Yorba Linda to pay slight increase as sheriff's contract with Orange County enters eighth year

Yorba Linda will pay a slim 1.02% more for police services in the fiscal year beginning July 1 during the third year of a five-year contract with the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Cost of the agreement with the county will be close to $12.4 million, which represents one-third of the city's estimated $37.1 million in expenditures for the year, based on a mid-term revision of the total operating expenditures presented at a June 16 City Council meeting.

The $125,000 increase is one of the smallest-ever during the eight years the county has provided law enforcement for the 20-square-mile city. Sheriff's deputies began service in 2013 after the council ended a 42-year relationship with the Brea Police Department.

No changes in service levels are expected for the year, with 42 full-time equivalent positions continuing on the payroll, supplemented by 12.9 slots that are considered regional or shared.

More than one-half of the policing budget goes to provide the 23 patrol and two motorcycle deputies assigned to the city, a total of $6.9 million. Two other deputies serve in community support and one as a school resource officer, totaling a bit more than $800,000.

Cost for providing each deputy position is $274,282 ($279,358 for a motorcycle deputy). But that's not all salary, because the figure includes health and pension benefits, equipment and other factors associated with placing a deputy in the field.

Other positions and related costs are the “police services chief,” currently Lt. Cory Martino who reports to City Manager Mark Pulone, at $401,628; four patrol sergeants at $334,826 each; a half-time administrative sergeant at $167,414; and a half-time investigative sergeant at $161,589.

Others include three investigators at $287,206 each; an investigative assistant at $129,473; a crime prevention specialist at $108,012; two community service officers for parking and traffic enforcement at $122,710 each; and an office support specialist at $98,413.

The 12.9 shared positions include 7.6 in various levels in traffic enforcement, 4.3 in various levels in auto theft and one in motorcycle supervision. Total cost for these slots is $258,981.

Individuals who are arrested in the city are booked at county facilities, either an intake- release center or juvenile hall, or other facilities designated by state or federal officials.

Arrestees are not booked at the city's police services building at Arroyo Park on Yorba Linda Boulevard. The building, furniture and equipment, including computers, are owned and maintained by the city. The city also owns and maintains the motorcycles used for traffic enforcement.

The contract lists performance goals – five minutes for priority one calls, 12 minutes for priority two calls and 20 minutes for priority three calls – and notes that if a major incident occurs outside the city, personnel will remain in the city to respond to priority one and two calls.