Politics & Government

Lake Patrol Costs Reduced By Nearly Half Under New Agreement

During Tuesday night's City Council meeting, council members unanimously adopted a Riverside County Sheriff's Department proposal that will see annual lake patrol costs drop from $225,403 down to $123,027.

The city of Lake Elsinore will see its lake patrol costs drop by 45 percent annually -- the net effect being $102,027 back in the city’s coffers.

During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, council members unanimously adopted a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department proposal that will see annual costs for law enforcement services on Lake Elsinore drop from $225,403 down to $123,027.

According to Captain Dave Fontneau of the Lake Elsinore Police station, who spoke at the meeting on behalf of the sheriff's department, the proposal was arrived at by “thinking outside the box.”

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Under the new plan, the sheriff’s department will utilize an “Unsupported Dedicated Productive Rate” of $70.10 per patrol hour on the lake.

Previously, the cost was $128.07 per patrol hour.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patrol consists of sworn deputies from the sheriff’s department hired to provide law enforcement services on the lake.

Regular lake patrol begins in April and runs through mid September, which coincides with the boating season.

Fontneau said that Riverside County Sheriff Stanley Sniff signed off on the reduced rate because lake patrol duty doesn’t require as much support as street patrol – there are fewer arrests, therefore less paperwork and follow-up are required.

Council members Melissa Melendez and Brian Tisdale questioned why the reduced rate was not previously offered up to the city, but Fontneau said the proposal was a first.

“We had to get creative. The city came to us with budget concerns,” he said. “We had never looked at this."

Fontneau said Sniff also signed off on the agreement, in part, because lake usage – and arrests – are down.

“In 2007, (patrol) boats were out seven days a week,” he said, noting that the department has since cut lake staffing levels as a result of decreased marine activity.

Under the new proposal, one boat will be deployed on Fridays and Saturdays and two boats deployed on Sundays. Each boat will carry two officers. Specific holiday weekends will be supplemented with trained reserve deputies; the Lake Elsinore Marine Search & Rescue, which is volunteer-based, will continue to be utilized.

Although the city pays for lake patrol, areas of the shoreline stretch into unincorporated areas, which rankles council members.

“Fifty-five percent of the shoreline contains area outside the city limits, yet the city shoulders the cost,” said Councilman Bob Magee. “Our supervisor has yet to step up to the plate.”

Supervisor Bob Buster, whose district Lake Elsinore falls, was not on hand Tuesday night to respond.

Mayor Amy Bhutta reiterated Magee’s comments.

“This is your city,” she said to residents in the audience. “Tell our supervisor we need county funding.”


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