Regional police may become reality

Cities like Taylorsville might come running back to the sheriff, and team together for one big regional police force, under new legislation wending its way through the Legislature.

That's music to Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder's ears.

"This may in fact provide a model for sheriff's offices throughout the state to overcome the difficulties between cities and counties," Winder said. "Today may shine a very new light on the way cities and counties can work together."

On Wednesday, a Senate legislative committee unanimously approved a revamped version of SB153 that would effectively force the sheriff to start negotiating with the cities on a regional police force.

The compromise is a stark contrast to just a week ago, when Winder argued with the Salt Lake County Council over the original text of the bill. SB153 would have stripped Winder of his power's and instead given the County Council authority to enter into an agreement with the cities to create a regional police force.

But the bill was completely overhauled Wednesday, and Winder changed his tune.

Now, the bill gives Winder until Jan. 1, 2009, to negotiate a regional police effort. If he doesn't succeed by then, the County Council could then go over the sheriff's head and negotiate with cities for police services.

Several cities have bolted from contracts with the sheriff's office over the years, instead opting to start their own police departments. Cottonwood Heights was the latest city to drop out.

And an effort to start the Unified Police Department failed a year ago all in the name of local control. Cities wanted a bigger say on budgets and such, but current law gives the final say to the sheriff.

Now SB153 would create a governing board over the cooperative police effort, with the county receiving three votes and every city receiving one vote each. The board would be in charge or policy and budgets.

That kind of control is exactly what Taylorsville Mayor Russ Wall wants. His city ended its contract with the sheriff in 2004 after wrangling over contract issues became too much.

"The problem is, in the county, there are so many elected officials that you have to run through the gauntlet," Wall said. "By the time you get through you don't have any semblance of a contract you can live with."

Both Taylorsville and Cottonwood Heights are interested in teaming up with the sheriff to pool some police services, several sources told the Deseret Morning News.