On July 1, 2008, Lindon will have its own police force.

On Tuesday night, the City Council set deadlines for hiring a police chief, having a department master plan and having the department running. It also set a plan to start planning for a fire department in a year. Emergency medical technician services also will be planned after the police department is operational.

The city now partners with Pleasant Grove for public safety.

"This is a historic motion for this community," said Mayor James Dain, before the council's vote.

The council first laid out the plan hypothetically and then decided that starting as soon as possible would be best.

The city plans to hire a police chief by Oct. 15, have the new chief work with an architect to design a jail space in the basement of the Lindon City Center building, and have the chief create and present a master plan for the new police department by Jan. 1, 2008.

But not everyone agreed during the meeting.

Pleasant Grove Police Chief Tom Paul said that he did not like the idea of phasing in public service departments one at a time -- setting up a police department, then fire department, then an EMT.

"To have one without the other would be a nightmare," Paul said. "Why break it upfi"

Paul also said he thought it would be better to have more than 10 months to create a police department.

Lindon Councilman Bruce Carpenter said "it would be quite daunting" to create every department needed for good public safety services at once.

Lack of funding was another reason offered for starting the departments one at a time.

"As of right now we can finance a police department by July," said Councilman Toby Bath.

Lindon City Council members said dissatisfaction with Pleasant Grove services was not the reason they wanted to create a new department.

"This is not an indication that we don't get along, it is an indication of growth," Dain said.

Lindon council members said they also want to avoid any competition or bad feelings between the two departments.

On Jan. 1, at the request of Paul, Lindon will notify Pleasant Grove about whether it is on track for the starting date, Bath said.

Pleasant Grove is willing to give an extension of services with enough notice, Paul said.

Lindon will continue using the Pleasant Grove dispatch center for emergency calls.

Saratoga Springs started its police department on July 1 this year, after contracting with the Utah County Sheriff's Office for police services for 10 years.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C3.