If you happen to get pulled over on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in San Anselmo, don't be too surprised if the officer is wearing a Twin Cities Police uniform.
The Twin Cities and San Anselmo Police departments have been working together under a shared services agreement for more than a year, but the two agencies are now closer than ever to officially merging into one unit.
"We are coming close to being live as a fully-merged police authority by the first of the year. That's very exciting," said Larkspur Mayor Len Rifkind, a member of the Twin Cities Police Council.
The Twin Cities Police Authority used San Anselmo's dispatch services while the new TCPA facility on Doherty Drive was being built. And the San Anselmo Police now share the dispatch and other services at the new facility.
"This has allowed for San Anselmo, Larkspur and Corte Madera to add additional officers to our patrol force at no additional cost to the towns/city. We've accomplished this by reducing the duplication in management, supervisory and line level positions, therefore saving money on total compensation and benefits," according a message from Twin Cities Police Chief Todd Cusimano. "It will continue to be the goal of the San Anselmo and Twin Cities Police Departments to be creative in our approach to improving services while remaining fiscally responsible."
According to San Anselmo Town Manager Debbie Stutsman, by eliminating the duplication of services between the two agencies, Twin Cities Police Authority has reduced its sworn employees from 33 to 30, while the San Anselmo Police Department has reduced sworn personnel from 19 to 15, an overall reduction of 7 sworn employees, mostly from administration and supervision. At the same time, units on patrol in the three communities have been increased, Stutsman wrote in her regular blog on Patch.
The new agency could be called the Central Marin Police Authority, according to Rifkind. That would allow other agencies to join later on.
The Corte Madera Town Council was slated to discuss the merger during Tuesday's Corte Madera Town Council meeting.
Twin Cities Police Authority Chair Carla Condon, Police Councilmember Len Rifkind and San Anselmo Mayor Tom McInerney serve on a Sharing Services Subcommittee, which has been exploring consolidation. Following the completion of the subcommittee’s work, public meetings will be held in all three communities to ensure the communities are well informed about the planned consolidation and have an opportunity to ask questions, according to Stutsman.
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