The city of Coos Bay is considering its options after learning Southwestern Oregon Community College won’t pay for additional police staff to patrol student housing.

City Manager Chuck Freeman and Police Chief Rodger Craddock met this week with Southwestern Vice President Sheldon Meyer and college attorney Roger Gould.

They discussed what crimes would warrant police response and what could be handled by college public safety. But the college refused to offer any financial aid to the city’s police department.

“They are refusing to do anything because they said ‘we don’t have to,’” said Freeman.

Rick Osborn, college director of communications, said Southwestern doesn’t have the hundreds of thousands of dollars the city is requesting and wants to put the primary focus on crime prevention.

“Obviously that’s the crux of the situation we are talking about here,” he said.

The city and college first began discussing public safety issues last year, when the city became concerned about the college reporting crimes on campus. The city stopped allowing the college’s public safety officers to serve as Coos Bay reserve officers. As a result, public safety officers could no longer issue citations on campus.

In May, Freeman gave the college three options. The board of directors could help pay for one, two or four police officers. With one officer, the city would add him to regular patrols. With two officers, one would be added to patrols, while the second would be assigned exclusively to the college. By helping hire four officers, the college would ensure police coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The cost would be $117,500 for each officer.

Osborn said that wasn’t possible.

“The board isn’t in a position to enter into an intergovernmental agreement to pay the city for police services,” he said.

Southwestern postponed its response several times over the summer, as college President Judith Hansen said she wanted to wait until a new public safety director could be hired. The former director, Bill Winfield, retired last spring.

Freeman is frustrated with the delay.

“It took them this many months to tell us to pound sand,” he said.

Osborn said the college decided to return to discussions with the city after it realized it would not be able to hire a new public safety director for some time.

The city councilors who met previously with several college board members will meet Tuesday to discuss the city’s options, Freeman said.

Arbitration appears to be unlikely. In Oregon, both parties must agree to have a third-party issue a ruling.

“They are flat out refusing to do that,” Freeman said.

Freeman wants the college to pay because officers frequently respond to the campus, yet the college pays nothing in property taxes.

Hansen said the college may not pay property taxes, but the local students and employees who live in Coos Bay do. By college estimates, they contributed more than $1 million to the city last year.

“We think students and employees who work here deserve the same safety and security Coos Bay police provide them at home,” she said.

Under existing terms, the college calls the police for cases of physical abuse, animal abuse, property damage and theft. The college may call police for cases involving weapons, alcohol and/or hazing. They also may be called in if someone is attempting to elude a public safety officer or for harassment. All other matters will be handled internally.

Freeman is concerned that when school starts later this month, there will be more students in campus housing than before, further straining the Police Department.

“We’re probably further behind than before we started,” Freeman said.