Saratoga Votes to Stick With County Sheriff Instead of Switching to Los Gatos Police

Saratoga will keep the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office as its police force after a late-night City Council vote that rejected a rival pitch from a neighboring department.

In a 4-1 decision late Wednesday, Oct. 7, the council voted to continue its current contract with the sheriff and not to exit early in favor of the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, NBC Bay Area reported. Dozens of residents and law enforcement officers packed the meeting to hear the outcome.

A 70-year relationship

The sheriff's office has provided policing in Saratoga for about 70 years. Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos Hills each recently signed new five-year contracts with the county. Saratoga's deal, unlike a simple lock-in, lets the city opt out after the first year. Had the council used that option, Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police would have taken over in November 2027, according to NBC Bay Area and a local Saratoga news report summarizing the vote.

Why an alternative was on the table

City staff said that when the county's renewal proposal arrived in 2025, it would have raised Saratoga's annual policing cost by roughly $3 million, or about 33%. City Manager Leslie Arroyo told the council the debate was never only about price. "The discussion has never been solely about the cost of law enforcement, it is also about how the city balances public safety with its other responsibilities," she said, according to NBC Bay Area. She noted that in 2025 the city already expected costs to climb faster than revenue, which is why staff approached Los Gatos about an alternative.

The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno department, run by the Town of Los Gatos, has policed Monte Sereno for 30 years. Its proposal carried an annual cost of about $9.7 million and claimed savings of roughly $2.7 million for Saratoga. The department's chief told the council the plan would create new staff positions and open a police substation in Saratoga.

What the council asked for next

After hours of questions, a majority stuck with the sheriff. Even members who backed the contract told the sheriff's office they want more data and transparency going forward about how Saratoga's money is spent on policing resources, NBC Bay Area reported. The station did not identify which council member cast the lone dissenting vote.

For South Bay residents watching contract cities shop for police services, the vote keeps a long-running county arrangement in place while putting the sheriff's office on notice that cost and accountability will stay on the agenda.