WHITEWATER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday that it will be adjusting its services in Whitewater Township beginning in 2027.
Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said that, effective Jan. 1, 2027, the sheriff's office will no longer provide routine patrols, traffic enforcement or response to non-emergency calls in the township. These non-emergency matters include after-the-fact theft reports, minor disturbances, lost property and non-injury movable crashes.
Deputies will continue to respond to 911 emergencies and life-safety incidents, McGuffey said.
The specific things deputies would respond to include:
- Crimes in progress and any incident posing an immediate threat to life or safety
- Death investigations
- Injury vehicle crashes and suspected impaired driving
- Disabled-vehicle incidents that create safety hazards
- Calls where the severity is unclear and a supervisor authorizes a response
Residents will still be able to report non-emergency matters to the sheriff's office at the Sheriff's Office Patrol Headquarters at 11021 Hamilton Ave., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Currently, Whitewater Township is the only jurisdiction in Hamilton County that does not have a formal contract with the sheriff's office for police protection services. The sheriff's office said every other municipality that receives sheriff's office services does so under a written agreement and pays according to the costs of the services rendered.
The sheriff's office said that nearby Crosby and Harrison townships are participating and pay under the Northwest District agreement, but years of discussion, including a proposal to share the cost of three patrol beats among Crosby, Harrison and Whitewater townships, have not produced a contract with Whitewater Township.
Whitewater Township Administrator Peggy Westerfeld was notified by letter Oct. 9 that services would cease Jan. 1, 2027, unless a contract was executed before that date, the sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office claims they have had no response from Westerfeld or the township.
"Continuing to provide non-contract patrol and non-emergency services creates unacceptable risk, exposure and inequity for both the township and the county taxpayers who already fund services elsewhere," the sheriff's office said. "The Sheriff's Office cannot sustain dedicated patrol services without a contract, especially considering recent county-wide budget constraints."
The sheriff's office said it remains prepared to negotiate a fair contractual arrangement to meet the township's needs.
