A March 26 Workshop is set to gather community input on the idea.

Eastvale, CA – On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, the City of Eastvale hosted their second budget goal setting workshop for the 19/20 fiscal year, specifically focused on public safety. Among the topics discussed was the possibility of creating Eastvale’s own Police Department. The City of Eastvale is considering this opportunity to address the rising expense of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department contract. This decision could save millions per year, improve response times, and increase the number of officers that are on patrol.

“With budget season upon us, the City Council is given the task of evaluating revenues and expenditures; making sure our residents are provided the services they desire, at a reasonable cost,” said Mayor Todd Rigby. “One of those services, which we hold in the highest priority in, is our law enforcement services. Our city staff shared with Council what it could look like to establish our own police department, along with increasing patrol hours. The preliminary results show that creating our own Police Department can save us money, add patrol hours in our city, improve response times, and retain immediate local control of our law enforcement services. We would be foolish as a City Council, and it would be a disservice to our residents, if we did not look further into this option. I look forward to further exploring the possibility of an Eastvale Police Department.”

The current contract with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is $11,825,572, with rising cost predictions. The RSO five-year budget projection is estimated at $74,860,000 and a future Police Department 5-year projection is $68,310,000; estimating a five-year savings of $6,550,000. Another benefit that the City of Eastvale is considering are the additional patrol hours projected if a Police Department was created. Eastvale currently budgets 100 hours of service per day, for which we are receiving 90 hours. With its own Police Department, the City could experience approximately 210 hours of service per day.

“This discussion does not in any way reflect our satisfaction with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, our RSO Lieutenant that serves as our Police Chief, or the hard-working women and men who are keeping our city safe every day.” said City Manager Bryan Jones. “They have helped Eastvale become the 12th Safest City in California, along with our neighborhood Watch Program and other strategic public safety investments,” City Manager Bryan Jones continued. “This is a matter of fiscal responsibility that our residents are counting on. With the rising annual contract costs from RSO, it would be irresponsible of us not to explore this opportunity. There are a lot of factors to consider and we look forward to engaging the community in this process.”

In the recent Community Satisfaction Study, residents ranked law enforcement as their top priority of services provided and have also expressed wanting the City to increase law enforcement presence and enhance response times to calls for service.  The City of Eastvale believes establishing a Police Department could be a feasible option to consider. To continue transparency, the Eastvale City Council directed City staff to seek community feedback as this conversation continues.

The City of Eastvale invites residents to join in a community workshop at the next Public Safety Commission Meeting on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers located at 12363 Limonite Avenue Suite 900 in Eastvale.

About the City of Eastvale

The City of Eastvale was founded on October 1, 2010 as an independent local government agency, governed by a five member, elected City Council. The City of Eastvale serves over 73,700 residents and encompasses 13.1 square-miles in western Riverside County. The City is strategically poised between Interstate 15 and California State Routes 91, 60, and 71, making access easy for residents, visitors and businesses alike. Eastvale is a young and dynamic community filled with economic opportunity, tremendous growth, and strong values. For more information on the City of Eastvale, please visit:
www.EastvaleCA.gov