HAYDEN: Clarifying deputy request

In response to Mr. Coppom’s letter on Sept. 1, I would like to make a few clarifying comments.

1. I don’t disagree with Mr. Coppom or Councilman Roetter in their crimes analysis. We are proud of the fact that serious crimes are down.

2. The City of Hayden has a long history of providing law enforcement services over and above that which the county can solely provide, some based on grants while others based on City General Fund dollars.

3. The purpose of these additional deputies has always been to enhance the coverage for the City of Hayden over the rest of the area served by the Sheriff’s Office in an attempt to keep crime down and maintain and improve the related quality of life that residents of Hayden have come to expect.

4. Hayden is rapidly growing with more residential growth on the horizon. To maintain the enhanced coverage that the City has desired along with the quality of life Hayden residents have come to enjoy, it will require more deputies. This is being pro-active instead of reactive.

5. The City of Hayden appointed an ad-hoc citizens committee to study this issue and the recommendation for four additional officers came from the committee.

6. The officers would be phased in over the next couple of years.

Nothing in Mr. Coppom’s letter is incorrect and I respect his opinion. However, what I heard from the citizens committee is that they want to be pro-active instead of reactive to growth that we all know is well on its way. Now, in November, it will be in the hands of the voters in Hayden to decide.

BEN WOLFINGER

Sheriff