By Rosalio Ahumada
The Sacramento Bee
SUTTER COUNTY, Calif. — The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office has posted online a list of calls for help it will and will not respond to under a proposed contract for a reduced level of police services for residents in Live Oak.
With a budget deficit of nearly $2 million last October, the Live Oak City Council in 2025 voted to end the city’s contract with the Sheriff’s Office to provide police services to residents in the rural Northern California city. That contract is set to expire Nov. 30.
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Sheriff Brandon Barnes in a news release Tuesday said Sutter County officials have been working with Live Oak officials to implement a new, one-year contract that would go into effect Dec. 1 at a reduced level of police services due to Live Oak’s fiscal restructuring of its budget.
“As Sheriff, I cannot subsidize services to the incorporated City of Live Oak, so staffing will have to be reduced, resulting in a need to prioritize the types of calls we can safely respond to,” Barnes said in the news release.
Live Oak is a city of about 9,400 people, according to 2025 U.S. Census estimates. It is about 10 miles north of Yuba City along Highway 99.
Staffing level changes
Under the proposed contract, police services in Live Oak will be reduced to four sheriff’s deputies, one sheriff’s sergeant and dispatching services.
Barnes also said Live Oak also would transition from a two-deputy, 24-hour staffing model to a one-deputy, 24-hour staffing model.
The Sheriff’s Office posted on its website a list of which calls for help in Live Oak will have first, second, third and fourth priority. For instance, a reported homicide, assault, carjacking, physical domestic violence or robbery are among a lengthy list of calls for help that will get first priority.
Reports of burglary, child abuse, elder abuse and verbal domestic violence will be second priority for deputies in Live Oak . A reported rape in Live Oak will be third priority, and a reported stolen vehicle will be in the list for fourth-priority calls for help.
The Sheriff’s Office also posted a list of calls for help it will not respond to under the proposed new police services contract. Those calls for help include a hit-and-run with no injuries, a report of suspicious circumstances, person or vehicle, a non-injury vehicle crash, a report of driving under the influence or a reckless driver, parole or probation violation, a flooded road, trespassing, theft and indecent exposure.
AI system to be used to manage service calls
Some calls for help will be referred to other agencies or Live Oak’s answering system.
As part of the transition, Live Oak has purchased Readyly, an AI-powered platform to assist with handling routine public inquiries and service requests, according to the sheriff’s news release. The city is using Readyly to help address the reduced police services under the new contract and provide residents with a way to manage certain non-emergency calls.
All calls will initially be received by Sheriff’s Office dispatch. Based on the type and priority of the call, dispatchers will determine whether the call should be transferred to Readyly or handled by a deputy, the sheriff said.
“Like many cities, Live Oak has faced difficult budget decisions, reducing expenditures by $3.5 million while working to preserve essential services,” Live Oak City Manager Ben Moody said in the sheriff’s news release. “We remain committed to responsible financial management, exploring new revenue opportunities, and ensuring our residents continue to receive the public safety services they deserve.”
From Nov. 4 , through Dec. 1, the Sheriff’s Office plans to test the Readyly platform in Live Oak with reported abandoned vehicles, loud music, parking violations and vandalism.
“While the new service model is not ideal, the Sheriff’s Office is hopeful the city will find ways to increase revenues and direct any new funding toward public safety needs,” the sheriff said.
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