Surprise move: Shared services police contract tabled by Vernon

 

VERNON, Wis.  (CBS 58) -- A contentious contract for Big Bend and Vernon to share police services is not done yet. In a surprise move, the Vernon Village board returned from closed door session on Thursday, Sept. 21 and tabled it. 

The people of Big Bend who want to keep their police department see the decision in neighboring Vernon, to table the vote, as a positive.

A vote by Big Bend board two weeks ago to disband their police department is still the talk of the town. 

"Very opposed to it, along with pretty much everybody here in Big Bend," said Adam Leighton, Big Bend resident.

"There are a lot of good officers at Big Bend and are they gonna be able to find work still in the area where they can stay close to their families?" said Paul Joswick, Waukesha County resident.

The vote allows for Big Bend police to continue on through the end of the year. The next step is to have Waukesha County assume policing duties in Big Bend, something Vernon already does, and that is why Vernon is now considering a plan to share services with Big Bend. 

For us it's not good at all. My wife and I, we're against it. My neighbor's against it. Anybody that I've talked to is against it," said Bill Clark, Big Bend resident.

"I'd like to see them continue to use fire station number one as their base or substation rather than Big Bend's police department," said a Vernon resident.

The shared services contract calls for deputies, who presently operate out of the Vernon fire station, to set up shop in Big Bend Village Hall. The price tag is $476,000 split 50/50. It pays for just one deputy from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and one deputy from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. to cover both Vernon and Big Bend. 

"You know because we're gonna pay for half of this bill and we have 3.3 square miles and they have 32.7 square miles, so how is that equitable?" said Bob Heinemann, former Big Bend Village Trustee.

"Why destroy something that isn't a problem? I mean and besides that all the things that they do for all the kids?" said Leighton.

Big Bend police supporters plan to come out in big numbers to their next village board meeting on Oct. 5, hoping to be heard. 

"Hopefully it's a zoo tell you the truth because people are upset, really upset," said Heinemann. 

Vernon's village board next meets on Oct. 19, at which time they say they'll be talking more about the shared services plan.