Score: +7 (11/4/4)

Contra Costa County Grand Jury • 2019-2020

Contact: Anne Granlund Foreperson

Published: May 14, 2020 14 pages

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings and Recommendations 14 findings

Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions present challenges in maintaining police services.

Related Recommendations (2)

The Sheriff, and the City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek should consider directing their police departments to apply annually, or when offered in 2021, to the Department of Justice COPS Hiring Program, which provides funding for hiring additional officers,

The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek should consider identifying funds that would permit their police departments to over-hire officer positions as a strategy for keeping departments fully staffed,

Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions have resulted in reducing or eliminating staffing of traffic units, school resource officers, community outreach, or other police services.

Related Recommendations (1)

The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek should consider identifying funds to increase the number of authorized sworn officers to fill understaffed units, such as traffic patrol and school resource officers,

Due to low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions, officers are often required to put in mandatory overtime to cover critical services.

No recommendations for this finding

Mandatory overtime can lead to officer stress, which creates retention challenges.

No recommendations for this finding

Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions may contribute to increased average response times for Priority 1 (emergency) calls.

No recommendations for this finding

Recruiting officers is challenging due to fewer applicants who meet the required hiring standards and complete the rigorous testing process.

Related Recommendations (1)

The Board of Supervisors should consider identifying funds to develop a countywide outreach program to attract more applicants to police agencies in Contra Costa County,

Negative perceptions of policing and the availability of less dangerous job opportunities contribute to fewer applicants for law enforcement positions.

Related Recommendations (1)

The Board of Supervisors should consider identifying funds to develop a countywide outreach program to attract more applicants to police agencies in Contra Costa County,

Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff’s Office) conducts its own recruiting program to attract potential applicants.

No recommendations for this finding

The process of hiring and training new officers takes an extensive amount of time and resources to complete.

No recommendations for this finding

F10

Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff’s Office) manages its own screening process for police officer positions, resulting in a replication of efforts across the County.

Related Recommendations (1)

The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, El Cerrito, Hercules, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek should consider identifying funds to study the cost/benefit of a countywide screening process for police officer positions, to avoid replication of these steps while allowing each city police department to select and evaluate candidates,

F11

Contra Costa cities that contract with the Sheriff for police services are generally able to fill vacancies faster than non-contract cities.

No recommendations for this finding

F12

Recruits and young officers have different expectations than in the past regarding work/life balance.

No recommendations for this finding

F13

Recruits and young officers’ expectations about work/life balance contribute to the challenges of officer recruiting and retention.

No recommendations for this finding

F14

Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs offered by Contra Costa police agencies aid retention of police officers.

No recommendations for this finding

Agency Responses 1

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

City of Walnut Creek

July 29, 2020 • 4 pages • 19 responses • Score: +7 (+11, 4, -4) View Details ▾

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19 responses to findings and recommendations

Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions present challenges in maintaining police services.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F2: Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions have resulted in reducing or eliminating staffing of traffic units, school resource officers, community outreach, or other police services. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F3: Due to low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions, officers are often required to put in mandatory overtime to cover critical services. Response: The City of Walnut Creek partially disagrees with this finding. The Walnut Creek Police Department is current...

The Board of Supervisors should consider identifying funds to develop a countywide outreach program to attract more applicants to police agencies in Contra Costa County,

Response: Will Not Implement

Score: -1

Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled positions present challenges in maintaining police services. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F2: Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions have resulted in reducing or eliminating staffing of traffic units, school resource officers, community outreach, or other police services. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F3: Due to low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions, officers are often required to put in mandatory overtime to cover critical services. Resp...

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F3: Due to low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions, officers are often required to put in mandatory overtime to cover critical services. Response: The City of Walnut Creek partially disagrees with this finding. The Walnut Creek Police Department is currently fully staffed and experiences very little mandatory overtime. However, this has not always been the case and we would agree with this finding if we were understaffed. 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 www.walnut-creek.org F4: Mandatory overtime can le...

Response: Will Not Implement

Score: -1

The recommendation will not be implemented. Each law enforcement agency in the county has their own unique standards and minimum qualifications. For example, some departments require only a high school diploma, while others require 60 college units or more. A single screening process for all applicants does not take into account the individual needs of varying Police Departments and communities within the county. The Sheriff, and the City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, R3: Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, ...

Due to low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions, officers are often required to put in mandatory overtime to cover critical services.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The City of Walnut Creek partially disagrees with this finding. The Walnut Creek Police Department is currently fully staffed and experiences very little mandatory overtime. However, this has not always been the case and we would agree with this finding if we were understaffed. 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 www.walnut-creek.org F4: Mandatory overtime can lead to officer stress, which creates retention challenges. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions may contribute to increased F5: average...

Response: Will Not Implement

Score: -1

Due to low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions, officers are often required to put in mandatory overtime to cover critical services. Response: The City of Walnut Creek partially disagrees with this finding. The Walnut Creek Police Department is currently fully staffed and experiences very little mandatory overtime. However, this has not always been the case and we would agree with this finding if we were understaffed. 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 www.walnut-creek.org F4: Mandatory overtime can lead to officer stress, which creates retention challenges....

Mandatory overtime can lead to officer stress, which creates retention challenges.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions may contribute to increased F5: average response times for Priority 1 (emergency) calls. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F6: Recruiting officers is challenging due to fewer applicants who meet the required hiring standards and complete the rigorous testing process. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F7: Negative perceptions of policing and the availability of less dangerous job opportunities contribute to fewer applicants ...

The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek should consider identifying funds to increase the number of authorized sworn officers to fill understaffed units, such as traffic patrol and school resource officers,

Response: Will Not Implement

Score: -1

The recommendation will not be implemented. The Walnut Creek Police Department is currently fully staffed. Further analysis to determine whether or not an increase to the number of authorized sworn officers is warranted is not practical given the current budgetary constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial considerations are not expected to improve in the current fiscal year. R5: The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ra...

Low officer staffing ratios and/or unfilled officer positions may contribute to increased average response times for Priority 1 (emergency) calls.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F6: Recruiting officers is challenging due to fewer applicants who meet the required hiring standards and complete the rigorous testing process. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F7: Negative perceptions of policing and the availability of less dangerous job opportunities contribute to fewer applicants for law enforcement positions. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F8: Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff's Office) conducts its own recruiting p...

Response: Implemented

Score: 0

The recommendation has been implemented. The City of Walnut Creek currently allows for the over-hiring of (4) officer positions above authorized staffing levels. Jay Hill, Police Captain, is available to answer any questions or provide any additional information concerning the above responses. You may reach him at (925) 256-3568 or by email at [email protected] The City Council approved this response at their July 21, 2020 regular meeting. Sincerely, Del Bulda Dan Buckshi, City Manager

Recruiting officers is challenging due to fewer applicants who meet the required hiring standards and complete the rigorous testing process.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F7: Negative perceptions of policing and the availability of less dangerous job opportunities contribute to fewer applicants for law enforcement positions. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F8: Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff's Office) conducts its own recruiting program to attract potential applicants. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. The process of hiring and training new officers takes an extensive amount of time and F9: resources to co...

Negative perceptions of policing and the availability of less dangerous job opportunities contribute to fewer applicants for law enforcement positions.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. F8: Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff's Office) conducts its own recruiting program to attract potential applicants. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. The process of hiring and training new officers takes an extensive amount of time and F9: resources to complete. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff's Office) F10: manages its own screening process for police officer pos...

Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff’s Office) conducts its own recruiting program to attract potential applicants.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. The process of hiring and training new officers takes an extensive amount of time and F9: resources to complete. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff's Office) F10: manages its own screening process for police officer positions, resulting in a replication of efforts across the County. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Contra Costa cities that contract with the Sheriff for police services are generally able to F11...

The process of hiring and training new officers takes an extensive amount of time and resources to complete.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Each Contra Costa police agency (except those that contract with the Sheriff's Office) F10: manages its own screening process for police officer positions, resulting in a replication of efforts across the County. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Contra Costa cities that contract with the Sheriff for police services are generally able to F11: fill vacancies faster than non-contract cities. Response: The City of Walnut Creek is not aware of the speed at which the Sheriff's Department of other non-contract cities a...

F10

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Contra Costa cities that contract with the Sheriff for police services are generally able to F11: fill vacancies faster than non-contract cities. Response: The City of Walnut Creek is not aware of the speed at which the Sheriff's Department of other non-contract cities are able to fill vacancies. Recruits and young officers have different expectations than in the past regarding F12: work/life balance. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Recruits and young officers' expectations about work/life balance contribute t...

F11

Contra Costa cities that contract with the Sheriff for police services are generally able to fill vacancies faster than non-contract cities.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek is not aware of the speed at which the Sheriff's Department of other non-contract cities are able to fill vacancies. Recruits and young officers have different expectations than in the past regarding F12: work/life balance. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Recruits and young officers' expectations about work/life balance contribute to the F13: challenges of officer recruiting and retention. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs offered by Contra Costa police agencies aid ...

F12

Recruits and young officers have different expectations than in the past regarding work/life balance.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Recruits and young officers' expectations about work/life balance contribute to the F13: challenges of officer recruiting and retention. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs offered by Contra Costa police agencies aid F14: retention of police officers. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. RECOMMENDATIONS: The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, El Cerrito, Hercules, R2: Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant H...

F13

Recruits and young officers’ expectations about work/life balance contribute to the challenges of officer recruiting and retention.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs offered by Contra Costa police agencies aid F14: retention of police officers. Response: The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. RECOMMENDATIONS: The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, El Cerrito, Hercules, R2: Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek should consider identifying funds to study the cost/benefit of a countywide screening process for police officer positions, to avoid replication of...

F14

Wellness and Employee Assistance Programs offered by Contra Costa police agencies aid retention of police officers.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The City of Walnut Creek agrees with this finding. RECOMMENDATIONS: The City/Town Councils of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, El Cerrito, Hercules, R2: Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek should consider identifying funds to study the cost/benefit of a countywide screening process for police officer positions, to avoid replication of these steps while allowing each city police department to select and evaluate candidates, by June 30, 2021. Response: The recommendation will not be implemented. Each law enforcement ...