County Sheriff Steve Boyer said he believes the idea has potential.

“Poulsbo is a great department, and I think the Poulsbo Police Department would benefit,” Boyer said.

Contract policing is a nationwide trend that has made strong inroads in the state, and 40 percent of the cities in King County contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office for police services, he said.

When Silverdale is finally incorporated, Boyer said he expects his department will be tasked with providing its police services, so the idea of doing the same for Poulsbo isn’t a foreign one.

Even though the city currently enjoys a great relationship with the KCSO in several cooperative law enforcement ventures, Quade said she supports local control of services whenever possible.

“We’re not just going to ask if we can save a buck or two, but rather what is the most efficient way we can serve our citizen,” she said.

That “way” might include adding more officers to the PPD or contracting those services with the county, but Quade said she has no preconceived idea as to what the final results of the study will be.

“The core issue is do we have the maximum police services, so citizens can enjoy peace and safety,” Boyer said. This may or may not be in having the city contract with the KCSO, but it should be explored, he said.

“It’s the city council’s call. We just want to do what’s right for our citizens,” Boyer said.

The department’s number of requests for service have steadily increased over the past three years from 11,229 in 2005 to 13,374 in 2006, so the worst case Doran said he sees is that the consultant would recommend not adding additional officers.

The number of cases handled by the department also jumped from about 1,600 in 2005 to almost 2,000 in 2006, marking a 25 percent increase in one year alone. The department also made 831 arrests in 2006 compared to 539 in 2005.

As the study continues, Quade offered one piece of advice for all those involved: “It’s an analytical analysis, and we need to let it happen.”