Agencies respond to Grand Jury report

Responses discussed at BOS level, but not posted to web until June/July

LAKE COUNTY >> Even prior to COVID or the tragic death of George Floyd, four years ago, police in Lake County were scrambling to retain and recruit qualified candidates among the forces in the incorporated cities and census-designated areas.

Summed up the Lake County Civil Grand Jury 2022-2023 Final Report, the GJ found an 18 percent increase in resignations and a 45 percent increase in retirements over the prior year. But the report's authors deduced there was a solution, which is to “Grow Our Own” through a robust do it yourself mission to attain the numbers needed to maintain safety without busting the budget of any of the county's departments.

The Civil Grand Jury believes that with Grow Our Own, the county can reduce the amount of unfilled open positions. This program, which the CGJ proposes, offers the best opportunity to provide a ready pool of law enforcement talent. The CGJ arrived at this conviction during its original research on data as as well as testimony from interview subjects and archived documents. Recruiters for law enforcement had been meeting their targets for the previous five years. But one industry professional noted a recent trend, negatively impacting numbers.

“You've got a workforce that's being compressed on the front end, a drop in people who want to be cops, and on the other, you have a significant increase for resignations and retiring, 44 percent retirement increase, 18 percent increase in resignations, according to Chuck Wexler, Police Executive Research Forum president.

Recently, many whose character, academic training, and moral values make them excellent

law enforcement candidates have expressed whether they are genuinely committed to being on the policing staff. The successful curriculum in Lake County should provide an economic bridge for ages 18 to 21, allowing those residents to attain valuable exposure to law enforcement's multiple departments, said the CGJ. Successful candidates would have their Deputy Sheriff training time broadened by prior exposure received, and so have officer orientation time. substantially reduced, resulting in significant savings.

The CGJ's findings determined the following strategies to improve police recruitment:

F-1 Craft a recruitment plan reflecting the ethnicity and gender of the community. F-2 hosts pre-academy programs for teens and college students. F-3: Ask officers to contribute to recruitment. F-4 Update: promotional materials and outreach F-5: Assure background checks and department requirements dovetail with department needs. F-6: Place priority on training.

And there are a number of recommendations the CGJ also made:

R-1 Lake County establishes an Associate Community Officer program, scoping out college students under 21. offering a paid internship for 20 hours per week. R-2: The county will fund a part-time 20-hour/ week Sheriff Cadet program among 10 cadets for FY 2024, including: 20 hours a week, at $20 per hour, for five days per week, 52 weeks a year, per cost of $20,800 per candidate, for a total cost of $208,000. R-3 CGJ added that cadet candidates should mirror the community with regard to gender and ethnicity. The Board of Supervisors is required by Penal Code Statute 933.05 to respond within 90 days. while Lake County Sheriff should respond within 60 days of the CGJ-published report.

Responses to the for “Grow Your Own” section of the final report are not due to be posted to the Lake County website until June or July. Although discussion about various responses from the county's agencies have made it to the agenda of recent BOS meetings, the public isn't aware of the responses unless they engage with these forums. A copy was obtained through the Lake County Administrative Office.

Regarding Grow Your Own these were the responses from the county agencies: R-2, The board responded, that Lake County fund a part-time 20 hour per week Sheriff Cadet Program for 10- cadets for fiscal year 2024-2025, the projected cost is $208,000. They disagreed with the finding and noted that the recommendation will not be implemented.

Explanation: Pursuant to Penal Code Section933, this is the most appropriate response. Section 2-17 of the Lake County Code notes “… the setting of this policy … shall be by action of the Board of Supervisors with implementation through the Department Heads. Implementing a specific training program within Lake County Sheriff's Office is under the purview of the Sheriff. If such a request brought forth through the 2024-2025 budget process, it will be given due consideration.”

The Sheriff's Office view of Grow Your Own, also accessible through the Admin Office, noted that Lake County establishes an Associate Community Officer program targeting defined prospects and college students between the ages of 18 through 21, and provide a paid internship (no benefits) for 20 hours a week. They agreed with the finding and noted that recommendation has already been implemented. Agency officials noted: “Although we don't have a position in the county titled Associate Community Officer, we are already currently actively recruiting students not only in our community college, but in colleges throughout the state. We also already have part time positions, available training positions available (that require no education or experience beyond a high school diploma) and would welcome those interested in internship through a part time position.”

According to Chief of Police Brad Rasmussen in the City of Lakeport, recruitment in law enforcement has been a priority over the past 10 years. “We were losing an average of two to three officers per year, with most of them moving to higher paying police jobs in other counties,” he said. “Yet we did lose a couple of officers who left policing for private sector jobs. Eight years ago, we started focusing on the local recruitment of people from our community.”

He added, “This has been successful, and now about 70% of our officers are local people who we paid to send them to the police training. In 2022, the city council authorized a police recruitment and retention policy over the past year. This policy has been successful in bringing our police department to full staffing in 2023, where we currently remain.”

Rasmassen noted a diminished pool of candidates for sworn police officers several years ago.

He explained Lakeport is not unique, as agencies locally, statewide, and nationally are contending with the same shortage. So, the city council authorized City Manager Ingram to implement staffing at optimal levels. A policy goal is to enhance the city's ability to fill vacancies when the city has difficulty obtaining a qualified applicant pool. Meanwhile, hiring incentives are provided to successful applicants who are hired as police officers. A referral award is provided to an employee who makes a successful referral. The city manager is authorized to create a hiring incentive bonus, which shall not exceed $10,000 per candidate and are subject to available funding. And there is academy reimbursement, in which the city manager has discretion to reimburse a successful candidate for the POST-approved academy costs.

With the submission of receipts, a candidate is eligible for up to $6,000 in reimbursement for academy costs. It can be up to $1,500 and shall be paid to a current full-time City employee who refers an applicant as a Police Officer I/II/ III, a Police Sergeant, or a Police Detective.