COULEE CITY - Starting in mid-April, Coulee City receives police services from Grant County as part of a new contract.

The contract is for three years and will cost Coulee City $80,000 per year, according to Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones.

The contract enables the sheriff's office to dedicate a deputy to Coulee City to meet its specific law enforcement and crime prevention needs. The deputy will serve as a liaison between the town and the sheriff's office, according to Jones.

Coulee City's only police officer accepted a new job with the Soap Lake Police Department in October.

"The Grant County Sheriff's Office has vested interest in the town and the citizens of Coulee City and I am committed to making a difference in that community," Jones said. "I thank Mayor Rick Heiberg and the city council for their confidence in the sheriff's office and we will continue to strengthen our relationship."

The contract will allow the sheriff's office to hire another full-time deputy dedicated to Coulee City. The department has other smaller contracts with area towns for additional deputies to patrol, but this contract is the first that allows for a full-time hire.

Grant County deputies will continue to patrol the streets and respond to Coulee City police calls until the assigned deputy starts in mid-April.