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Council approves short-term courtroom security agreement; city to bill county $300 minimum
Summary
The council approved a three-month intergovernmental agreement to provide courtroom security at North District Court while the sheriff's corrections staff transitions. The city will send officers on overtime; the county will be billed a $300 minimum for the first four hours and $100 per hour after that.
The South Bend City Council approved a three-month intergovernmental agreement on Jan. 13 for the city to provide courtroom security at North District Court while the county's corrections staff completes a commissioning process. Chief Segal told the council the arrangement is expected to be intermittent — "only a couple hours on every Tuesday, with an occasional Thursday if there's a trial to be had," and that the city will bill the county to cover overtime and equipment costs.
Council members discussed staffing and the fairness of using city officers for what one councilor called a county responsibility. Councilor Corcoran questioned the impact on street patrols, saying the city was already short an officer. The contract, described in the meeting as a three-month stopgap to be reevaluated, sets a $300 minimum charge for the first four hours and $100 per hour thereafter; a councilor summarized the rate as, "$300 for the 1st 4 hours and $100 an hour after that." The motion to approve the intergovernmental agreement carried on a voice vote.
