Darien considers contracting for patrols
DARIEN — If the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office takes over patrol duties in the village of Darien, it would be the first such agreement in the county.
But the concept is common around the state and the nation.
“The economy is such that it’s hard for a small municipality to adequately provide their own police services,” Rock County Sheriff Bob Spoden said.
In Rock County, the sheriff’s office has been contracted since 2003 to patrol the village of Footville. The village in 2010 will pay $53,000 for 1,100 patrol hours, Cmdr. Troy Knutson said.
Walworth County Sheriff David Graves on Monday gave the Darien Village Board an idea of what it would cost and what it would look like if his office started patrolling the village. The presentation was at the board’s request.
Graves studied the matter “extensively” before making his presentation, he said. No other municipalities have made such a request of his office, but if they did, Graves would be willing to do the research, he said.
“It would be a first in Walworth County,” Graves said. “Departments in other counties that provide the product, it seems to work out well for them.”
Graves told the Gazette the change would mean his office would gain five additional patrol deputies that the village would pay for. The start-up cost for the program would be $496,820, Graves said.
That includes labor, vehicle and equipment costs, training and insurance, he said.
The village budgeted $477,382 for police services by six employees in 2010, Administrator Marc Dennison said. That does not include the cost for the clerk, who works part time for the police department and part time for the municipal court, Dennison said.
Four full-time officers and one-part time officer work in the village, Dennison said.
The village could see cost savings in the long run because the sheriff’s office has greater purchasing power than the village for things such as equipment and insurance, Dennison said.
The board will mull over the presentation and could make a decision at its regular meeting March 15, Dennison said.
Change of command
Graves said the plan would bring to the village “all the resources of the sheriff’s office with local control.”
The plan would provide 24-hour, year-round patrol services in the village, Graves said.
The officers who work for the village would be welcome to apply for positions with the sheriff’s office, Graves said. But if they are hired, they might not be assigned to patrol in the village, he said.
Deputies with higher seniority could request to work shifts in the village, Graves said.
Deputies patrolling the village would be supervised by the sheriff’s office commanding officer on duty, he said. The change would mean the commanding officer would have one more deputy to supervise per shift, he said.
The village wouldn’t be “just buying a patrol officer,” Graves said.
“With this bid, they get administration, the undersheriff, myself plus an on-duty supervisor,” Graves said. “They don’t have a chief or an assistant chief. They have our full command staff.”
Personnel matters would be the responsibility of the sheriff’s office, Graves said.
“This frees up your administrator to deal with the day-to-day operations of running your municipality,” he said.
The village would retain its municipal court as a revenue source, Graves said. The deputies would enforce village ordinances, he said.
Sheriff’s office squad cars marked “village of Darien” would be dedicated to village patrols, he said.
‘Years of turmoil’
When Graves studied providing services to Darien, he worked closely with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, he said.
That office contracts to provide law-enforcement services to seven municipalities, Sheriff Daniel Trawicki said. Most recently, the department Jan. 1 started providing services in the city of Pewaukee.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that city officials said the change would save at least $800,000 in 2010 as well as end “years of turmoil within the police department.”
The department’s police union filed for a temporary restraining order to block the change, but the motion was denied, according to online court records. The case is pending in appeals court, Trawicki said.
The “turmoil” was the 2008 resignation of former Police Chief Gary Bach. City officials charged him with violating city policies.
The Darien Village Board also has a recent history of filing charges against a police chief. In early 2009, the board filed several charges against Police Chief Steve DeVoy.
DeVoy was accused of violating village policies. After a year of legal wrangling, DeVoy agreed to resign to have the charges dropped. The village paid him for six months he isn’t working in addition to 11 months he was suspended with pay.
The village paid DeVoy $30,000 on top of that.
DeVoy now works as an officer in Williams Bay.
Trawicki it’s common for personnel issues to be one reason for a municipality to want his department to take over police duties.
“There are two things that go hand in hand,” Trawicki said. “The first is budget shortfalls. Then usually it’s a grouping of personnel issues and problems that don’t seem to be going away. The city starts to ask, ‘What alternatives do we have here?’”
Darien residents last year said in a referendum that they want village officers to keep providing police services in the village.
Village residents in April voted 203-152 against a non-binding referendum to keep police services a village function.
The referendum asked: “Should the village of Darien reduce 24-hour coverage by village of Darien police, therefore reducing the village of Darien budget and tax levy?”
Mar 9, 2010 at 10:59 p.m.
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Sam, he is protected like no other anyone has ever seen by the union now. Chief DeVoy tried to stop this from happening but the board loved to do the exact opposite of anything Chief DeVoy wanted. Chalk it up to another "win". Way to go Zipp and Co.
Mar 9, 2010 at 10:32 p.m.
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Seems like Maltese is a serious problem the Board won't address. Why?
Theres questions about his capability and questions about if he was qualified in the first place.
Can't just they test him to prove he's capable of being a sergeant? If he is, there should be no problem, right?
Mar 7, 2010 at 8:21 p.m.
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wow, that is the first time one of my comments has been removed. I don't think it was out of hand, just the truth about a certain Sgt in Darien. Freedom of the press? I guess the JG really is kissing up.
Mar 6, 2010 at 10:17 p.m.
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I'd like to know what lifeisawheel's response was. Could you submit it without the Gazette's restrictions?
Mar 6, 2010 at 3:44 p.m.
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WELCOME HOME CRAIG MCCUE. Even if some of the people you stood up for has forgot about you. Alot of people has not. And that letter that was sent to you was very sick after all you done.Forget it get well.
Mar 6, 2010 at 12:20 a.m.
Mar 5, 2010 at 10:08 p.m.
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lifeisawheel I am APPALLED by what you said!!!
Maltese is INTENTIONALLY depriving citizens of information about whats going on in the Village because 'he wants it his way'?
Murders, stabbing, gangs etc are of no concern to residents, so he said to don't put it in the newsletter? I'd like to know how the residents feel about his direction on that.
Thats disgusting, the guy seems to be an egomaniac. Why is he even still working for the Village? Who wants a guy like that in charge of there protection?
Plus wasn't there a huge drug bust right behind the police station under Maltese's nose and he was clueless about it?
What a joke that guy is, he doesn't have you covered, he doesn't even know whats going on in his backyard, much less yours.
sheesh
Mar 5, 2010 at 2:21 a.m.
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I think some are missing the point on community policing...ie paying the county to be dedicated to the city/town.
By not contracting, any revenue generated from tickets would more than likely stay at the county level. Patrol's result in tickets, tickets result in revenue!
As the story said "The village would retain its municipal court as a revenue source, Graves said. The deputies would enforce village ordinances..."
Show me the money...
Mar 4, 2010 at 10:35 p.m.
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In fact, if you went back and looked, before Chief DeVoy left, Officer Wilson never reported speeding violations knowing that they would take up the room of more important police calls or info and maybe even a little humor - something that is so far removed from this village it is sick. I feel so sorry for the officers that remain employed here who show up to work every day to this mindless circus show.
Mar 4, 2010 at 10:11 p.m.
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I know for a fact that the newsletter was written by Officer Wilson who took over doing it for Officer Schultz who was smart enough to leave several years ago to a different police department in Texas. Officer Wilson did a fine job with the newsletter under Chief DeVoy's direction and after Chief DeVoy was railroaded out by Sgt. Maltese, Sgt. Lil' Fella told Officer Wilson that he didn't want the newsletter like that anymore, that it was "meaningless information" & that it was now going to be done HIS WAY. Ever since then, the newsletter has been just as worthless as Sgt. Maltese.
Mar 4, 2010 at 9:33 p.m.
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The voters only voted on a referendum to maintain 24 hour police protection, not on how to accomplish that.
Catdog: the worthless newsletter now produced by Maltese contains nothing but traffic enforcement. He thinks it’s no one’s business when the police are summons to a call. I personally would like to be informed like when DeVoy was chief what happens in the community. Maybe you weren’t around when the restaurant owner was murdered or someone was stabbed because of a gang retaliation. Previous newsletters by DeVoy informed the citizens of burglaries, thefts etc. not just speeding tickets.
If Maltese and company aren’t able to provide adequate police protection, then I guess that will force the hand of the village to do something drastic. Maybe the village should reconsider and reinstate DeVoy before contracting with the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department. He committed no crimes and no doubt would’ve been reinstated after a hearing.
Mar 4, 2010 at 8:50 p.m.
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Listen to the voters.......they have spoken
Mar 4, 2010 at 4:16 p.m.
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This is all so ridiculous that I can't even believe it! We ARE talking about a little tiny town called DARIEN right? The little tiny town that the county ALREADY patrols? I guess I just don't get it. The only big crime that I resd about in the town paper is a drunk arrest or a dog at large complaint!! It's not like we are talking about Milwaukee here. This whole thing is being blown WAY out of proportion--as usual. As it is Darien is a nice quet village where nothing real serious happens except a few bar fights at corn fest time!! To think they need the county there is a farce. And if you think Graves will stick to his estimate of cost--YOUR NUTS!!!! I can see the money drain now if he has his way. Just get some HONEST admin. and officers in and the problem will be solved. But whatever happens- don't let the blood suckers from the county have control or you WILL be sorry!!
Mar 4, 2010 at 1:58 p.m.
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I don't know who's scariest, Maltese or Dennison. Try having an intelligent conversation with either one. Dennison usually blows his top before the conversation is concluded. Maltese is just plain lost. The dynamic duo running our police department is no laughing matter, but better than any comic strip I’ve seen.
Mar 2, 2010 at 3:18 p.m.
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Cheaper in the long run
Mar 1, 2010 at 2:03 p.m.
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Why can't we have community policing, especially if a lot of the issues are simply loitering, etc.? All serious crimes are covered already by the county sherifs.
Mar 1, 2010 at 12:14 p.m.
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I think the difference is, when you contract with the s.o., you agree to spend a dedicated amount of time w/in the village. The 'general' responsibility doesn't require ANY patrol--just response to calls for service. Not that general patrol is all it's cracked up to be--as the infamous 'Kansas City' experiment has shown.
Mar 1, 2010 at 11:52 a.m.
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As other posters have alluded to, it is the responsibility of the Sheriff to handle all law enforcement issues within the borders of the county, so these small towns don't need their own police..Its redundant.
Mar 1, 2010 at 10:09 a.m.
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There is no such thing as 'local control' in a situation like this, no matter how many times it is promised. In the end, the sheriff, like any elected official, answers ONLY to the electorate, and then only every four years. The only exception is the sheriff's office budget, which is set by the county board. I'm not saying that these arrangements don't have any benefits--they do. But local control is not one of them.
Mar 1, 2010 at 9:22 a.m.
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theone: yes, only on election day can they. Not all are eligible for recall either. Also mentioned on mywalworthcounty.com is another article about Darien: http://www.mywalworthcounty.com/main.asp... . Why can't their village attorney keep on top of these situations?
Feb 28, 2010 at 11:02 p.m.
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This is the crazy stuff that people do to get even. People have you not learned anything from that last bunch that started the devoy mess? Now because you do not like someone you are going to get rid of the city cops. Get real. Did you not understand what was said if the county had to raise the fee next year.And with no cops that get paid to JUST take care of darien not the whole county.The county has to much to take care off now. You people that are pushing for this are nuts.
Feb 28, 2010 at 10:20 p.m.
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Actually, by statute the Sheriff's Office is required to staff and function the jail and the court house. That is why when cuts are made around the country to Sheriff's Departments, patrol and any special teams / programs are the first to go. Patrol is not a function they are required by statute to do, however if they are needed for a call for service, that is a different story. The contract calls for actual patrol, which can be valuable as a deterence, hence the charge to the village.
Feb 28, 2010 at 10:15 p.m.
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Why should any small village pay the sheriff's department anything more for service. The sheriff's department is required to provide law enforcement services to all communities under a certain size. Footville is paying $53,000 for something the Rock County Sheriff should already be doing with the tax dollars they already get.
Feb 28, 2010 at 9:24 p.m.
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They can...come election day.
Feb 28, 2010 at 7:04 p.m.
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It's too bad the people of Darien can't contract out for new leadership.
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