Half Moon Bay to outsource its police services

[The Northerner]

Today marks the beginning of the end of the Half Moon Bay Police Department.

The city, struggling to close a long-term budget deficit, is disbanding its 12-member force and outsourcing the job of law enforcement to either Pacifica, its neighbor 14 miles to the north, or the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

The Half Moon Bay City Council will meet today to consider proposals from both agencies, although the sheriff's office has emerged as the more likely candidate. Contract negotiations will begin once the council makes its decision.

The session comes six months after the city of San Carlos dissolved its police department, also in favor of the sheriff. But unlike what happened in San Carlos, there is virtually no opposition to the change in Half Moon Bay, perhaps because everyone agrees there's not much choice.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/02/MN5H1INCUS.DTL