Half Moon Bay Sgt. Dennis Loubal (standing) and Officer Richard Cheechov work the shift Friday. (Paul Chinn / The Chronicle)

At a painful meeting that had the mayor and head of the police officers union choking back their emotions, the Half Moon Bay City Council voted Saturday to shut down its Police Department and turn over its duties to the San Mateo County Sheriff.

The council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to negotiate the specifics with the sheriff - a move that is expected to save the cash-strapped coastal city of 13,300 at least $509,000.

But it wasn't an easy decision. After two police officers, including Richard Cheechov, head of the Half Moon Bay Police Officers Association, struggled to contain their emotions as they spoke in favor of turning operations over to the sheriff, Mayor Naomi Patridge, in a halting voice, quickly called for a break, then left the meeting hall to regain her composure.

"It was tough; very, very tough," she said after the vote. "I've lived here all my life, and the Police Department has been important. A police department is really, truly an identity for a city."

Tax measure rejected

Half Moon Bay was incorporated in 1959 - in part so it could have its own police force. But the force has been cut by 20 percent since 2009, a year after the city agreed to pay $18 million - about twice its entire annual budget - to settle a lawsuit over development rights. With the struggling economy, tourism and sales tax revenue are down sharply and, in November, voters rejected a sales tax measure to help fund the department.

Interim Police Chief Lee Violett, who works part time because of the budget woes, said the city can't afford its skeletal department of 12, which has no detectives, no one to ride the two traffic enforcement motorcycles, and not enough time to patrol schools or work with youth.

"All these things add up to an organization that is stressed," he said, "an organization that is not sure of its future."

Contracting with the county sheriff to take over law enforcement, he said, would not only save money but also give the city access to greater resources while maintaining quick response times to high-priority calls.

The council had all but decided to outsource its police services, soliciting bids from every law enforcement agency in the county plus the California Highway Patrol. It got two offers - from the Sheriff's Department and the Pacifica Police Department, 14 miles up Highway 1.

The Pacifica proposal would have ended up costing Half Moon Bay money when pension and animal control costs were considered, Violett said. Both offers included the retention of Half Moon Bay officers, pending standard tests, but did not guarantee them positions patrolling the city.

'We cannot continue'

Still, it seemed like the best choice for the city, Cheechov said.

"We find ourselves at a point where we cannot continue," he said. "We cannot continue independently if the safety of the city is to be ensured."

Patridge, 70, served as police matron, caring for women and children, when the department opened - which made the decision more difficult.

"It's really hard for me to accept that we're not going to have our Police Department."