City Council supports plan to create city police department

Menifee City Council members unanimously voiced support Thursday of a proposal to create the city's own police department as soon as possible.

A capacity crowd attended the City Council workshop to listen to the presentation and discussion of a plan first introduced a year ago by third party consultant Tom Hicks, a former police chief. Customized by Hicks at the request of Menifee city manager Armando Villa to further meet the needs of the city, the report showed details of a Menifee Police Department that would virtually double the number of officers per shift at less cost than the current contract with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Nine of the 10 residents who addressed the City Council were in favor of the plan. The council's formal decision to ask city staff to return with an action item to adopt the plan at a future council meeting was met with applause from the audience.

"Thank you, Mr. city manager, for having the gumption to take this on and move it forward in your first year on the job here," said council member Matt Liesemeyer, who has been the most vocal proponent of the plan in recent months. "This is not to be seen as anything negative against the Sheriff's deputies who do such a great job. For me, this is strictly a financial issue."

That sentiment was shared by everyone on the dais after listening to the report and comments from the audience. The prevailing theory was that rising costs approved by the County Board of Supervisors for Sheriff's Department contracts is unsustainable and that the city can't afford not to support the plan.

"I'm not surprised how this went tonight," said council member Greg August. "This is a no-brainer. I don't feel the city has any choice other than to do this."

And this from Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Sobek:

"I see three key factor in this," she said. "The improved response time ... that is huge. Having local control with fully dedicated officers. And the lower cost. We owe it to our residents to be responsible in how their tax money is spent."

According to the report presented to the council, annual contract increases averaging 6.5 percent per year, together with additional costs the Board of Supervisors is now placing on contract cities, means the City of Menifee's Sheriff's Department contract would reach approximately $25 million in five years. The current contract amount of $17.1 million pays for 58 deputies, but only 15 are dedicated to Menifee. All deputies work out of the Sheriff's Perris station. Menifee is patrolled by shifts of five officers per shift for a city of 46 square miles.

In the Menifee Police Department proposal, all 55 sworn officers would be dedicated to Menifee, with nine officers per shift patrolling the streets. The addition of 19 civilian employees would be a less expensive way of handling administrative duties currently performed by Sheriff's personnel. Start-up cost for the first year of operation is budgeted at $12.7 million.

According to assistant city manager Jeff Wyman, who presented the plan, it would take 12-16 months to implement. The City is required to give 12 months notice to the County before ending its Sheriff's contract. For the first year, the City would continue to pay the Sheriff's Department while paying start-up costs, which would include the hiring of a police chief to analyze the data and finalize manpower plans; the purchase of police vehicles and other equipment; and renovation of the current City Hall, which would become the police station when city officials move into a new City Hall down the street.

The only real concern expressed by anyone was how so much savings could be achieved. Hicks answered questions from August and council member John Denver by explaining that considerable overhead savings would be included in the plan. One of those is the removal of costs to help support the Perris Sheriff's station. Hicks admitted that it would take a line-by-line study of the budget to see all the savings, but that the numbers did tell an accurate story.

"You say that staying with the Sheriff's Department is an option, but how is that an option?" asked Kassen Klein, who represents local developers, during the public comments portion of the meeting. "If you don't do this, how are you going to maintain your level of service?"

Local resident Byron Grace also spoke in favor of the plan.

"I moved here a year and a half ago and I love Menifee," Grace said. "But I hardly ever see an officer on the street. Every time I see someone cut off on the road, I ask where the officers are. More officers on duty will make us safer. I say better to do this now than later."

Joshua Bush, a local resident who works in law enforcement, said that although he respects the job of the Sheriff's deputies, the proposed action must be taken.

"It's not the fault of the deputies," he said. "Unfortunately, the rank and file of the Sheriff's Department has no control over what is budgeted. You have to think about the fact that the residents have placed their trust on you people who are sitting up there to protect them. Do it now; don't put this on the back burner."

The City Council next meets on Nov. 7, but the request by the council to vote on this issue at an upcoming meeting did not specify the date. It is expected to be soon, however.

"The study has shown that the current contract is going to be unsustainable," Mayor Bill Zimmerman said. "I think this council is putting the taxpayers in mind as we consider this."