Duarte

Duarte, which contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services, will soon have its own radio patrol cars marked with a city logo.

Duarte has been served by the Temple City Sheriff’s Station in a regional program with South El Monte and Rosemead under which each city purchased a percentage of a radio car, which was deployed where needed. When Rosemead dropped out of the program, it was discontinued, Capt. James Callas said, so each city now will purchase a given number of cars and officers’ services. Callas said that while the regional approach offered the department more flexibility, the new arrangement gives cities the advantage of local identity.

Callas declined to say how many officers and cars would be in Duarte at any given time but said that his department and the city had reached agreement on an acceptable level of service.

However, the arrangement will be more costly for the city because Duarte will be paying for 100% of a radio car rather than a percentage of its use. Duarte will pay $300,000 more than it did in the last fiscal year, bringing its law enforcement costs to $1 million. The Temple City station also serves the cities of Temple City and Bradbury.