Crime & Safety

Sheriff Submits Beefier Proposal to Millbrae

Modified plan to outsource police department would save city about $500,000 annually.

After public outcry on the bare bones option , the San Mateo County Sheriff’s office submitted a costlier proposal last week that will boost staffing. 

On Nov. 15, the Millbrae Ciy Council is expected to decide whether to outsource police services to the sheriff or maintain the city’s own department with additional funds. The revised sheriff’s plan adds three additional officers and costs Millbrae about an extra $1 million, for a total of $6.7 million a year - but still considerably less than what it costs the city to currently fund the department.

“People felt like we needed more staffing,” said Mayor Dan Quigg. “They felt the first proposal was inadequate.”

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Quigg moderated two public forums in the Chetcuti Room last week to receive input and answer questions on the sheriff’s proposal.

Originally, the sheriff’s plan assigned two officers on a nightly shift and a part-time sergeant, while the modified proposal staffs a full-time sergeant.

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Several Millbrae police officers and citizens denounced the original two-cop proposal, saying it was inferior to the current level of service – which staffs two officers and one sergeant half the time, with an additional officer on patrol for the other shifts, according to Cmdr. Mark Raffaelli.

“Who will cover for an officer when he makes an arrest? Or he needs backup, or he's on a lunch break?” Traffic Sgt. Ron Gleeson said at the Nov. 2 public forum.

Raffaelli said that it sometimes gets busy with only two officers, but it is feasible.

Millbrae pays $6.86 million for its police department, which pays for a staff of 21 full-time officers and a part-time police chief that the city shares with San Bruno.

Currently however, due to vacancies and long-term disabilities, there are 16 full-time officers and a part-time police chief serving the city. The sheriff's revised proposal staffs 14 full-time officers and one part-time officer, including a chief.

But, Chief Neil Telford will soon return full-time to San Bruno, after the two cities abandoned a potential police department merger due to .

After years of continuous budget cuts, the MPD is now at a critical staffing level, and according to Telford the city would need to spend an additional $410,000 to adequately fund a sustainable department – bringing the total budget to about $7.2 million a year versus $6.7 million for the revised sheriff’s proposal.

The city would need to lay off about six employees to raise sufficient monies, and Quigg said “no one wants do that.”

Some residents suggested a tax. But a special election is required unless the city waits until November 2012 to place a measure on a general election ballot. A special election requires two-thirds approval and may not pass during tough financial times.

And, the city must act quickly if it wants to secure the deal with the Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff said he will hold the current vacancies for Millbrae police employees for 60 days. The sheriff would hire all Millbrae officers and some of them would continue to patrol Millbrae streets, while the rest would be assigned to the county jail.

The Sheriff’s Office when it outsourced its police services about a year ago. The deal trimmed sworn officers from 32 to 19, and nine of them remained patrolling San Carlos – the rest now work in the jail.

Should the city decide to outsource with the Sheriff’s Office, it still needs to negotiate the future of the Millbrae Police Volunteers, equipment and clerical employees.

The Millbrae City Council will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 in the council chambers, located at 621 Magnolia Ave.


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