 SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Several unincorporated cities in Contra Costa county are weighing the costs of setting up their own individual police departments.
Currently, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department is providing police services to unincorporated areas and towns such as Danville, Lafayette, and Orinda.
Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department Commander of Administrative Services Scott Daly says these cities are concerned about the rising cost of employee benefits.
“If one employee has say Kaiser health plan and another has Blue Cross, they are paying the exact cost that it costs the county to put that deputy sheriff there, and that includes the cost of retirement,” states Commander Daly.
While private departments may benefit these areas Commander Daly believes the impact on the county’s department would be minimal.
“If an agency were to say ‘we’re gonna form our own police department’ there is no negative impact. Those positions would go away, the cost for the positions would go away. So it is cost neutral,” says Commander Daly.
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KCBS' Dave Padilla reports
