POULSBO — Allegations and rumors concerning covert communications between Mayor Kathryn Quade and Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer about the fate of the Poulsbo Police Department aren’t true after all.

A public records request from the North Kitsap Herald to the city for all documents, e-mails and memos between the city and KCSO related to the idea of contracting police services resulted in more than 100 pages of documents, but none show any negotiations between the sheriff’s office and Quade.

Instead, the results display strong city council support for the department and attempts to quell concerns about the sheriff’s office replacing the city’s current police force.

In an e-mail to Poulsbo Police Officer Stacey Smaaladen, Councilman Dale Rudolph clarified the intent of examining the idea of contracting with the sheriff’s office.

“Seriously, the outsourcing is primarily intended to have something to compare to,” Rudolph wrote. “Outsourcing is very unlikely and the police officers should not be concerned.”

Even if the study showed potential savings by contracting with the KCSO, it would not be worth the loss of local control, turnover of training and experienced personnel and a major drop in morale, he wrote.

“I honestly think you officers are being stirred up over something very unlikely,” Rudolph concluded. “Thanks for your outstanding service to Poulsbo.”

Councilman Jeff McGinty also expressed his support for the department in numerous e-mails including one to Poulsbo Police Officer Shawn Ziemann.

“I believe your department does an outstanding job,” McGinty wrote. “I feel thankful every day for the effort your team performs in maintaining a safe environment for my family to live in.”

While supporting the department, McGinty said the scope of work for the process study caught him off guard.

“I am very surprised and disappointed to see reference in this SOW (Scope of Work) for an RFP (Request for Proposal) to compare with Kitsap County and would have voted NO had I known,” McGinty wrote.

The only e-mail from an employee of the Kitsap County Sheriff’s to the city came from Deputy John Halsted to Poulsbo Police Chief Jeff Doran dated Jan. 24.

“Chief, (here) is an interesting report on consolidating police services,” Halsted wrote.

The report was done by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2003, Halsted wrote.

Halsted concluded the e-mail with the web link to the report, and no further correspondence between Halsted and Doran was found in the public records request.