The city of Brier is in the preliminary stages of looking at ways to improve services for its residents, including contracting out its police services, according to Mayor Bob Colinas.

But Colinas said that no decision has been made on any proposal to bring to the Brier City Council and he’s not even certain that he will bring a proposal to the Council.

As a result, Colinas views an online petition that opposes the contracting out of Brier’s Police services to the City of Mountlake Terrace as premature. The petition currently has 137 supporters.

“I’m always looking for opportunities to improve services to the community,” Colinas said.

Colinas initially was contacted by a representative from Lake Forest Park last spring and since then he’s talked with others at Mountlake Terrace and Bothell.

Some of the potential benefits of contracting with an outside agency, Colinas said, would be bringing investigative, domestic violence and animal control services to the City.

Colinas noted that 52 other agencies in Washington State have entered into agreements to provide police services and he’s talked to a number of agencies about the improvements they’ve been able to make.

“Why shouldn’t Brier look at what might be out there for options?” he asked.

One thing Colinas wanted to make clear is that if Brier were to consider contracting out its police services, there would be a 24/7 police presence in the City.

If and when Colinas brings a proposal to the City Council, the public would have its say in the process, Colinas added. The City Council meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Brier City Hall.

Brier currently is funded for six officers and a police chief. In the past the City has faced challenges in hiring certificated officers, Colinas said. He added that with the improving economy many agencies are hiring for positions that they cut during the recession. The state also has eliminated the police academy reimbursement.

“There were a number of issues that prompted me to evaluate this,” Colinas said.

Colinas views a discussion of how the City provides police services as healthy and said that the ultimate question is whether there is a way to improve those services.

He also noted there again is talk in the area about the possibility of establishing a regional fire authority.

Colinas doesn’t have any specific time table on if or when he’ll bring a proposal to the City Council.

Mountlake Terrace Police Chief Greg Wilson acknowledged that the talks with Brier are preliminary and that any interlocal agreement would involve a public process with the Mountlake Terrace City Council. Mountlake Terrace is budgeted for 29 commissioned Police Officers.

Wilson said that in any agreement “Mountlake Terrace would still receive the same level of service that we’re providing and the level of service would not go down.”

The contracting of police services is happening around the state, Wilson said.

“It’s just a cost effective way of doing business, the regionalization of services,” he said. “It’s consolidating resources to provide a better level of service.”

– By David Pan