Kitsap County’s voting populace will have a chance to tighten the reins on crime next month but not without dipping into their own pockets first. While the Law and Justice Levy (Proposition 1) suggests a 0.15 percent sales tax — 15 cents on $100 purchase — to replace lost state funding, meet new demands and fill gaps in the system, getting the public to OK this could prove quite a battle.

Kitsap News Group editors met with high ranking law enforcement officials earlier this week and although no one in their right mind would argue against the need for more police, deputies, prosecutors, personnel and programs, the Herald determined that Prop. 1 has several issues voters should consider before mailing their ballots in.

The fact that this sunsets in five years is getting mixed reviews and while some residents like the idea that law enforcement officials will have to stump for this tax again and show results or risk losing the pot, others say by then it’ll be too late to turn back. Programs and personnel will already be in place and nobody wants to be responsible for some police officer in Poulsbo getting the axe because the public voted not to fund his or her position.

We put this one to Kitsap County Prosecutor Russell Hauge, who responded that while he has heard arguments that the public will be “guilted” into continuing the tax, “Personally, I think the voters are more heartless than that.”

He may be right. The question is will this come to light in five years or five weeks.

Talking about the sunset clause, Hauge noted, “This raises the level of accountability,” Good point. But we really hope there is already a very high level of accountability in place as far as taxpayer dollars are concerned. But, we get his point — if the agencies involved don’t show progress with the addition of more than $20 million in five years, we can turn out the lights for 2011 and the party’s over. If the new programs work, crime is decreased and voters feel they got some bang for their bucks, they’ll probably give the OK for the 2011-2016 cycle.

The figures are conservative, Hauge said. But what happens if additional money comes in?

“It’s a question we’re not used to,” Hauge replied. “Having more money.”

Even so, what happens if say, instead of $4.2 million in 2006, an additional $500,000 comes out of the public’s pockets in sales tax revenues? The new programs and personnel will cost what they cost, so what about money above and beyond them raised by the tax?

It goes to the county and the cities to use as they best see fit. Meaning that funds taxpayers may or may not support going to assist local law enforcement could conceivably be used for a road project in South Kitsap. As such, we’re a bit surprised the county and the cities aren’t promoting the proposition as well.

The Sheriff’s Guild isn’t and claims that it has enough deputies already.

“This will help us maintain the high the level of service we’ve provided,” Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer pointed out, noting that the additional funds will allow law agencies to develop a more comprehensive approach to crime.

In North Kitsap, the Poulsbo Police Department would be getting an estimated $154,000 annually for a three-person special emphasis team charged with finding solutions to current crime and safety problems and addressing troubled areas. Kitsap County would use its $2.5 million to focus on property crime, add two new traffic safety officers, a school resource officer, a criminal interdictions team and three support services personnel.

Is that enough to sway North Kitsap voters?

Although we like the accountability created by the sunset and the proposed programs, it fell just short of swaying us.