Menifee PD, Indio enter into MOU for police services

Following the lead of other law enforcement agencies, the Menifee Police Department has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the City of Indio to provide off-duty Menifee PD personnel to assist with special events in that city.

The agreement stipulates that off-duty Menifee officers may provide assistance at major events such as the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival and Stagecoach Festival, among others.

“The City of Indio requests the assistance of outside agencies to augment their force for large scale events sporadically throughout the year,” states the proposal that was approved. "Menifee would not be under any obligation to fulfill this request should it put any undue hardship on MPD’s ability to provide public safety services within the City of Menifee.”

Jonathan Nicks, Menifee’s former Community Services Director who left to join the City of Indio staff in September, was not involved in the negotiations of the MOU, said Phil Southard, Menifee’s public information officer.

“The two police chiefs started this discussion before Jonathan Nicks left and he was not involved,” Southard said. “Most cities in the region have a similar MOU with Indio to provide overtime for Coachella and Stagecoach.”

The overtime rate for off-duty staffing would be the actual overtime rate for personnel; $50 per day for a marked patrol vehicle; $30 per day for a plain vehicle; and $15 per day for a motorcycle. According to the MOU, “Actual Overtime Rate shall mean the rate of overtime pay for the specific rank or job classification of each Off-Duty Personnel actually paid or to be paid by the employing Participating Agency.”