Atlantic County Sheriff James McGettigan won’t have much of a posse should he eventually ride out to patrol some of his county’s rural municipalities.

Officials in Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties say they don’t want to turn their sheriff’s offices into police forces – in part because it’s a signal to Trenton that they’ve given up and are willing to pay for State Police coverage they currently get for free.

“To give up is a bad idea, because it’s going to ultimately shift the cost to county government or the municipalities,” Cumberland County Freeholder Director Lou Magazzu said. “This is not a fiscally prudent idea.”

Ocean County Sheriff William Polhemus said his office already is busy with other jobs and that he’d probably need to hire about 100 new officers to do a job that’s being done well by State Police.

Cape May County Sheriff John Callanan was the most blunt about the issue: “No one asked me, so I’m not raising the issue.”

Officials in eight Atlantic County municipalities have agreed to study whether the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office could police their towns.

Corbin City, Estell Manor, Weymouth Township, Buena Vista Township, Folsom and Port Republic are currently patrolled by State Police. Mullica Township and Egg Harbor City are already discussing whether to merge their police departments. They opted into the study to see if it makes sense to be patrolled by the Sheriff’s Office.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine reportedly is backing off a plan to charge rural towns for State Police coverage this year, although the issue may be raised again in six months, in time for rural towns to prepare their 2009 budgets. Officials in the six Atlantic County towns covered by the State Police say they’ll proceed with the study because paying for the coverage would be too much for local budgets and residents to handle.

McGettigan contends his sheriff’s officers are up to the job. What needs to be determined is how much the service would cost and how it would be financed by the municipalities that get the service.

The study also might show it would be more cost-effective to just pay for the State Police services.

According to published reports, Cumberland County Sheriff Michael Baruzza said his office could, if necessary, patrol rural Cumberland County municipalities currently covered by State Police.

Magazzu contends that won’t happen:”The problem is, the sheriff likes to spend other people’s money.”

“The sheriff doesn’t have to raise the money,” Magazzu said. “All the sheriff has to do is take the victory lap.

“If it’s thrust upon us (by the state), we will prepare a plan and implement it. But not without a very strong fight.”

Baruzza wasn’t available for comment.

Polhemus said he won’t consider using his staff as a police force unless asked by local officials or the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders – something he doesn’t expect to happen anytime soon.

“I don’t infringe on them,” Polhemus said. “I don’t get into their hair.”

As for whether it’s appropriate for a sheriff’s office to become a police force, Callanan said, “That’s not for me to say.”

To e-mail Thomas Barlas:

TBarlas@pressofac.com