It is some of the more strange outsourcing news I came across. The city of Ridgecrest , NC is seriously debating if they should give up their police department and outsource its duties to the local county. The Sheriffs would then take up the responsibility of policing the streets of the city.
Of course...there is significant opposition to the idea by some of the members of the city council. No self respecting city would like to give up its police force and the status which comes with it. Even more problematic, some high paying jobs would have to be eliminated.
But in all seriousness, the larger point is that the pressure on local budgets is what is forcing the issue here. It is of course an unconventional approach...but the city deserves credit for seriously considering the issue.
Coming from the city of Chicago myself, (a city which is either headed for bankruptcy or draconian cuts combined with tax hikes) I have to express admiration for any local government which seriously considers outsourcing as a viable tool to reduce costs.
Corporate America has long embraced outsourcing as the go to solution to reduce expenses while maintaining/improving service levels. If government were to become serious about managing its resources in a similar manner the strange news from Ridgecrest might become much more common.
And this would actually be good news for once.
Article can be found here: City Considers Outsourcing Its Police Department