Hollister
– The Hollister Police Department continues to struggle with a
shortage of officers, but the City Council will consider a measure
Monday that could help ramp up recruitment efforts.
Hollister – The Hollister Police Department continues to struggle with a shortage of officers, but the City Council will consider a measure Monday that could help ramp up recruitment efforts.
The police department currently has four vacant officer positions, with a fifth anticipated to open in the coming months.
“It’s crisis mode,” said Sgt. Ray Wood. “Everybody’s working overtime every day.”
To assist with the department’s recruitment efforts, Police Chief Jeff Miller and City Manager Clint Quilter are asking the city to foot the academy bill for officers who are hired while they are still in training. According to Miller’s report to the council, the city already hires officers while they are still in the academy, but paying all of their training fees will give potential hires extra incentive to come to Hollister.
Mayor Brad Pike said he went through a similar program when he trained to become a police officer in the Southern California city of Fontana.
“This is a good program,” Pike said. “This way we can have people ready to go, who can come right into the police department after they graduate.”
Wood, who is the president of the local police officers’ union, said the department currently has 10 patrol officers. According to Capt. Bob Brooks, three of those officers – plus a sergeant – are on duty during a normal shift.
“We’re below emergency status in terms of staffing,” Wood said.
He added that it will likely be several months or more before officers hired while training will be ready to go on duty.
“It could be this way the rest of the year,” Wood said.
The average academy enrollment and supply fee is $2,250, according to Miller.
Pike said this is only one step in addressing the department’s staffing shortage. Hollister needs to take a close look at why the department is having such a hard time attracting additional officers, as well as holding onto those it has, he said.
“What is happening that our officers need to go other places?” Pike said.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected]. City editor Brett Rowland contributed to this report.
