Northern California town will lose law enforcement services, Sheriff’s Office says
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- The Sheriff’s Office will end its $2.3 million contract with Willows on June 30.
- The Sheriff’s Office says providing Willows services costs $3.4 million a year.
- Calls from Willows will be sent to other agencies in the area.
A sheriff’s contract to provide law enforcement services for a small Northern California city will end June 30, and calls for help from its residents will be transferred to other agencies.
In a news release Tuesday, the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office said its $2.3 million contract with the City of Willows will be terminated at the end of this month. Sheriff’s officials said the cost of providing law enforcement services is currently $3.4 million a year, which results in a loss of nearly $1 million for Glenn County.
“This is unsustainable,” sheriff’s officials said in the news release. “The county cannot continue to fund city services as the county budget deficit grows.”
Willows scrapped its city-run Police Department in 2017 and transitioned to contracted services from the Sheriff’s Office.
On March 23, Sheriff Justin Gibbs notified Willows officials that their agreement for law enforcement services, which include animal control, would end after the existing contract. Sheriff’s officials said Willows’ jurisdiction accounts for 56% of the law enforcement caseload for the Sheriff’s Office. Willows is the seat of Glenn County.
Gibbs told Willows’ officials that the Sheriff’s Office is required by law to charge the actual cost of services provided. Sheriff’s officials said the county Board of Supervisors authorized a limited term exception to allow Willows time to secure additional funding for public safety.
In an April 18 news release, Willows officials announced they initiated a mediation request regarding the law enforcement services agreement with the Sheriff’s Office.
“City officials have identified concerns related to service delivery under the current agreement and believe that mediation with a neutral third party would provide a constructive opportunity to review those concerns and work toward a resolution,” according to the Willows news release. “The City Council remains committed to maintaining public safety, and ensuring residents continue to receive law enforcement services without interruption.”
Last month, Willows Mayor Evan Hutson said city leaders were discussing whether to revive its city-run police force, citing public safety concerns, changes in city finances and rising contract costs, KRCR reported. At the time, Hutson hoped to negotiate an extension with the Sheriff’s Office while preparing for a local police force that could take at least a year to put together.
Willows had a population of about 6,300 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, just over one-fifth of Glenn County’s nearly 29,000 residents.
On Tuesday, sheriff’s officials said voters in Willows passed Measure I, a 1.5% sales tax initiative, in November 2024 to fund critical services including public safety in Willows.
“The City of Willows has refused to pay the Sheriff’s Office for the actual cost of delivering law enforcement services and the city has made no meaningful effort over the past three years to reopen the city’s Police Department,” sheriff’s officials said in Tuesday news release. “The county will not continue to subsidize the city.”
The Sheriff’s Office has taken steps to transition services back to Willows. Sheriff’s officials said they’ve been forced to make decisions on how to proceed after the contract expires, because Willows officials’ “unresponsiveness” during this transition.
The Sheriff’s Office will create an online crime reporting system, which includes a module for Willows residents to file police reports.
Sheriff’s officials said calls for help from Willows received at the sheriff’s dispatch center will be routed to the California Highway Patrol or the Willows Fire Department until Willows provides other instructions.
