Police union makes case for its survival
CALEXICO — A show of support was evident among the more than 50 people that showed up Wednesday to a Calexico Police Officers Association town hall meeting that argued against its potential disbandment as a result of the city’s latest proposed cost-saving measures.
As the meeting came to a close, one of the department’s most impassioned supporters called for a citizens committee to be formed in order to coordinate efforts in support of the beleaguered department.
“I volunteer for that committee and ask others to join,” said Suzanna Fuentes. “We need a plan of action immediately.”
Throughout the one-hour meeting, other local residents in attendance voiced similar reservations about the possible disbandment of the Police Department and the possibility of having the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office provide police services for the city of about 40,000.
Newly elected Councilman Bill Hodge also spoke up in favor of the department, citing its history and its deep connections to the citizenry.
He also questioned whether the city was truly vested in ensuring the department’s survival, since it seems to continue to balk at hiring more officers for the understaffed department.
“You’re being set up to fail,” Hodge said.
Monday’s town hall meeting, which the CPOA indicated was the first in a series of scheduled community forums, was prompted by the City Council’s vote Nov. 16 to authorize City Manager Armando Villa to identify alternatives to the city’s police and public safety services.
Villa had previously indicated that the so-called feasibility study was needed in order to identify alternatives that could help stem increasing salary and benefit expenditures associated with the city’s police and fire departments, which at times accounted for up to 75 percent of the city’s $17 million general fund budget.
Citing ongoing salary and benefit negotiations with the CPOA, Villa declined to comment.
Hoping to appeal to the citizens’ financial well-being, CPOA officials provided information that suggested the city would incur higher costs if it were to contract with ICSO for police services.
Preliminary numbers obtained by the CPOA through a public records request from the city and the County Executive’s Office revealed an initial annual expense of $7.2 million, which includes a $1.3 million start-up cost and $5.9 in salaries for four deputies and a supervisor, CPOA officials said.
In contrast, the Police Department has of late been operating with a $5.2 million annual budget and a total staff of 23 sworn officers, which is considerably less than the 48 officers a city the size of Calexico should ideally have, CPOA officials said.
“It’s like they almost want us to dwindle down to where we get to a point where the takeover is inevitable,” said CPOA President Sean Acuña.
Union officials have also expressed bewilderment with the City Council’s recent decision to turn down the CPOA’s fiscal concessions that amounted to $573,000, an amount that exceeded the city’s requested $560,000, said Officer Peter West.
Citizens were also advised that the city would incur hefty expenses associated with having to pay out laid off officers’ accrued vacation and sick time, as well as additional monies to the state retirement system, West said.
“It’s going to cost a good amount of money to let the Police Department go,” he said.
Currently, the CPOA is awaiting word from city officials countering the union’s proposed fiscal concessions, but have reason to believe city officials are not really interested in reaching a deal with the CPOA, West said.
Based on information obtained through a public records request, preliminary talks between the city and the county suggest any potential formal agreement regarding police services may not materialize for a few months.
“Hopefully we can strike some kind of deal before then,” Acuna said.
Also in attendance on Monday night was Sheriff Ray Loera, who commended the CPOA and the citizenry for gathering to discuss such a topic of extreme significance.
Loera also took time to clarify the scope and intent any potential contractual ICSO presence in the city may have.
Contrary to previously made statements by the CPOA, ICSO deputies are able to investigate driving under the influence incidents, Loera said.
He also ensured those present that a supervisor would be assigned full-time to the city so as not to allow any neglect of sensitive matters and longstanding issues even if assigned deputies were to eventually rotate out of Calexico.
Ultimately, he acknowledged that the citizens are within their rights to demand the continued services of its Police Department, and that he was expecting nothing less from Calexico residents.
“That’s why I’m here today,” he said. “I want to listen to what people have to say.”