Tehachapi to terminate dispatch contract with Bear Valley Springs police

Effective July 1, 2016, the City of Tehachapi and the Tehachapi Police Department will terminate their dispatch contract with Bear Valley Springs Community Services District. In a 5-0 vote, the Tehachapi City Council voted to end the contract with the Bear Valley CSD that has been in effect since 2007 when the Tehachapi Police Department was reestablished. When the contract began, the Tehachapi Police Department paid approximately $277,000 annually with a 5% annual increase. However, by 2014 that amount had grown to approximately $425,000.

Following a visit in 2012, the Kern County Grand Jury made a recommendation that the Tehachapi Police Department assume all dispatch services as soon as fiscally possible. Thus began an in-depth study of their police dispatch services focusing on methods through which to provide the greatest level of police service to the citizens of Tehachapi. In the meantime, repeated efforts to renegotiate the dispatch contract with the Bear Valley CSD had stalled.

The new Police Department building which was completed last year was designed and built with space to accomodate a dispatch center and in May of 2014, a consulting firm was hired too conduct a needs assessment and confirm the approximately $404,000 cost projections.

On the recommendation of Finance Director, Hannah Chung, the City Council voted in September 2015, to take advantage of the existing historically low interest rates and secure a loan in the amount of $495,000 to be used for the seven year lease/purchase of the equipment needed to operate the dispatch center.

Efforts to secure $158,000 in funds from the state of California to assist in the set up of the dispatch system were denied because the number of monthly 911 calls is currently below the number required for the subsidy. As a result the project will cost more than originally estimated.

City Manager Greg Garrett, said that Bear Valley was a key component in allowing the process to move forward and we owe them a "thank you". However, "we must serve the residents of this city," he said.