Comments on: Goodbye police officer, hello deputy? http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/goodbye-police-officer-hello-deputy/ Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:31:23 +0000 hourly 1 By: Lynn Harvey http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/goodbye-police-officer-hello-deputy/comment-page-1/#comment-3300 Lynn Harvey Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:21:40 +0000 http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/?p=2052#comment-3300 Contracting with the County Sheriff office has always been a cost effective solution for providing police services. Research by Bill SInclair (PhD candidate at MSU) in the 1970s found the constracting for police shervices yielded long run cost savings to municipalities versus maintaining own department. I completed a study for Delhi Charter Township (Ingham Co) in 2008 that yielded similar results. The township contracts for 23 FT deputies from the Ingham Sheriff Department at a cost less than maintaining own department utilizing comparable township data with police departments. In addition to current savings another signficant savings in the long run is the avoidance of legacy costs. More research and case studies are needed to support what I perceive to be another re-organizational option, the creation of public safety departments as alternatives to stand alone police and fire departments. Resistance to such arrangements is generally from fire departments not police. The more efficient utilization of human capital via cross-training and having personnel function as public safety officers maximizes time available while maintaining levels of service. Contracting with the County Sheriff office has always been a cost effective solution for providing police services. Research by Bill SInclair (PhD candidate at MSU) in the 1970s found the constracting for police shervices yielded long run cost savings to municipalities versus maintaining own department. I completed a study for Delhi Charter Township (Ingham Co) in 2008 that yielded similar results. The township contracts for 23 FT deputies from the Ingham Sheriff Department at a cost less than maintaining own department utilizing comparable township data with police departments. In addition to current savings another signficant savings in the long run is the avoidance of legacy costs.
More research and case studies are needed to support what I perceive to be another re-organizational option, the creation of public safety departments as alternatives to stand alone police and fire departments. Resistance to such arrangements is generally from fire departments not police. The more efficient utilization of human capital via cross-training and having personnel function as public safety officers maximizes time available while maintaining levels of service.

]]> By: BVos http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/goodbye-police-officer-hello-deputy/comment-page-1/#comment-3303 BVos Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:05:11 +0000 http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/?p=2052#comment-3303 I have a friend and his family who live in Mt. Clemens. In the year that the Sheriff has taken over from the police the crime in his neighborhood has gone from pretty much nothing to out of control. He just walked away from his house last week after a drive by shooting and a fire-bombing happened within 2 weeks on his block. Another neighbor on the same block has done the same. Is the $1.2 million in savings going to be worth it for Mt. Clemens with this crime and disinvestment happening? I have a friend and his family who live in Mt. Clemens. In the year that the Sheriff has taken over from the police the crime in his neighborhood has gone from pretty much nothing to out of control. He just walked away from his house last week after a drive by shooting and a fire-bombing happened within 2 weeks on his block. Another neighbor on the same block has done the same. Is the $1.2 million in savings going to be worth it for Mt. Clemens with this crime and disinvestment happening?

]]> By: Rob Seeterlin http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/goodbye-police-officer-hello-deputy/comment-page-1/#comment-3302 Rob Seeterlin Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:54:43 +0000 http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/blog/?p=2052#comment-3302 The Cities of Clarkston and Rochester have their own police departments. Independence Township, which makes up a great deal of the Clarkston postal zip code, is patrolled by the deputies. This is a hot button issue that have gotten City Managers fired just for suggesting a study(Auburn Hills circa 1993). The Cities of Clarkston and Rochester have their own police departments.

Independence Township, which makes up a great deal of the Clarkston postal zip code, is patrolled by the deputies.

This is a hot button issue that have gotten City Managers fired just for suggesting a study(Auburn Hills circa 1993).

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