Consultants recently determined Fremont, Newark and Union City could save millions of dollars if they move forward with a joint police dispatch service, according to media reports.
But one city may not take part.
The Fremont Argus reported that Newark officials are deciding to not consolidate its police dispatch with its neighboring cities “citing concerns about start-up expenses and decision-making autonomy.”
To start the merging of dispatch services, Newark would have to pay between $1.75 million and $2.5 million, according to The Argus.
Because Newark is not joining the consolidation, the savings for Fremont and Union City is less than projected if Newark were to take part, but Fremont Assistant City Manager Mark Danaj told The Argus that “the plan is ‘still economically valuable’” for the two cities.
The average 10-year savings for a consolidated police dispatch service would average $4 million for Union City and $3 million for Fremont, The Argus reports.
The Fremont-based publication also reported that the average cost per call for the two cities would be slightly lower than $31, which is $4 less than Fremont’s current cost and $15 less than Union City’s.
The hope of city officials is to start the operation of a new joint dispatch center within 12-18 months, according to The Argus.
The projected savings came from a report from Deltawrx Management Consultants, a firm hired last summer to look into the estimated savings of consolidating the services.
Read The Argus’ full report here.
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Editor's note: This report was updated 7:20 p.m. Wednesday to clarify a figure that was originally listed incorrectly.
