By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The Willows, California, City Council will consider several administrative steps Aug. 25 toward rebuilding its police department, which has been closed since 2017.
- Proposed actions include pursuing state POST certification, purchasing a Lexipol policy subscription, updating job classifications and salary schedules, and authorizing the city manager to hire a police chief.
- The council will also consider issuing a request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services to design department space at City Hall.
- The city dropped a lawsuit against the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office earlier this month and is preparing to discuss a temporary law enforcement services contract with the county.
- City officials said the moves follow work with a part-time law enforcement consultant hired in July to help develop policies, job descriptions and a proposed three-year budget.
WILLOWS, Calif. — The Willows City Council will consider a series of administrative steps toward rebuilding its long-shuttered police department at its Aug. 25 meeting, city officials announced Friday.
The council will weigh authorizing staff to pursue certification through the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, purchasing a Lexipol policy subscription, approving updated police department job classifications and salary schedules, and authorizing the city manager to recruit and hire a chief of police. Officials will also consider issuing a request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services to design tenant improvements at City Hall to house the department.
Willows has not had its own police officers since 2017. In July, the city hired Mike Maloney, a part-time law enforcement consultant, to help develop job descriptions, policies, ordinances and a proposed three-year budget for the department. Mayor Evan Hutson said the steps represent “exciting progress” toward both short-term goals, such as filling public safety gaps through outside agency agreements, and the long-term rebuilding of the department.
City Manager Marti Brown said hiring a police chief will be a critical early step, with the incoming chief expected to help develop policies and procedures, oversee recruitment and hiring of officers, coordinate interim patrol services with neighboring agencies, and help oversee design and construction of the new department’s facilities.
Earlier this month, the city dropped a lawsuit against the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office and is preparing to discuss a temporary contract for interim law enforcement services with the county. Councilman Gary Hansen said the council remains committed to re-establishing the department “as quickly as possible.”
City officials said current City Hall space previously used by the police department no longer meets modern operational, security and evidence-handling requirements, necessitating the planned architectural review.