MARCH 6, 2025|
Photo – SPD patch and CCSO badge – Bigfoot99 file photo
This week, Saratoga officials agreed to move emergency dispatching services to the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office. During Tuesday’s town council meeting, Sheriff Alex Bakken presented a dispatch services contract to the Saratoga governing body.
Mayor Chuck Davis said the progress on the proposed county-wide emergency dispatch center has stalled. Instead, Mayor Davis said Sheriff Bakken offered to incorporate Saratoga’s emergency call center into the county’s dispatch operations, as other nearby municipalities have.
Sheriff Bakken presented an annual contract, which charges Saratoga $125,087.62 for 24-hour emergency dispatch services for police and fire. The sheriff broke the total down, saying that $87,087.62 would be used to cover the salary and benefits of a new sheriff’s department dispatcher.
Sheriff Bakken said the contract includes $20,000 for overtime pay. The remaining $18,000 would be used to provide pay increases for the sheriff’s department dispatchers and cover associated IT costs to integrate the two computer systems.
Sheriff Bakken said the Board of Carbon County Commissioners has already agreed to the terms of the contract.
Mayor Davis admitted the contract will eliminate in-town dispatcher positions at the Saratoga Police Department. However, the mayor said overall, the contract will benefit the town.
Sheriff Bakken agreed that upcoming budget cuts will make running Saratoga’s dispatch center more difficult. The sheriff added the Board of County Commissioners supports the combined dispatch center for its cost savings and potential to improve emergency call response times.
During the March 4th Board of Carbon County Commissioners Meeting, Sheriff Bakken was asked for the expected cost savings of a combined dispatch center. The sheriff wasn’t able to provide concrete numbers but said the computer software licensing fees would be lower. Sheriff Bakken also said the most significant savings would come from reductions in staff and equipment expenses.
At the Saratoga town council meeting, recently appointed Police Chief John Moore provided more specific information on the financial impact of combining with the sheriff’s department. Chief Moore explained Saratoga spends between $300,000 and $350,000 annually to run its emergency call dispatch center. By contracting with the sheriff, Chief Moore said the town is saving roughly $95,000 to $135,000 a year, which includes the cost to retain one front desk staff member at the Saratoga Police Department.
The Saratoga town council unanimously voted to enter into the contract with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office for dispatch services, contingent on Town Attorney Kylie Waldrip’s approval of the agreement.
If the merger moves forward as planned, Sheriff Bakken said he expects the two agencies to be fully integrated by July 1. The agreement would leave the Rawlins Police Department as the only remaining independent emergency dispatch call center in Carbon County.
