Early in my campaign, I made it known both verbally and in writing that one of the characteristics of my campaign platform was to, in an effort to be a true advocate for the taxpayer, look for ways that the county could save money in cost cutting ideas. From fleet management to inter office cooperation, I would look at the Assessor Recorder office in terms of efficiency and cost effectiveness..from the taxpayer and business owner point of view. I was ridiculed, being told that was not in the job description of the Assessor Recorder. Obviously, I disagreed. Today, the Sheriff made public a concept of joining with Redding Police as a way of cost cutting....exactly what I was saying, in terms of looking "outside the box" in these difficult times. The following is what appeared in the Record Searchlight today...so maybe we should all in county government think of new and innovative ways "to do business".
Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko has asked top Redding officials to consider the idea of forming a metropolitan police department, multiple sources confirm.
The proposal surfaces less than a week after Redding Police Chief Peter Hansen announced he'll step down by the end of this year.
The city and county would look for ways to save money through combining elements of law enforcement to eliminate duplication of services, these sources say.
Larry Lees, Shasta County administrator, confirmed Friday afternoon that he's had brief conversations with Bosenko about proposing the idea of a metropolitan police department to Redding officials.
"(Bosenko) just mentioned it to me in passing, since we're always looking for opportunities to save money," Lees said. "He did not say whether he was for it or against it, but just wondering if he should bring it up. I don't think it's gone anywhere yet."
Bosenko has cited the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as a possible money-saving model for Shasta County, Lees and other sources have said.
The Clark County sheriff is the top law enforcement officer in the city of Las Vegas and the unincorporated county under the metropolitan department, created in 1973.
Bosenko, Hansen and City Manager Kurt Starman did not immediately return phone calls Friday seeking comment.
The Redding Police Department and the Shasta County Sheriff's Office have seen drastic budget cuts and layoffs during the past two years as the worst recession in generations grinds on.
Since early 2008, the police department has eliminated its roster of community service officers and has suspended its DUI enforcement program and its neighborhood policing programs.
Twenty-five people have left the department through layoffs or attrition, and Redding police expect to lose 18 more by the end of the year.
The sheriff's office has closed a floor of the Shasta County jail, shuttered Crystal Creek Boys Camp and curtailed its work-release program, among other cuts. Sheriff's deputies - who already earn 20 percent less than Redding police officers on average - this year agreed to pick up 9 percent of their pension costs over time.
Redding police officers and Shasta County sheriff's deputies often work together. But the differences between the two agencies are fairly deep, starting with jurisdiction.
Redding police enforce the law within the limits of the city and work mainly in an urban or suburban environment. The sheriff's office patrols the unincorporated county - a mostly rural and rugged area substantially larger than the state of Delaware - along with the city of Shasta Lake, which is every bit as densely built as Redding.
It's not uncommon for sheriff's departments to provide police services to cities in California. Yucaipa, a fast-growing Southern California city of 57,000 people, contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement within the city limits.
There is more to this story, which you can read in detail at www.redding.com ...but my point is made. As elected officers representing the taxpayer, we must be creative, and it takes a leader, like Tom Bosenko, and like I will be...to make these kind of recommendations. No more "same ol' stuff" when I am elected Shasta County Assessor Recorder on June 8th.
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