There’s friction between the Lynden Police Department and city hall over a proposed change in its officer dispatch system.
After getting free dispatch services from the Border Patrol for decades, the City of Lynden is considering a switch to the What-Comm dispatch system next year.
The Lynden Tribune report that system would cost the city $140,000 dollars per year.
Mayor Scott Korthuis has included that in his budget proposal, but would eliminate the deputy police chief position to off-set the cost.
That has interim police chief John Billester and other officers upset.
They say the city’s police force is already understaffed and any safety improvements brought by a switch in dispatch services would be undercut by losing the deputy chief position.