The Westlake Town Council voted in closed session not to renew the agreement with the city of Keller for police services at its Sept. 15 meeting.
Some context
The existing contract is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2028, according to previous reporting.
No discussion about the decision was made at the Westlake meeting. The vote occurred after more than three hours in closed session that covered a variety of topics.
A news release issued Sept. 16 stated an “exciting announcement” regarding a future public safety partner will be made soon.
“We are excited about what the future holds for public safety in Westlake,” Westlake Mayor Kim Greaves said in the release. “Our community has high expectations and we are committed to ensuring that our public safety services continue to evolve alongside the needs of Westlake. We want our residents to know that this process is being approached thoughtfully and with the best interests of Westlake at the forefront. We are thankful for the partnership we have shared with Keller and look forward to announcing what comes next for Westlake.”
The release also stated the town is looking for a partnership that builds on Westlake’s "commitment to exceptional service, responsiveness, innovation and collaboration.”
The details
The Keller Police Department has been providing police and animal control services through an interlocal agreement dating back to 2002, according to previous reporting.
The town of Westlake's website states the support from Keller includes traffic safety and regulation, uniformed patrol operations, community services and education, crime prevention, detention services, animal control services, public safety dispatch, emergency operations, operations support and criminal investigations.
“We remain the police department responsible for serving Westlake for the next two years,” Keller Police Chief Brad Fortune said. “Every call for service, investigation, traffic stop, community interaction and request for assistance must continue to receive the same attention and professionalism that we provide throughout our service area. Westlake residents and visitors had no role in this decision and they deserve nothing less than our very best through the final day of the agreement.”
The background
The most recent contract between Westlake and Keller was approved by the Keller City Council at the Sept. 19, 2023, meeting.
Westlake pays $1.2 million for a 12-month period for police services with four equal payments of $302,069.25. According to previous reporting, that is the equivalent to employing eight people, including equipment, capital costs and administrative charges for the program.
The agreement also included one school resource officer for Westlake Academy, which was added in October 2022.
“We are extremely grateful for the service that Chief Brad Fortune and the entire Keller Police Department has provided to Westlake for more than two decades,” Greaves said. “We have tremendous respect for the men and women of the Keller Police Department and deeply appreciate their commitment to our residents and our community.”
What they’re saying
“I am disappointed that the town of Westlake has failed to renew its contract with the Keller Police Department,” Keller Mayor Ross McMullin said in a Facebook post. “I remained hopeful that despite [a] recent disagreement between the communities over Westlake’s proposed data center, that we could continue to find a way for our communities to move past the political rhetoric. Westlake’s vote effectively severs a very longstanding relationship between the communities.”
