Mayor David O. Ryan said Thursday it would be most cost-effective for the city to operate its own lockup. The cells are used now only for temporary holding of prisoners. When police take prisoners to the regional lockup, Sharon pays an hourly rate for each one, Ryan said.

Someone is at the Sharon station 24 hours a day Monday through Friday but if extra help is needed on weekends, the city will pay someone $8 to $10 an hour to monitor the cells, Ryan said.

By the end of 2002, the city will have paid $50,000 in lockup fees, and it should cost no more than $25,000 a year for the city to operate its own lockup, Ryan said.

Several area police departments use the lockup services that are run by Mercer County Regional Council of Governments. COG rents lockup space from Farrell.

Ryan said using the regional lockup is inconvenient and poses safety worries. He said the more police have to handle a prisoner, the more chance there is for an incident to occur. It also takes time to transport prisoners, and police can wait anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours for a guard to arrive, he said.

City Finance Director Michael Gasparich said the city's five holding cells need only a minimal amount of work to be functional for lockup purposes. City council members Thursday didn't voice any objections to pulling out of the regional lockup agreement.

Council President Fred Hoffman said he has no problem with it as long as the city has the manpower to do it. Hoffman said he sees pluses and minuses to leaving.

Ryan said Sharon's lockup should be ready on March 31. He said COG requires a 90-day notice of any pullout.

Sharon has used the regional lockup since May 1995.