As Hollister and San Benito County officials consider consolidation of fire services - and leaving Calfire out of the mix - it is important to remember that the same leaders still have a police merger to weigh.
A routine traffic stop in mid-December and a subsequent search of the man’s San Jose home this past weekend has resulted in seizure of cocaine and other drugs with a potential street value nearing $90,000, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.
Among a string of arrests last weekend by the sheriff’s office, deputies and a K-9 arrested two men suspected of stealing a spool of copper wire from a Pacific Gas & Electric site in Hollister.
Considering a modest, maximum savings of $316,000 annually and the likely benefits of having one cohesive law enforcement agency, Hollister officials should lead the charge in getting the city and county to agree on consolidation of the police and sheriff's departments.