Klamath County commissioners schedule town hall, propose new policing model after Bonanza residents report theft and speeding

County officials and Bonanza residents discussed persistent theft, speeding and limited law enforcement coverage and voted to hold a town-hall listening session to gather community input on policing models.

The issue emerged during a lengthy public-safety discussion in which a county commissioner who identified himself as a former police chief described options including contracting municipal policing to the sheriff’s office under town-branded patrol cars, creating geographically defined policing zones funded by county allocations or a special district, and offering incentives to get deputies to live in small towns. "I just need you guys to be angry that you don't have cops," the commissioner said, urging residents to press for change.

Residents and officials described recurring thefts and speeding through town, and several speakers said limited patrol presence had led people to stop calling 911. One resident said businesses and churches had been targeted repeatedly; another described community members maintaining informal safety lists instead of relying on police. The group discussed neighborhood-watch risks if residents feel forced to defend themselves and emphasized that any watch program must be backed by reliable law-enforcement response.

Commissioners and staff discussed specific models and funding tools. Options raised included: - Contracting the sheriff's office to provide town-branded deputies (town patch on the vehicle) while the county retains budget and oversight; - Creating geographically defined policing zones with county-allocated funds to hire deputies dedicated to each zone; and - Establishing incentives (down-payment assistance, housing incentives, blight-remediation funding) to attract officers to live and work in small towns.

The county commissioner said he is developing a funding model that mirrors federal funding formulas (geography and population) to allocate parts of the sheriff's patrol budget to geographic zones, and he suggested a target timeline to implement changes by the start of the next budget year (June–July), with a 15-month goal for initial deployment.

Bonanza officials asked what steps the town should take. Commissioners encouraged local leaders to collect petitions, write letters to the county board, and host a town hall to document resident concerns. The board added that collaboration with neighboring municipalities (for example, Merrill) would strengthen a regional approach.

Council members and residents also asked county staff to inspect health- and nuisance-related properties; commissioners said they would coordinate referrals to county code enforcement and the health department if towns provide specific complaint information by email.

The council voted to hold a town-hall listening session so residents can present policing concerns and possible solutions. The motion passed by voice vote with those present indicating "aye." Commissioners said the town hall will be scheduled in coordination with county staff and that a separate, longer county work session on policing and public-safety strategy is already planned.

The discussion included repeated cautions from commissioners against solutions that would encourage vigilantism. Commissioners emphasized that any neighborhood-watch program must be paired with reliable law-enforcement response and that the county needs demonstrable community evidence (letters, calls, or town-hall testimony) to move funding and policy changes forward.