Millbrae Officials To Vote On Cutting Police Department

MILLBRAE (KCBS) – The Millbrae City Council is prepared to vote this month on a plan to cut the city's police department and replace it with contracted services from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

The city is strapped for cash and a third of its $17 million budget goes to the police department, which has already suffered serious cuts in recent years.

KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:

Millbrae's mayor said that outsourcing to the sheriff's department is the best option as it would save the city about $1.5 million a year. But Millbrae Traffic Sergeant Ron Gleeson sounded off on the proposal at a weekend community meeting.

"People have to remember, this is a sales pitch by the sheriff's department. This isn't something they're doing out of the kindness of their heart," said Gleeson. "This proposal does not meet the needs of the city."

But some of the other residents who spoke on the issue said the numbers support the proposal, since rebuilding that is required at the department would cost more than $400,000 a year.

The Millbrae City Council is scheduled to vote on the issue on November 15, but some residents are encouraging them to place a measure on the next ballot so voters can decide on the proposal.

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