The town of George appears to have found a way to beat the high cost of law enforcement by hiring a private security company. The City Council recently contracted with Wenatchee-based Merchant Patrol Security to help keep the peace in this tiny farm community…
Mayor Elliott Kooy says the decision was prompted by a spike in crime over the last year involving gang activities.The Grant County Sheriff’s department currently covers the unincorporated areas surrounding George but the Mayor says that doesn’t include patrols within the City limits. Mayor Kooy says by hiring a private security company the Town will see significant savings compared to what it would have to pay a full-time police officer and patrol car. With a total city budget of just over 300 thousand that would have been cost prohibitive. Kooy says George is the first municipality in the State to contract with a private company for law enforcement services. But he emphasized that Merchant Patrol cannot make arrests but can observe and report any criminal activity to the Grant County Sheriff’s department for response.
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