Northfield Police May Provide Police Protection to Dundas

Northfield Police officers soon may patrol the streets of Dundas.

The Northfield City Council has given its blessing for the city to negotiate a deal to provide police protection to Dundas starting next year.

If a deal is approved by both cities, Northfield would serve Dundas’ policing needs on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week basis for less money than Dundas pays now for fewer hours of protection.

The proposed contract Director Mark Taylor presented at Tuesday’s council meeting calls for Dundas to pay Northfield $230,119 for police services in 2012. That’s $66,532 less than than this year’s Dundas police budget.

The contract would be for five years and calls for a 3-percent fee increase in each of the final four years of the deal.

Dundas city leaders are considering eliminating its police department in a cost-cutting move and approached Northfield to submit a proposal.

The also might submit a proposal, Taylor said.

Dundas currently employs three officers, and its police department does not provide its residents with 24/7 coverage. The Rice County Sheriff’s Office handles public safety duties when the Dundas officers are off duty.

Northfield would hire two new officers, including a patrol sergeant, if the contract is approved. Dundas officers would be permitted to apply for those positions.

Northfield would not need to purchase additional squad cars to patrol Dundas, as current patrol routes would be adjusted to meet the needs of both cities, Taylor said. That means Dundas would be free to sell their car, if it wishes.

While Dundas would benefit from the arrangement by getting more coverage for less money, Taylor said the contract would be a win for Northfield, as well.

For instance, the city would gain another patrol sergeant. Northfield now has three patrol sergeants, which means there are times when there is not a supervisor on duty.

Adding a fourth sergeant will rectify that, Taylor said.

“The real positive thing for Northfield would be adding that fourth patrol sergeant,” Taylor said. “That’s something that would be real beneficial for us.”

There still are details to be worked out before a finalized contract would be submitted to each city for approval, Taylor said. One of those details are how Northfield patrol cars will be marked to signify its new coverage area.