Contract City Enforcement

The Sheriff’s Department has been involved with Contract Law Enforcement since 1983 and currently provides full law enforcement services to four contract cities. Additionally, the department provides radio dispatch and call receipt for three other police departments, the National Park Service at the Lava Beds National Monument as well as the United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) on the Klamath National Forest and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Siskiyou County. Law enforcement contracts are a good way for small, rural communities to increase their law enforcement coverage while lowering their overall costs of operation. This is a growing field and we look to expand our contracts in the future.

Montague - The City of Montague was the first community in Siskiyou County to decide to contract for law enforcement services rather than operate a police department. The City and the County entered into an agreement in July 1983 and the contract has been very successful since. The City contracts for one “personnel year” which is a minimum of 1,800 hours of service per year. In 2004 the Sheriff’s Department provided the City with 3,746 hours of service and answered 1,348 calls for service. Sergeant Cory Persing is assigned as the department’s representative to the City and serves as the Chief of Police.

Dunsmuir - The City of Dunsmuir contracted for law enforcement services in 1992. The community contracts for 7,200 hours of service per year which provides the City with a Sergeant and four Deputy Sheriffs. The department provided 7,772 hours of service during 2004 and answered 2,925 calls for service. Sergeant Behr Tharsing is assigned as the department’s representative to the City and serves as the Chief of Police.

Fort Jones -The City of Fort Jones contracted for law enforcement services in July 1989. The community contracts for one half “personnel year” which is a minimum of 900 hours of service per year plus pays for another COPS position from the City’s allocation of the Citizen’s Option for Public Safety (COPS). During 2004 the Sheriff’s Department provided the City with 2,310 hours of service and handled 393 calls for service. Sergeant James Randall is assigned as the department’s representative to the City and serves as the Chief of Police.

Dorris -The City of Dorris contracted for law enforcement services in 1996. The City contracts for 3,150 hours of service per year which equates to one and three quarters of a “personnel year” plus pays for another COPS position from the City’s allocation of the Citizen’s Option for Public Safety (COPS). The department provided 3,820 hours of service and answered 660 calls for service. Sergeant Chris Callahan is assigned as the department’s representative to the City and serves as the Chief of Police.