A law enforcement agency is about to end its contract with a city in Northern California because it is allegedly unsustainable to run, given the current budget allocation.
If you ask what that means, well, the City of Willows could be left without dedicated local law enforcement services after the end of this month unless city officials make a decision to extend the contract.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office announced that it will end its contract with the City of Willows on June 30 after serving as the city’s primary law enforcement agency for almost a decade.
Willows gave up its municipal police department in 2017, contracting the sheriff’s office to provide police and animal control. Now, though, things are about to change again.
$2.35 Million Per Year Is Not Enough for a Law Enforcement Agency
According to a press release by the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office, the contract worth $2.35 million with the City of Willows will be terminated at the end of this month because the cost of providing law enforcement services is $3.4 million a year, which means Glenn County suffers a loss of a little less than $1 million annually. The sheriff’s office stated:
“This is unsustainable. The county cannot continue to fund city services as the county budget deficit grows.”
Notably, around 56% of the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office cases are from the City of Willows jurisdiction. Sheriff Justin Gibbs informed city officials that the law requires the sheriff’s office to charge the actual cost of service provided.
On April 8, the City of Willows released a statement calling for third-party mediation regarding the law enforcement services contract with the sheriff’s office. It read:
“City officials have identified concerns related to service delivery under the current agreement and believe that mediation with a neutral third party would provide a constructive opportunity to review those concerns and work toward a resolution. The City Council remains committed to maintaining public safety, and ensuring residents continue to receive law enforcement services without interruption.”
The county Board of Supervisors authorized a limited-term exception to allow the city more time to secure additional funding. In November 2024, “the City of Willows passed Measure I, a 1.5% sales tax initiative,” mainly to fund “critical services including public safety,” the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office stated.
However, the city has refused to pay the sheriff’s office the actual cost of delivering law enforcement services. The release added:
“The City of Willows has refused to pay the Sheriff’s Office for the actual cost of delivering law enforcement services and the City has made no meaningful effort over the past 3 years to re-open the City’s Police Department. The County will not continue to subsidize the City. Law enforcement resources will not be diverted from the County residents to the City of Willows at the cost of the County.”
Transitioning Services Back to the City of Willows
On March 23, the Sheriff notified the City of Willows that the contract would not be renewed. As a result, the sheriff’s office is working on shifting services back to the City of Willows.
However, the sheriff’s office stated in the release that officials have not been responsive to the transition, and as a result, it has been forced to determine how to proceed after the contract expires.
Revealing the steps for the post-contract-expiration phase, the sheriff’s office stated:
“The Sheriff’s Office will be instituting an online crime reporting system which includes a module for the City of Willows for citizens to file reports.
“Calls for service received at our Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) dispatch center will be routed to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or to the City of Willows Fire Department, until the City of Willows provides other instructions.
“Per California Government Code 36501, the City of Willows is required to have a Police Chief, which shall be appointed by the City Council under California Government Code 36505.
“Citizens with questions regarding law enforcement services in the City of Willows should contact the City of Willows at 530-934-7041 or in person at City Hall 201 N Lassen St. Willows, CA.”