Not so fast.

In recent years, some maturing cities have dumped the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and begun providing their own police services. But on Tuesday night, this city of more than 35,000 bucked that trend.

The City Council, after hearing residents nearly unanimously praise the sheriff's service, voted to stick with the county-provided law enforcement and voted to begin negotiations on a three-year contract.

"I always look at the sheriff as a step above the normal police departments, based on the training they go through," said resident Bill Jorgensen.

Former Riverton Mayor Mont Evans commended the Sheriff's Office for its service.

"In these days we need someone to respond to incidents such as Hurricane Katrina and terrorist attacks. You get that through the Sheriff's Office," Evans said.

Sheriff Jim Winder thanked the council for their confidence and promised not to let the supportive city down.

The city attorney hashed out contract details for nearly two hours with the council and Winder, and the deal is still waiting to be finalized.

But the new agreement will give Riverton its own sheriff's precinct with 28 deputies - an increase of eight.

That level of service will cost the city $3.4 million per year when the precinct is eventually fully staffed - June 2008, according to Winder. That price-tag is more than twice the $1.6 million Riverton paid just 14 months ago.

Mayor Bill Applegarth wasn't too shaken by the hike.

"I feel the level of service needs to rise," he said, adding that he wasn't criticizing the quality of service, just that more deputies were needed to patrol incoming retail development.

He added to his long complaint that Riverton hasn't gotten its money's worth in the past because sheriff's deputies have spent too much time responding to calls in Bluffdale.

The Sheriff's Office had served Bluffdale, Herriman, Riverton and unincorporated Salt Lake County in a way that allowed deputies to cross over from city to city. The new agreement will hold the deputies within Riverton except on calls for help on crimes against or threatened against people, or property crimes in progress.

Applegarth pounded his table and began to shout regarding the Bluffdale issue.

"This is my hot button. If we play this game we've been playing and continue to cover their [Bluffdale's] butts, I'm going toward self-police," Applegarth said. "This issue has to be solved or we've taken good money and thrown it out . . . I don't believe we ought to be patrolling the streets of Bluffdale."

Applegarth later apologized, saying he "just can't understand what's happening down there [in Bluffdale]."

Councilwoman Gayla Brinkerhoff said she was concerned about closing off the borders because Herriman and Bluffdale might not help Riverton in return.

"I don't like closing off the borders. It creates a scary feeling to me," she said. "There are often times when Riverton needs backup from Bluffdale. When you start making it so that a policeman can't fulfill his instincts and his duties to go help that's what scares me."

sgehrke@sltrib.com