The Aberdeen City Council Wednesday evening gave the nod to Police Chief Dale Green to continue working on a contract that would lend officers for emergency situations to Cosmopolis during the city’s budget crisis.
Cosmopolis laid off half of its police department earlier this year and the city’s general fund is expected to plunge into a $63,000 deficit by the end of March.
Green said Cosmopolis, with its department whittled down to Chief Heath Layman and one other officer, approached Aberdeen for assistance in February, and Cosmopolis City Administrator Darren Raines then came forward with a concrete proposal.
According to a proposed agreement, APD would be responsible for covering 63% of the hours for Cosmopolis, which, at an expected rate of $283 cost per call, would amount to about $10,300 per month.
That amount was calculated by multiplying CPD’s call volume from last year — 689 — by the two-thirds portion Aberdeen would be expected to take and multiplying that by the call cost.
Aberdeen officers would offer patrol services at night, on the weekends, and respond to immediately occurring crimes. For “crimes that are not considered to be a crime in progress or crime against a person,” the proposal states, an “APD officer direct the reporting party to make their report the following business day when Cosmopolis PD officers are on duty.”
“Our number priority is the city of Aberdeen,” Green said. “We’re not going to do anything that would cause any kind of detriment to the service we would provide. We have no desire to take over the Cosmopolis Police Department.”
Green said Aberdeen already acts as a backup police force for Cosmopolis during calls for mutual aid.
“In many cases, the Aberdeen police department is already going to Cosmopolis for these calls anyway so really we’re just going to be getting paid for those calls we already were going to,” Mayor Doug Orr said.
Councilor Stan Sidor asked if there was any assurance that the city with a major budget crisis would be able to pay the bill.
“None right now, to be totally honest with you,” Green said.
A final contract would have to be returned to the city council before any contract for services could be approved. Seeking help from the Grays Harbor Sherrif’s Office was another possibility discussed at a Feb. 29 meeting of the Cosmopolis City Council.
Contact reporter Clayton Franke at 406-552-3917 or clayton.franke@thedailyworld.
