Sisters approves police merger

Sisters police officers are trading their blue uniforms for the brown and khaki of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department.

The Sisters City Council approved a contract Thursday, December 11, which turns over police services in the city to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department. The contract takes effect January 1, 1998.

Police chief Rich Shawver and his three officers were to be sworn in as deputies in a ceremony on Wednesday, December 17, at a meeting of the county commissioners.

Shawver will serve as patrol sergeant, supervising a total of six deputies in the area bounded by the Sisters School District (excluding Black Butte Ranch, which has its own police).

Sisters will pay $206,200 to fund three officers in the first year of the contract. The fourth Sisters officer is filling an existing sheriff's department vacancy. Sisters currently pays $240,000 to put four officers on the streets.

The contract guarantees that deputies will continue to provide services established by the Sisters Police Department, including speed enforcement in school zones, night-time business security checks and support for the community's man special events.

One Sisters resident raised concerns about the contract at the December 11 meeting.

Tom Katzke, who acknowledged that he did not participate in the series of three public hearings held on the merger, asked what the city would do if the sheriff's department failed to pass a tax levy and had to make cutbacks.

Sheriff Greg Brown responded that the city is funding three positions and the department is obligated by the contract to provide the services as stated, including 120 hours of patrol time per week and guaranteed 24-hour coverage in the area.

Brown pledged his support of continuing and expanding the local Juvenile Empowerment Team diversion program. Brown said he has a meeting in January with the county Juvenile Department and the Commission on Children and Families (which funds the JET program).

He said the sheriff's department's "number one request" is to make the JET program a full-time operation.

Brown also told the council the sheriff's department will continue the summer cadet program inaugurated by the Sisters Police Department to provide police cadets to assist visitors to Sisters.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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