Saginaw County voters face an important decision Tuesday. They are being asked to approve a proposal to keep sheriff’s services at their present level – a proposal has been endorsed by several influential community organizations.
The proposal is endorsed by business and labor. The Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce and the Saginaw Labor Council agree that the proposal’s passage is essential to provide the level of public safety necessary to grow business and add jobs.
The proposal is supported by police administrators and rank and file. The Saginaw County Police Chiefs Association and the Saginaw Police Officers Association have each endorsed the proposal. The chiefs’ letter of support reads in part: “the entire law enforcement community benefits from having the Saginaw County jail operate at its current full capacity, having the current complement of deputies on road patrol and having the detective bureau continue to investigate crimes.”
The proposal is endorsed by religious and tourism groups, having gained the support of the Ezekiel Project, a faith-based community organization formed to act in faith and love to revitalize the greater Saginaw Community, and the Frankenmuth Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Other endorsing groups include The Saginaw News and the Saginaw Valley Young Professionals Network. For more information on the endorsements, visit keepsaginawcountysafe.com.
Three core sheriff’s services are at stake: the jail, road patrol deputies and the detective bureau. In 2010, more than 10,800 inmates were booked in the Saginaw County jail; deputies responded to nearly 14,000 calls for service, and detectives investigated more than 1,500 crimes. Without the millage support, jail capacity will be reduced from 513 to 353 beds; the number of deputies patrolling the roads would be cut in half and the detective bureau would close.
The proposal would cost the owner of an $85,000 home, average for Saginaw County, around $42 per year.
