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The debate over the creation of a Brentwood municipal police force continued this week at two public hearings where residents spoke in favor of the move or cautioned against it as financially infeasible or unnecessary.

The Town Council is taking up the issue after the Brentwood Anti-Crime Advisory Committee issued a report in September recommending the town create a 24-hour police force in order to tackle town crime. The council appointed residents to the committee in December 2008 in the wake of a 2007 double homicide to make recommendations on improving public safety.

Brentwood had a police force that disbanded in 1972 because of mismanagement once the town's police chief was fired after he was caught breaking and entering in another town, said committee member Nina Young.

Brentwood, North Brentwood and Eagle Harbor are the three municipalities in Prince George's County that do not have their own police force. This fiscal year, the town will spend $163,751 on policing in the town. Currently, the town is policed by five county contract officers each of whom works a maximum of 17 hours over every two weeks in the town. The town also has an agreement with Mount Rainier in which one of that city's police officers works full time in Brentwood.

Starting a full time department would cost the town $375,000 initially and $307,000 annually thereafter, according to the committee's report. The report states that the town won't need a higher property tax rate for the first three years if it can fund the program with federal and state grants.

An estimated budget for the force created by Mayor Xzavier Montgomery-Wright, town treasurer Orson Carter and town administrator Peter Jones estimates that without grant funding, the town will have to increase its property tax rate by 13 cents in the second year of having the department and continue the increase into the fourth year. The budget also states that with grant funding, the rate would increase in the department's fourth year by 37 cents.

The town's rate is now 38.3 cents.

The estimated budgets by both the advisory committee and the town include proposed revenue from red light and speed cameras and from having North Brentwood pay for a Brentwood officer to patrol in North Brentwood.

The town held two public hearings this week, on Saturday and Monday, to get resident feedback.

About 15 residents testified during Monday's meeting, some of whom said they or their neighbors have been victims of crimes such as auto theft, home invasion and vandalism.

Some residents said the town must examine the issue carefully to ensure it can pay for the force for years to come without relying on grant funding.

"We don't know what's coming down the road," Gina Morlan said. "I'd like to see it done, but we need to think through this process."

Former councilman Vernon Bretemps said future property values are likely to be much less than projected in the estimated budget. Right now, they are estimated to decrease by 6 percent in the second year of the department's founding.

"I'd like to see more local cooperation," Bretemps said. "I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel and start our own police department in our town."

Shawn Cassatt said a town police force would make the town safer, which in turn would attract new residents and businesses that would increase the town's tax base.

"I'm very concerned that people feel that if we're not the worst of the worst, then it's OK," she said. "I need to know that if someone is breaking into my home and I'm alone with my baby, and I call 911, that someone is going to come."

The town council will discuss the proposal at the next Town Council meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. There is no schedule yet as to when it will come up for a vote.

E-mail Elahe Izadi at eizadi@gazette.net.