Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Police Protection: Local Support or Contract for Service

Link to November 17 Fond du Lac Reporter article, "Can small-town police forces survive today's budget crunch?"

Excerpt: As municipalities scramble to get the biggest bang for their tax dollars, local officials are taking a hard look at their budgets.

Some cities and villages have opted to remove some overhead from municipal tax rolls by cutting or eliminating police protection as one of their services.

Under
Wisconsin Act 40 passed in 2005, cities and villages have the option of abolishing their police departments if a contract can be struck with the county sheriff's department to provide law enforcement services.

"The villages of Cambria in Columbia County did this just a few months ago.
It's a sensitive issue in which emotions play a significant role," said Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls.

In addition, many sheriff departments are already dealing with budget cuts and staffing reductions.

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