Eureka deciding on law enforcement
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on March 3, 2004 1:58 PM
EUREKA -- The town board is leaning toward hiring off-duty deputies to patrol the town after several break-ins.
Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders, law enforcement officials, residents and business owners gathered at Geddy's Cafe for the board's meeting on Monday to discuss patrol options.
Mayor Randy Bass had requested information from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office several months ago about providing primary law enforcement services.
The office replied in a letter, giving two options. The first was a temporary solution that would allow deputies to voluntarily work off-duty at a rate of $15 per hour. The other solution was entering into a contract with the town to provide primary law enforcement services. This would require a sheriff's substation within the town limits.
Winders and other deputies discussed what they could and could not do for the town and then left it up to the town to decide. The board is leaning toward hiring off-duty deputies, but will meet with Winders and other county officials to discuss other options before making a final decision.
There are still many details that need to be worked out, including how many hours the deputies would work. Town Clerk Reta Chase said those decisions should be made within a couple of weeks. Once the decisions are made, the board will hold a special meeting to officially adopt the provisions, she added.
There were two break-ins of houses last week. There have also been several break-ins of businesses. No one has been caught at this point, added Ms. Chase.