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Portola Valley, Woodside pay $216,000 each for second patrol by deputy sheriff

Original post made on Jun 22, 2010

Portola Valley's balanced general fund budget for the next 12 months is $3.8 million, with a reserve of about $2.6 million. The council will likely hold a public hearing and vote on the budget at its June 23 meeting.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 7:08 AM

Comments (6)

Posted by confused
a resident of Portola Valley: Ladera
on Jun 22, 2010 at 7:55 am

What's the difference between a raise and a modest salary increase ?
Both numbers increase ! Call what you want ! They both go up !! Call
it a smidge too..


Posted by Ol' Homeboy
a resident of Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park
on Jun 22, 2010 at 1:27 pm

I'll patrol both towns for $200,000 a year (plus gas)! Look how much I just saved the town cofers. And my guess is, based on the reported crime rate in both towns (excluding, naturally, white-collar crime committed by resident CEOs & CFOs), I won't even need to carry a firearm.
Where's Deputy Barney Fife when you need him?


Posted by PVer
a resident of Portola Valley: Central Portola Valley
on Jun 22, 2010 at 1:44 pm

I don't see the justification. Can anyone please explain why an additional patrol needed?

Oh and BTW, $40,000 for lighting at the Town Center is beyond absurd.


Posted by POGO
a resident of Woodside: other
on Jun 22, 2010 at 2:33 pm

With all due respect to Ol' Homeboy, I think I'd rather have a well trained, professional deputy sheriff patroling our streets and responding to emergencies. OH, you probably didn't do the math, but one extra patrol - that's 12 full hours a day, 365 days a year - is 4,380 hours of work each year. Assuming we paid you the $200,000 you think is so exorbitant, that's just $45 an hour and I haven't even considered your expenses related to uniforms, cars, gas or bullets... much less training.

A single patrol is a 12 hour a day exercise, every single day of the year including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. That's 84 hours each week or the equivalent of 2 full time employees and at least a couple of other deputies to cover holidays, sick days and vacations.

When you add in costs of cars, gas, maintenance, dispatch, management, training, vacation coverage, etc., the cost of $116,000 paid by each town ($232,000 total) appears to be quite a bargain. My guess is that if these two towns had their own police departments, that one extra patrol would cost 50% more.

Finally, one of the most important features of working with the Sheriff's Department, is that they can literally flood an area with deputies whenever the need arises. Whether it's a missing child or a bad traffic accident, it's nice to know that there are deputies all over the county who are ready to come to Woodside and Portola Valley to help on a moment's notice.


Posted by Ol' Homeboy
a resident of Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park
on Jun 22, 2010 at 4:04 pm

POGO,
I get a uniform? And hat? Sweeeet!
As for training, I'm already good to go in the donut department. And lest we forget past happenstance, I can unequivocally promise both town's taxpayers, that I will never get caught frequenting a Nevada brothel.


Posted by POGO
a resident of Woodside: other
on Jun 22, 2010 at 4:09 pm

Homeboy -

Perhaps you'd better stick to banjos. Web Link


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