A proposal by the Hollister City Council not to fill vacant
positions within the city’s police department could hinder public
safety, a spokesman for the police officers union said.
A proposal by the Hollister City Council not to fill vacant positions within the city’s police department could hinder public safety, a spokesman for the police officers union said.
The Hollister Peace Officers Association (HPOA), which represents nearly all of the city’s police officers, said Tuesday it opposes an apparent cost-cutting measure that would not allow the department to hire four new officers to bring the department close to full strength.
“We’re absolutely against it,” HPOA President Ray Wood said. “It will do nothing but jeopardize the community’s safety.”
Wood said not filling the positions would further degrade morale within a department that has been chronically understaffed for a number of years.
Wood pointed out that on average in the western United States, cities hire an average of 1.4 police officers for every 1,000 residents.
“Which means a city of our size should have about 50 officers on staff. We are only authorized for 37,” Wood said. “So, if you take away those four positions, and you take into account that we have three officers already on light duty because of injuries, then we really only have 30 sworn officers available for duty,” Wood said. “Those 30 officers include the chief and two captains, so you really only have 27 officers available for patrol.”
Wood said the HPOA strongly urges the City Council to reconsider the proposed freezing of the four vacant positions because it could end up costing the city more money than it is saving.
Without the extra positions, more officers would have to work overtime to cover shifts for officers who are sick, on vacation or otherwise unable to be on duty, Wood said.
If officers were asked to work too many overtime hours, then they could become fatigued and less effective while on duty, he added.
“We’re asking cops to go out there and work 15 to 16 hours a day and make decisions that affect people’s lives and put themselves in harms way when they are not 100 percent,” Wood said.
Interim Police Chief Larry Todd said if the City Council decides to freeze the four positions, he must enact that policy change.
However, in order to compensate for the lack of other available personnel, the police department would have to cut from other programs, including the crime prevention officer who teaches the local D.A.R.E. classes at schools and the school resources officer position.
Also, officers coordinating programs such as Neighborhood Watch would have to be pulled out of those services to rejoin patrol duty, Todd said.
“We have an obligation to ensure that basic police services are provided,” Todd said.
The HPOA is attempting to meet with members of the City Council to express its concern.
