Addison staff favor interlocal jail services with Richardson to cut transport time and free officers

Addison — Town staff presented a proposed interlocal agreement for jail services with the city of Richardson and asked the Addison City Council for support to bring the contract back for formal approval.

Chief Chris Freese, Addison's police chief, told the council that after reviewing multiple options the city of Richardson was deemed most suitable because of closer proximity and experience providing jail services to law enforcement agencies. Staff described an initial five-year term with an automatic five-year renewal option and a one-year termination notice for either party. Chief Freese said the town could begin using Richardson on Oct. 1, 2025, if the council directs staff to proceed.

The chief said Richardson would reduce travel and booking time compared with current options. Staff summarized comparative figures: one alternative route is roughly 22 miles and about 51 minutes each way versus 7 miles and about 30 minutes to Richardson; fuel consumption was given as roughly three gallons for the longer trip and less than one gallon for the shorter trip. Booking time at Richardson was reported to be about 10 minutes during a facility tour, compared with a 35-minute booking time cited for another facility. The presentation also included an approximate employee-cost estimate of roughly $900,000 for building and operating a local jail (staff said this estimate excludes operations, insurance and other operating costs).

Council members pressed on costs and operational trade-offs. A councilmember asked whether hiring an additional officer instead of contracting would be cheaper; staff replied that while a single officer’s full annual cost could be in the same range as the contract increase, the contract frees officers from lengthy transports so they can remain on patrol. Staff reported Addison averages about 1,070 arrests per year (five‑year average, per the presentation).

Council discussion covered hybrid options (local temporary holding plus external transport), liability and medical-clearance procedures, and which agencies locally also contract for jail services. Staff said other small municipalities contract out, Richardson already serves multiple agencies (including the University of Texas at Dallas and certain state facilities), and Richardson’s newer facility and staffing model were part of the rationale.

No formal vote was taken. Chief Freese asked for council support to proceed; the mayor and multiple councilmembers indicated general agreement and asked staff to return with the interlocal agreement for council approval. Chief Freese said he would bring the proposed agreement back to the council for formal consideration.

Implementation and next steps: staff characterized the recommendation as direction to negotiate final contract language, schedule transition activities (training and orientation with Richardson staff) and present the interlocal agreement for council approval at a future meeting. The proposed start date discussed was Oct. 1, 2025; staff said an earlier start might be possible but would require additional transition work.

Background and limits of authority: the presentation compared local contract options and operational models and noted that building and operating a town jail carries substantially higher up‑front and recurring costs and legal/operational liabilities. Council members repeatedly noted that the contract cost estimates and timeline would be discussed again during the town’s budget process.