the option to purchase from the city up to two surplus firearms at $200 each upon agreement that the weapon(s) will not be sold or given away.

The Half Moon Bay substation -- as it will become to be known after the Sheriff's takeover -- will be replacing its fleet and acquiring three "lightly used" cars, according to Fraser. "We haven't replaced any police vehicles for awhile," she said.

For now, the phone number of the Half Moon Bay substation will stay the same, according to Fraser.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will meet on June 7 at 9 a.m. at the Hall of Justice located at 400 County Center in Redwood City. 

The Half Moon Bay City Council will recognize Half Moon Bay police officers for their service to the city with cake and a reception following on June 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the located at 535 Kelly Avenue in Half Moon Bay. The regular meeting will commence at 7 p.m.