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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION-June 18, 2007 3 Sheriffs Department is able to minimize costs by utilizing it's many volunteer services. The actual resources that Ramsey County uses to provide quality law enforcement services exceed the cost that the seven contract cities are charged for this service. If the City of Arden Hills would like to have more of a law enforcement presence in its community, the City could hire a full-time CSO to assist with law enforcement related items. Councilmember Holden noted that CSO's lack legal status to enforce the law. Sheriff Fletcher noted that CSO's do lack legal authority to arrest or ticket an individual, but they do have the ability to utilize the radio system and report an incident to the deputy that is assigned to that particular area. Councilmember McClung stated that he is concerned about the visibility of squad cars in the Arden Hills neighborhoods. He noted that a squad car should drive down every residential street in Arden Hills at least one time per day. Councilmember Holden stated that she wants the deputy to patrol the area that has the highest traffic volume in the City. Councilmember McClung noted that the perception some Arden Hills residents have is that the RCSD is not patrolling the City on a regular basis. The squad car assigned to Arden Hills is backing-up or covering one of the other contract cities. Undersheriff Altendorfer noted that the City of Arden Hills benefits from having a constant law enforcement presence by having the patrol station located in Arden Hills. Mayor Harpstead asked about the staffing levels for the RCSD in Arden Hills. Undersheriff Altendorfer noted that the number of squad cars varies by the different times of the day. During the power shift, the number of squad cars increase on the roadways. After 2:00 AM, the number of deputies patrolling the streets decreases. Councilmember McClung requested that the RCSD evaluate the staffing levels versus calls for service in Arden Hills. Sheriff Fletcher noted that the RCSD is always willing to review the staffmg levels for the seven contract cities. RCSD can evaluate the different crime trends and determine which areas are the most effected. Councilmember Holden requested that the RCSD notif'y the City if they experience any problems with response times for 9-1-1 service due to the new dispatch center. Sheriff Fletcher said that he is concerned about the dispatch center. The new dispatch center is understaffed and the response times to emergency calls may suffer. Also, the merger with the City of St. Paul will add more emergency calls to the system in the near future.