Our View

If there’s any one principle that sums up what it means to be a conservative, it’s the idea of not spending money that you didn’t need to spend. “Fiscal responsibility” is a buzz-phrase used by most politicians in Wyoming when they want to win your vote, and that’s because it’s a concept dear to all our hearts.

It’s for this reason that we offer our wholehearted support to the City of Sundance and Crook County Sheriff’s Office as they seek to solve the city’s law enforcement challenges.

We support this plan because we have listened to the justifications and feel that a police department in Sundance doesn’t make much sense in the current financial climate, if it ever did.

First, the figures we’ve been given suggest that switching to contracted service would save the city somewhere in the region of $75,000 each year. It would do this while providing a modest shot in the arm for the sheriff’s budget in a time of financial uncertainty.

Everybody wins, but the most important winner here is the taxpayer. Figuring out a way to do the same thing in a less expensive way is about as conservative as it gets.

Second, having a police department and sheriff’s office sitting within a hundred feet of each another is basically doubling up on service. That makes it a luxury, and right now we can barely afford the essentials in Wyoming, let alone costly luxuries.

In terms of maintaining the kind of law enforcement presence that makes citizens feel safe and attracts newcomers to the area, we would point out that the Sheriff’s Office is located in the heart of town, perfectly situated to keep an eye on what’s going on – and for citizens to approach the department with their concerns.

Third, we are confident that the contract would provide Sundance with the same level of service we enjoy right now. We believe in the concept of “economy of scale”: the new deputies will join an existing infrastructure and a department capable of providing internal backup for coverage.

Fourth, we are certain that this contract will offer Sundance better service – or even better – than we can expect to get in the future. We have been warned by Police Chief Marty Noonan that his department is already feeling the crunch, and things are only going to get worse.

We have no reason to doubt his prediction that the police department will dwindle to just two officers within the next year. Without this contract, we would see the loss of a third of Sundance’s law enforcement coverage.

Fifth, we’re already down to two police officers and both are nearing retirement, which leaves us in a position where we will have no choice but to replace the entire department. We agree with the concerns Noonan shared about hiring new officers in this climate. If the pay is just ok, the workload is high and the disadvantages outweigh the benefits, why would any half-decent officer choose Sundance?

Sixth, we understand the point made by Mayor Paul Brooks that the money simply isn’t going to be there. Wyoming statutes have ensured that the only viable funding source for the police department is the direct distribution we receive from the state, and the chunk of money available for towns and counties is set to plummet. We may not like the situation the state has found itself in, but we can’t change those facts.

In order to keep the police department, what other services would the city be forced to cut? Is there even a way they could make cuts that free up money from the right pot to then spend it on the police department?

It’s a complicated system, but we suspect the answer to that last question is no. And if we’re already at the point where we can only support two officers, what happens when things get worse?

The offer made by Sheriff Jeff Hodge solves all these problems while also saving us money. As citizens, we are grateful for the opportunity; as conservatives, we applaud his way of thinking.

We did not hear any viable arguments for keeping the Sundance Police Department intact during last week’s public hearing. Much of the conversation was driven by emotion rather than informed opinions and we heard no logical reasons to keep spending money we no longer have.

A solution is possible because our city is forward thinking and our sheriff is a problem-solver with the best interests of the community at heart, willing to take on the extra burden of policing a city and managing its law enforcement budget.

Our sheriff is willing to put in no small amount of effort to save us a sizeable chunk of cash while still providing the same level of service we’ve always enjoyed. We feel this is fully in line with the conservative mindset our county is rightfully proud of. For once, there are no losers in this deal – just a win-win solution for law enforcement and citizens alike.