PONDERAY — As Chief Hutter prepares for his upcoming retirement from the Ponderay Police Department, rumors are swirling that this is the first step in dismantling the department altogether, according to Mayor Steve Geiger.

“I want to make sure (people know) our department is going to stay solid and we will never dismantle it," Geiger said. "It's tough to hire and attract people when they think our department is on unstable ground."

Jimmy Cornelius, a longtime Ponderay police officer, is in line to take up the chief’s mantle at the end of May. That will leave two vacancies that the city intends to fill.

“We are just a little shorthanded and are looking for two more level-minded adults who want to work for a small department where you are referred to by your name and not a number,” Geiger said.

The mayor said that even though the city has no intention of dismantling its Police Department, he is not closing the door completely to changes that will serve the people of Ponderay.

“I really appreciate the fact that there has been an agreement made by both departments (Ponderay and Sandpoint) to help cover each other in times of need,” he said.

However, the mutual aid pact between the two cities does not extend to times when the Ponderay office is simply short-staffed, and Sandpoint has responded anyway, he said.

"We really appreciate their help and are very thankful," Geiger said.

"Mayor Geiger of Ponderay and I did have a conversation about how we can work together to support our two police departments, and this is continuing the collaborative relationship the prior administrations of our jurisdictions have had," said Jennifer Stapleton, city administrator of Sandpoint.

"Our officers are sworn in by both entities so that we may back one another up. We are not paid for providing this support," she said. "Since this agreement has only been in place about a year, we are just now pulling the statistics on the number of calls we have assisted on. We do know that the number of assists has been increasing."

When no one is available in the Ponderay department, dispatchers defer to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Department before contacting the Sandpoint police, Geiger said.

Ponderay is a small city with a small budget that keeps its Police Department lean, but when we have full staff of six, it is sufficient to handle the city’s enforcement needs, said Geiger.

“We have a great department that our residents and businesses really like,” he said. “I want people to feel comfortable and relaxed.”

However, the mayor acknowledges that some future tweaks may be necessary.

“I am always open to options and for exploring opportunities to serve the people. You obviously have to live within your means.”

“Once we have gathered (the data), we will be meeting with Mayor Geiger to review how well the agreement is working for both of us and to discuss any changes we need to make moving forward,” Stapleton said.