Suddenly, as many as four of the five cities that contract with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office could leave Winder's umbrella and form their own blue lines unless a Unified Police District (UPD) is formed.

The issue has coaxed mayors into coalitions, polarized politicians and crystallized an election that saw a sea change in the sheriff's office. And now that the 2007 Legislature has wrapped up, and with it a bill that would have helped fund a UPD, the conundrum continues to hang heavy over the county.

Residents may not be aware of the simmering debate that, after 18 months, seems poised to boil over. After all, surveys show people in Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, Riverton, Herriman and Bluffdale, along with those in the unincorporated county, are mostly satisfied with their county sheriff's service.

But unless consensus can be reached, all those cities except for Bluffdale could splinter from the county.

"I don't get a sense of any real unanimity," says Karen Suzuki-Okabe, the county's deputy mayor. "Everyone is coming from different perspectives."

Despite that impasse, stakeholders suggest that a meeting Tuesday could signal a D-day of sorts to decide the future of the police landscape.

What would Winder do?

Parties on all sides acknowledge that Winder should play a key role, particularly after trouncing four-term incumbent Sheriff Aaron Kennard in a November landslide.

Winder worries the parties are in a stagnant position, but he argues the financial and managerial due diligence for a UPD remains unfinished.

"It isn't a question of whether I'm running the show or to what extent I'm running the show," he says. "It's a question of functionality. There's a reason there is no UPD model anywhere in the country. It's not a proven model."

Instead, Winder has proposed a rejiggered contract system - it would keep resources intact and provide more grass-roots control, he insists - in which mayors of the five cities, along with county leaders, would serve on an Administrative Control Board.

If mayors didn't agree with Winder's direction as administrator, bailout clauses would allow the cities to bolt within six months. The contracts would extend until just before the sheriff's term expires in 2011, which Winder says is by design.

In the interim, the sheriff notes, the group could continue to flesh out a UPD.

Something has to give because each contract city except Cottonwood Heights is floating without a signed pact for policing, according to Winder.

"They are operating under a very nebulous status right now, which isn't good for them or for us."

Bind together or bail

Problems with the sheriff's structure have festered since former contract cities Draper and Taylorsville split off. Increasingly, cities want local control, including the ability to guide officers in their communities and adjust the level of services.

Cottonwood Heights Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore says Winder's plan is a positive step, "but in the end, we are just an advisory board."

Instead, the mayor of the county's youngest city favors the regional approach a UPD could offer, even if that means the cities split from the county and set up a system of interlocal agreements with one another - in essence, cutting out the county. In addition to the five contract cities, Cullimore notes, the mayors of Sandy and Taylorsville have expressed interest in joining.

"Those conversations have already begun," he says.

But County Councilman Jim Bradley, who has helped steer UPD discussions for nearly two years, cautions against the interlocal plan.

"If they choose to do that, it's to the detriment of their citizens," Bradley says. "It's going to cost them a lot more."

With start-up costs alone, Bradley doubts cities interested in launching their own police departments would have the assets to break even.

Even so, Bradley's council colleague, who also sits on the UPD board, suggests the municipalities have little choice.

"The only reason they haven't done it is they've had hope in the UPD process," Councilman Mark Crockett explains. "If you take away that hope, there are few reasons for them to wait."

Indeed, Riverton seems poised to take the self-providing plunge. While the other cities are simply talking about it, the booming west-side community has conducted a study, according to Mayor Bill Applegarth.

"We're just after what is the most efficient police force we can have," he says, "and yet have a reasonable price tag for it."

The politics of police

Stakeholders thought the UPD track was greased before a bill to provide the necessary taxing district was derailed late in the legislative session.

The measure appeared partisan to some. It was supported by the County Council's GOP majority and run by a Republican legislator against the wishes of the Democratic sheriff.

Winder, who was briefly on board after the language was tweaked, changed his position on HB450 a day later, leading to its demise.

"I knew I had made a mistake because it still had these provisions [stripping his control] in it," Winder says.

Without legislation, and as long as the sheriff maintains veto power, Crockett warns it will be difficult to keep the cities in the fold.

If they defect, Winder's forces essentially would be left with the unincorporated areas, canyon patrols and the jail.

Cullimore, who applauds the sheriff's "stand-up" explanation on HB450, maintains that the only hope for UPD is if Winder "plays ball."

"He has to say, 'I'm willing to give up my authority for the greater good.' That's hard to do."

Word on the street

Among rank-and-file deputies, there are "wildly differing opinions" on a UPD, according to sheriff's spokesman Lt. Paul Jaroscak.

"Before the election, many did not understand it," he says. "I don't think much has changed."

Instead, Jaroscak says, most deputies believe the valley is ripe for a metro police agency, particularly now that communication systems are networked.

Such conversations prompted then-Sheriff Kennard to explore a UPD before the issue devolved into a political turf war.

Now, the only consensus seems to be the fight against further fragmentation. But no one can predict the look of the police portfolio.

"If the county can't bridge the geography, it probably turns into the southwest forming something separate from Cottonwood Heights and Holladay," Crockett says.

And that would leave unincorporated residents alone to bear the burden of overhead costs.

Whatever the outcome, everyone agrees the balance will be tipped by the man with the badge.

"Some people think I'm inherently anti-UPD. I'm not in the least," Winder says. "What I will continue to advocate for is a greater fleshing out of what UPD is."

djensen@sltrib.com

Cop conundrum

Salt Lake County provides police service for Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, Riverton, Bluffdale and Herriman, along with the unincorporated county.

But a sometimes-bitter debate about whether to create a Unified Police District - and whether Sheriff Jim Winder would run it - has prompted several of the cities to consider breaking off to form their own police departments.

A meeting of the so-called UPD Board to discuss the dilemma is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday at the County Government Center, 2001 S. State St., Room N2003.