Recent events have made it clear that the Bellevue City Council and its constituents aren't satisfied with the level of service currently provided by the Marshal's Office and are looking at a possibly more effective option in the form of a contract with the Blaine County Sheriff's Office.
A citizens advisory committee that recommended the successful levy increase cited necessary improvements in the city's law enforcement as one of the major reasons for raising the tax. The committee noted inadequacies in staffing and coverage, as well as equipment and salaries.
The deficiencies were exacerbated in August when the Marshal's Office lost its second deputy in 18 months to the Hailey Police Department, reducing the number of officers in Bellevue to two.
While Marshal Tim Green recently said he received two applications, which could potentially bring the force back up to full strength, he also expressed concern that retaining officers has become difficult, as they use Bellevue as a springboard to get training before moving to more lucrative positions in other towns.
With all of this fresh in their minds, Bellevue City Council members listened to Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling at a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 13, as he explained a contract for services between the city and his department. Femling said such a contract could potentially reduce the city's expenditures on law enforcement while increasing the overall level of service.
Femling said the proposed contract, which was designed with input from officials from Bellevue and the county, would have a significant advantage in that his department would be able to provide coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and dramatically improve the retention of officers. He added that the city would maintain its own marshal and office, but see cost efficiencies through shared supervision.
Bellevue City Administrator Tom Blanchard said that if the proposed contract, estimated at $416,633 per year, were implemented for the upcoming fiscal year, it would not affect the city's budget. He said future savings could be gained by the city's not needing to train new officers every time one moves on to greener pastures.
While the council made no decision, its members agreed that the issue needs to be presented to city residents at a public hearing.
