Full West Marin patrols restored
Deputy night watches were cut because of budget, other issues
Deputies are back on the night watch in West Marin now that the sheriff’s department has restored round-the-clock patrols.
The patrol team dedicated to the coast was reduced by half last summer amid staffing shortages and the political controversy over law enforcement budgeting. As a result, the staff operating from the Point Reyes Station office was trimmed to four deputies with shifts between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.
But as of Sunday, eight deputies have been assigned to the substation, reestablishing the agency’s longstanding all-hours coverage there.
“We never said this was going to be a permanent action,” Sheriff Bob Doyle said. “It had to do some with budget cuts, but it came at a time when, people didn’t realize, but we had people who were on disability, sick, retirements, oth
ers in training and those kinds of things.”
Doyle said the sheriff’s office was understaffed by about 18 deputies. In addition, the Board of Supervisors approved a budget — amid calls by demonstrators to cut the department’s funding — that froze four deputy positions and two dispatcher positions.
“We’ve had a few trainees come through and our staffing is getting back to normal,” Doyle said, noting there are 40 active deputies in the patrol division, up from 35 in August.
Deputies were still covering West Marin between the hours of 11 p.m. and 11 a.m. during the staff reduction, they were just not stationed there, Sgt. Brenton Schneider said. The closest deputy, either in Novato or San Rafael, was assigned to those emergencies.
“Luckily, there was not a major incident,” said Will Mitchell, a firefighter and board member of the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District.
“As we get into the warmer weather and the traffic and crowds return to the coast, it’s really essential to have that public safety resource,” Mitchell said. “I’m incredibly pleased to see the 24-hour staffing back. The role that the sheriff’s office plays in West Marin is really important.”
Doyle said it was a priority to return the West Marin patrols by the summer for that reason.
“It’s what people have become accustomed to,” Doyle said. “Really, it’s staffed because the geographical area served is so big, and the distance between central and West Marin.”
When the staffing reduction was announced last summer, county Supervisor Dennis Rodoni at the time said he was unaware that West Marin patrols were being affected. Shortly after, he and Doyle held a community forum and agreed to have better communication between each other and residents.
“I am pleased that full staffing has returned to the Point Reyes Station sheriff substation in time for spring and summer visitation,” Rodoni said. “Overall, it is also great to see new patrol officers being available to fill the vacant positions from this year’s budget.”
The sheriff’s office budget for fiscal year 2020-21 was $74.3 million, which included $1.6 million in increases to pay for contractnegotiated salary and benefit raises. The budget cut was $1.7 million.
Bret Uppendahl, the county’s budget manager, said that as part of the budget development process for 2021-22, supervisors approved a budget reduction in November that equaled about $1.8 million for the sheriff’s department.
Staffers are finalizing budget proposals, which are expected to be presented for consideration in June, he said.