California city to cut police force amid ‘unsustainable’ budget deficit

A small Northern California city is about to lose its entire law enforcement presence after county officials announced they will stop providing police services at the end of the month.

The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it will end its contract with the City of Willows on June 30, withdrawing deputies who have served as the city’s primary law enforcement agency for nearly a decade, the Sacramento Bee reported.

The agreement has become financially impossible to maintain. While the city currently pays about $2.3 million annually for law enforcement services, the sheriff’s office says the actual cost of providing those services has climbed to roughly $3.4 million a year, according to county officials.

“This is unsustainable,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement. “The county cannot continue to fund city services as the county budget deficit grows.”

Willows, a city of about 6,300 residents and the county seat of Glenn County located 85 miles north of Sacramento, dissolved its municipal police department in 2017 and contracted with the sheriff’s office to handle policing and animal control services.

Sheriff Justin Gibbs notified city leaders in March that the agreement would not be renewed after the current contract expires. County officials say Willows generates approximately 56% of the sheriff’s office’s total law enforcement workload, making it one of the agency’s largest service commitments.

Officials also said state law requires the sheriff’s office to charge the actual cost of providing services. The Glenn County Board of Supervisors previously approved a temporary exception to give city leaders additional time to secure funding for public safety operations.

The dispute between the city and county has escalated in recent months. Willows officials requested mediation in April, saying they had concerns about service delivery under the existing arrangement and wanted a neutral third party to help resolve the disagreement.

“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 said in a statement.

“The City Council remains committed to maintaining public safety, and ensuring residents continue to receive law enforcement services without interruption.”

Sheriff’s officials, however, accused the city of refusing to cover the true cost of policing.

“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 three years to reopen the city’s Police Department,” officials said. “The county will not continue to subsidize the city.”

Beginning July 1, emergency calls from Willows residents received by the sheriff’s dispatch center will be redirected to the California Highway Patrol or the Willows Fire Department until the city establishes an alternative policing plan. City leaders have discussed rebuilding a local police department, but officials acknowledge the process could take at least a year.

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