San Carlos Loses Its Police Force

SAN CARLOS (KCBS) - Moving week at San Carlos City Hall is almost over. Police desks, chairs, computers and records have been packed up and shipped out. Come Monday, the city's police officers will become deputies of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department.

San Carlos dissolved its police department to save $2.2 million a year. It already outsources park maintenance and its payroll, a strategy the assistant city manager, Brian Moura, said has caught the attention of neighboring cities.

"As cities around the Bay Area struggle with budget challenges, others have talked to us about this model and asked if maybe this is something that could help their budget situation. And I think the answer is yes," he said.

Half Moon Bay is looking at outsourcing should a one-cent sales tax measure fail on the November 2 ballot. And Moura said similar inquiries are coming not just from the peninsula but from across the state.

It's not unusual for cities to contact with county or state agencies, even for public safety, although that decision is usually made when the city is incorporated.

"What's different in San Carlos is that the city is 85 years old," Moura said.

The city is studying whether it would be cost effective to dismantle, or perhaps expand, the fire department it jointly operates with Belmont.

The San Carlos Police Station will become a substation of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department.

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