Oakland Press 

Published: Sunday, December 19, 2010 

By GLENN GILBERT
Executive Editor

If Pontiac would get more for its money by contracting with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department for police services what about all the other communities?

The 2009 figures for police cost per person in selected communities that have their own police departments are compelling. They come from Munetrix™,  a web-based information source designed to give easy-to-understand access to financial information for municipal governments. The database is loaded with all 1800-plus local units of government in the state.

Take a look:

• Oakland County: $116

• Macomb County: $85

• Wayne County: $93

• Bloomfield Hills: $737

• Bloomfield Township: $399

• Waterford Township:  $206

• West Bloomfield Township: $202

• Pontiac: $171

Deputy Oakland County Executive Robert Daddow cautions that some local units do not fully load costs, such as post-employment benefits like retiree health care, or accounting and facility expenses. Daddow said the sheriff’s costs do include post-employment benefits but Pontiac’s do not.

That should make it clear — at least to everyone but Pontiac City Council members — how the sheriff can save Pontiac $2 million and still provide at least 20 more patrol officers. What a deal!

How is this possible?

Noting that the sheriff serves 15 communities with a population of some 280,000, Undersheriff Mike McCabe points out that “instead of having 15 chiefs, you have just one; instead of having 15 dispatch units you have just one.”

And so on, for property and records units, for instance. Also, the command staff-to-officer ratio is one-to-seven for the sheriff’s department, lower than for most communities.

Also, Oakland County employee benefits are not as expensive. The county requires higher co-pays for health care than most municipalities and its legacy costs are lower. The county has gone to a defined contribution plan for retirees as opposed to the more expensive defined pension plans.

With its size, the county also has more buying power because it is purchasing in higher quantities, McCabe says. Building costs also are lower.

“When you share services you reduce costs,” McCabe says. It’s that simple.

Does this mean other communities look to contract with the sheriff? Could there one day be just one countywide police force?

The issue of shared services and consolidation among communities has been much talked about as a potential cost-saver.

The cost figures cited show the problem in financial terms, “but the issues go deeper than that,” says Bob Kittle, a consultant to local governments, Auburn Hills councilman and co-founder of Munetrix™.  

For the most part, people want things as they are, according to local officials.

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” says Michele Economou Ureste, West Bloomfield supervisor. Contracting with the sheriff’s department would not be accepted in an affluent community like West Bloomfield, she says, pointing out that in recent surveys residents have said “public safety is the number one reason they live in West Bloomfield.”

“We like our own department,” says Waterford Supervisor Carl Solden. “It is a key identifier. I’d like us to hang on as long as we can.”

He notes that residents just approved a Headlee override on public safety millages to avoid cutbacks. The community strongly supports its safety forces, Solden says, adding “citizens wouldn’t be happy” if the police were disbanded.

Solden, a former police officer himself, also said “it’s not just how many people you have on the street.”

Technology such as e-tickets, surveillance cameras and automated traffic signals have helped police do more with less, he says.

Bloomfield Hills City Manager Jay Cravens said his municipality would probably talk to Bloomfield Township before contracting with the sheriff, noting that the township surrounds the city.

Cravens said Bloomfield Hills residents are accustomed to the personal service they get from their public safety department, which combines police and fire. These include assistance setting up home alarm systems and officers checking homes while residents are on vacation.

 Bloomfield Township Supervisor David Payne notes that his community has discussed consolidating dispatch services with Birmingham, following a study that concluded it made sense.

Bloomfield Township residents also recently approved higher taxes to pay for local services.

So, while it may make sense financially, taxpayers in these communities will need to request consolidation before it happens. Pontiac, meanwhile, has no choice. There is no money left.

Glenn Gilbert is the executive editor of The Oakland Press. Contact him at glenn.gilbert@oakpress.com or 248-745-4587. Follow him on Twitter@glenngilbert2.

Oakland Press, published November 14, 2010

By Bob Kittle

I am shocked the Pontiac City Council voted in support of a resolution to keep the police services in Pontiac’s control.

Also, I was surprised the county commission representatives voiced their opinions on something they should stand down on. Elected officials are supposed to uphold the constitution and protect the health, safety and welfare of the community, despite the political undertones that may be evident.

Making tough decisions, not necessarily popular ones, is part of the job.

One thing that everybody seems to be forgetting in this emotional debate is that Pontiac is broke and is being operated under Public Act 72, which gives financial control to a state-appointed official, an Emergency Financial Manager who must balance the books. Whether you like it or not, this is his job. 

The proposal by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is expected to save the city $2 million and provide 74 full-time officers “on the street.” Currently the city employs 77 full-time officers, which are not all on the streets but could be forced to reduce that number to 40 if this sheriff’s contract is not executed.

Of these officers, 63 would be hired from the Pontiac Police force, thus securing their employment, benefits and status in the community. This is a true win-win deal.

No other financial alternatives have been presented at a recent meeting and a millage increase proposal would take quite some time to execute — without any guarantees.

The city’s deficit is in excess of $5 million for this budget year and is expected to be more than $10 million next year. A sheriff’s contract would go a long way in filling those financial shortfalls, thus expediting the road to recovery and getting the city back under its own control.

Longer term, the city can keep a primary goal of returning the police force back to blue uniforms from brown, but should do so only when the financial house is in order  and it can sustain the costs associated with providing this important fundamental service.

The residents and leadership should consider the sheriff’s office as a stop gap measure if nothing else and work hard to find the additional savings and efficiencies to fix the deficit.  I attended a town hall meeting on the subject and understand the emotions involved. The worries about racial profiling and abuse of power are without basis, especially since the majority of the officers would be Pontiac police anyhow.

Also consider the burden on neighboring public safety units if the sheriff is not engaged and the officer count gets reduced to 40. These communities have their own budgetary problems and cannot afford the costs associated with an overload of issues stemming from a further decline in manning in Pontiac.

The number one goal, keeping the health safety and welfare of the community in mind, is to have the most “feet on the street” from a policing perspective, at the lowest possible cost.

Contracting with the sheriff’s office does just that and is the best alternative at this time.

Bob Kittle is an Auburn Hills city councilman.

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