NORTH OGDEN – Weber County Sheriff Ryan Arbon believes his office could provide law enforcement protection in North Ogden at a lower cost than the city is currently paying.
He prepares an estimate for the provision of services as those in charge in the city are considering building a new building for the North Ogden Police Department that could cost around $ 11 million.
Using the sheriff’s office to administer law enforcement in North Ogden would eliminate the need to build the proposed new structure of the police station. Indeed, doing so would eliminate the department altogether, a potentially dramatic shift in the city. In this respect, this path is by no means a matter of course.
Mayor S. Neal Berube said he was not dissatisfied with the police. On the contrary, he praised the operations of both the North Ogden Police Department and the Weber County Sheriff’s Office. “But this is part of the due diligence that we need to do,” said Berube.
Arbon said it was up to North Ogden officials to decide which direction to go.
“I will support every decision the council makes. I will support them 100%, ”said Arbon. North Ogden, he continued, “has great officers who do a great job.”
North Ogden City Council appeared to have reached a consensus on March 23 to pursue a bond issue to cover the cost of the new structure of the police station to replace the current facility, which is viewed as cramped and out of date. However, after that meeting, the sheriff’s office and city officials came back and decided to reconsider the idea of the sheriff’s office handling law enforcement in North Ogden. “We are examining all options,” said Berube.
Arbon, who lives in North Ogden, said he was approached by residents of the town about a contract with the sheriff’s office for law enforcement reporting, which led to a re-look. The sides had previously discussed the matter, but city officials at the March 23 meeting appeared to have already rejected the idea of entering into a contract with the sheriff’s office.
“I am responding to several requests from citizens to provide a model and option for North Ogden,” he said.
Costs aside, Arbon said the report to North Ogden will include typical response times for the locations the sheriff’s office is currently serving. Eight municipalities have law enforcement contracts with the Sheriff’s Office – Farr West, Plain City, Hooper, Uintah, West Haven, Huntsville, Marriott-Slaterville, and Washington Terrace. The sheriff’s office also covers the unincorporated areas of the county.
Each locale pays the sheriff’s office for services, and these contracts serve as the basis for Arbon’s claim that his office could provide protection at a lower cost than the city pays for their police department. However, cost is not the only consideration.
The current list of officers “understands and has this connection to the community,” said Berube. Twenty-one sworn officers serve in the North Ogden Police Department while the sheriff’s office employs 80 police officers, excluding corrections officers.
Arbon repeated this, but also noted that because the sheriff’s office is larger, it can offer a wider range of specialized services. The department has heavy units for crime, fraud, elder abuse, and child pornography, he said. The office can also tailor the service to individual cities, but this could increase costs.
“I also told them that I would be willing to take on the staff for the same or a higher price,” said Arbon.
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