Bear Valley considers change to sheriff's protection | Crime

Bear Valley Springs could shut down its police department and contract to get law enforcement services from the Kern County Sheriff's Office.

The proposal went to the Community Services District Board during its Thursday night meeting. The board postponed a decision until at least March.

District general manager John Yeakley told Eyewitness News earlier in the day that he would recommend that the board take no action at the session, because he wants more information from the sheriff's department. According to his summary to the board, Yeakley wants more details on overtime, vacation and other personnel costs in the sheriff's proposal.

On Thursday, many residents said they'd heard of the idea. Many said they don't like it.

"I don't know if the sheriff's department could do as good a job," Juanita Cheary said. She likes the BVS Police Department.

"I think it's ridiculous, we have a great police department here," John McKeehan said. "We're on budget, we have no reason to change."

But the district general manager said the proposal is about dollars and cents.

"Our police department is almost entirely dependent on property tax receipts, and there's a potential they'll fall off," Yeakley told Eyewitness News Thursday afternoon. He said the request to the sheriff's department produced some numbers.

"It appears it's approximately for the same amount of money," Yeakley said. He needs more information, but the preliminary figures indicate a contract with the sheriff's department would cost about the same as what the district now pays to run the Bear Valley police.

But, residents had other ideas why the change is being proposed.

"It's all politics," resident Lanae Brandolino said. "Certain people aren't happy with the way things are going, so they want to change that."

"Somebody has an agenda, as far as I'm concerned," John McKeehan said. "I'll be as blunt as that."

And, McKeehan is one resident who's very happy with the current police department. 

"We have a lot of things the police department does here," he said. "Vacation checks, allergy checks. All these things that we moved here for in the first place."

And Brandolino ticks off another service she worries would disappear. "If the gate goes away without our own police department, I think that's a bad idea," she said.

Yeakley said operation of the guard gate would likely change, if the sheriff's department took over law enforcement.

"Currently we (the district) administer the gate under the police department," he said. "But, the sheriff has indicated he wouldn't have any part of running the gate."

More of the sheriff's response was outlined in the summary which Yeakley planned to present to the board Thursday night.

"The proposal requires that the present (BVS) police building be made available to the sheriff but that it continue to be operated and maintained at district expense," the summary reads.

And Yeakley said two options were considered.  One for dedicated service, the other for "non-dedicated" service.

"The only difference between the two proposals is that the 'dedicated' proposal includes the assignment of one full time sheriff's commander (essentially a police chief). Otherwise the two proposals are identical," the summary said.

Yeakley would not say exactly what cost the sheriff's department quoted to him.  He would also only say the number of sheriff personnel would be "comparable" to current Bear Valley police staffing.

Eyewitness News contacted the sheriff's department, and Chief Deputy Francis Moore said the office gave the Bear Valley district "some basic numbers."

Bear Valley Springs was established  in 1970, according to Yeakley. He said the formation put the responsibility to maintain police protection with the Community Services District.

Sgt. Dave Watts has been with Bear Valley police for a long time. "Our reaction is shock," he said.  "We've had a agency here for decades." Watts said the department provides special services to the community which an outside law enforcement agency might not be able to do.

"I think the sheriff's department is a fine organization, that's not even the issue here," Watts said. But, he says costs will go up, and the district won't be able to negotiate with the county, like they have with their own police department.

"The county is not going to answer to the board," Watts said. "They're going to hand them a bill."

Yeakley said he hopes to bring the proposal back to the district board later this month or early March.

"The board is just looking at what options they have in the future for providing a very vital public service with the funds that are available," he said. "If it's clearly much cheaper to do, we'll have to go from there.  If not, we'll have to go from there."