September 28, 2010
This list of questions was created for the Union County Sheriff to help the public understand any advantages and/or disadvantages to contracting with Union County for police service. Sheriff Cathey will send written responses to each of these questions as soon as he is able. The list of questions was developed with feedback from multiple sources within the Town of Stallings.
OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS
1. How many officers would you recommend for Stallings based on call volume and workload (i.e., calls for service)?
2. If Stallings were to contract with the Sheriff’s Department, how would coverage work, and how would it differ from coverage currently being provided by Stallings PD?
3. Response time is of concern to many residents in Stallings. Please provide response times by your Department in Indian Trail and elsewhere in Union County where a similar contract arrangement exists. Would your response times in Stallings be similar to Indian Trail and other places where a contract arrangement exists?
4. Please describe how the Indian Trail arrangement is going. What is working well? What is not? What would you do differently if a similar arrangement were made with Stallings? Please provide reference(s) in Indian Trail about the services being provided.
5. How many Indian Trail calls for service have been answered by deputies from outside of Indian Trail in the last 3 years?
6. How many calls for service have been answered by Indian Trail contracted deputies that are outside of Indian Trail for the past 3 years?
7. The Sheriff has not provided wreck management of traffic in the past. What assurances do we have that your Department will perform these services to the level Stallings currently has, and that this level of service will continue to be offered?
8. Would the Sheriff’s Department use our vehicles as they are currently marked, or would they be re-marked to be identified as Sheriff’s Department? If they were re-marked as Sheriff’s Department vehicles, would they be marked as vehicles dedicated to Stallings?
9. Please confirm that if the Town contracts with the Sheriff’s Department, we will be contracting for specific deputies and not just a slot. That is, when Deputy Smith is on vacation, in court or out sick the Sheriff’s Department will send another deputy to fill in for that absent deputy at no additional cost.
10. To the best of your knowledge, please compare and contrast services that would be provided by the Sheriff’s Department to those currently offered by Stallings PD. This includes community development programs, vacation checks, etc.
11. Are you willing and able to cover the Mecklenburg portion of Stallings? If so, please describe the intergovernmental agreement(s) necessary to do so and the cost of operating under such agreement. In your opinion, is such an agreement likely to be made?
12. Would the Sherriff’s Department occupy the current space utilized by the Stallings Police? How much of that space would be needed?
13. Do you see any synergies and advantages to the citizens of Stallings by having the Sheriff’s Department provide primary police services, given that you are already operating in Indian Trail? If so, please elaborate.
14. Please describe a recommended transition and communication plan should Stallings outsource police services to the Sheriff’s Department. Would there be any specific requirements to address fact that GHSP grant funding was used for officers or equipment?
15. How would the Sheriff’s Department deal with the evidence currently maintained by the Stallings PD detectives?
16. Please provide any additional insights or comments that the Town might wish to consider.
COST AND PERSONNEL QUESTIONS
1. What would be the cost per officer and overall cost to Stallings based on a similar number of patrol officers currently in place in Stallings?
2. Please provide a breakdown of costs for patrol in the Towns where you have contract deputies versus the costs to patrol in unincorporated Union County/other.
3. The Town has a significant investment in vehicles and equipment. What will the Sheriff’s Department pay for that equipment?
4. Would the Town or the Sheriff’s Department pay for vehicle accident coverage for patrol cars used in the Town?
5. What has been the annual percentage increase in the cost for contract deputies in other towns within Union County for the past 5 years? Would any prices be guaranteed to the Town of Stallings? If so, for what period of time?
6. What assurance can the Sheriff provide that Stallings officers will be hired to fill contract deputy spots if the Town does contract with the Sheriff’s Department? If there are county hiring standards that must be met, please provide these.
7. If an arrangement were made between Stallings and the Sheriff’s Department, it is our understanding that these officers would be contract employees of the county. If this is correct, how would the officers’ benefits (insurance, retirement, etc) compare with regular county employees? How would these officers’ salaries compare with their current salaries as Stallings police officers?
8. Please describe any potential opportunities for advancement available to Stallings PD officers, should they become Sherriff’s Department employees.
9. Would there be any way to integrate the non-patrol positions currently in the Stallings PD (detectives, clerical) into county positions?
10. Please provide any additional insights or comments that the Town might wish to consider.
CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS
1. If Stallings were to contract with the Sheriff’s Department, what involvement would the Town have in decisions about law enforcement services? For example, if we wish to have deputies work different shifts or we want them to work town events, would we have the ability to direct those areas?
2. Can the Town direct the type of patrols in Stallings? If we wish them to work more like a community police and have them split up and work specific neighborhoods, will we have that authority?
3. The Police Chief currently answers to the Manager. What level of accountability would the contract deputies have to the Manager?
4. What input, control and authority would the Town have concerning complaints against contract deputies and/or quality of service in Stallings? How are complaints about deputies and/or services currently handled in Indian Trail?
5. If the Sheriff’s Department were to provide police services in Stallings, please describe some best practices to ensure that Stallings and the Sheriff’s Department will communicate effectively.
6. Please provide any additional insights or comments that the Town might wish to consider.