Wilton to County: Closing Service Center Makes Little Sense

SHERIFF’S WILTON SERVICE CENTER CLOSING JULY 31ST

The scheduled closing of the Wilton Service Center will have a profound impact on the Community of Wilton. Unfortunately, the Community may not be as informed and aware of the many services provided by the professional staff of the Sheriff’s Department and the support provided by the Centers corps of twenty (20) volunteers, many of whom are members of the Community of Wilton.

They serve in many capacities including finger printing children; assisting in traffic control at the local elementary school; assisting at school events; graffiti clean up; assist at community events; sponsoring e-waste disposal; co-hosting national night out; food drives; providing vacation watches for local residences; policing and removing unsightly signs from our roadways; checking up on individuals who have limited mobility; adopting a segment of Dillard Road as their personal responsibility in liter removal; assisting residents in maneuvering within the maze of governmental bureaucracy; assisting victims in reporting/completing crime and incident reports; as well as conducting fundraising to support local activities and events of interest and benefit to the community.

The service center also provides a hub for law enforcement to better respond to crimes in progress; as well as an opportunity for law enforcement and the community to connect in ways which can only be beneficial.

The closing of the center makes little sense and the financial savings incurred are questionable when considering the County will still be tied into a 3 year lease on the building; response time to crimes in progress may “increase” dramatically; and the investment in the office equipment of the center will be liquidated at less than an estimated 10% recovery of initial costs.

The Sheriff’s Department, in its decision to close the Service Center, is still another example of why governmental agencies get in trouble in the first place. They are simply out of touch with the communities for which they serve. To close the service center is to close an alliance with the community and a path to “better policing”. It is unfortunate that those making important decisions can have such a negative impact on the communities for which they serve. A poor or uninformed decision which will take years to remedy. We need to let our voices be heard. Take a minute and express your concern by contacting:

Sheriff John McGinness
711 G Street
Sacramento, California 95814
jmcginness@sacsheriff.com

Captain Scott Jones, Sheriff Candidate
711 G Street
Sacramento, California 95814
sjones@sacsheriff.com

Captain James Cooper, Sheriff Candidate
711 G Street
Sacramento, California 95814
jcooper@sacsheriff.com

Don Nottoli, District 5 Board of Supervisor
700 H Street
Sacramento, California 95814