OROVILLE — A grand jury report released Friday found the city of Oroville’s budget woes have led to understaffed police and fire departments, low morale and job uncertainty.
The 2017-18 Butte County Grand Jury concluded that the city “needs additional revenue sources” that should be used specifically for bolstering the Department of Public Safety, including hiring and retaining sworn police officers, fire personnel, equipment and “other necessities for the overall general public safety and the citizens of the City of Oroville.”
Because of years of dwindling revenue, the panel found, the city and its Public Safety Department “is deficient in providing services to the community.”
The Oroville Police Department has a staff of 17 sworn officers, including eight patrol officers, for a city population of 19,900. Grand Jury investigators noted that is fewer officers than the staff of 22 in 1973, when the city’s population was 7,550.
The panel wrote that, during most hours, the Police Department has “only” two patrol officers and a police sergeant on duty. The department relies heavily on help from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office for backup to meet the department’s daily call volume — help that the city of Oroville is unable to reciprocate in kind.
“With only eight sworn patrol officers for a city with an expanding population and a growing crime rate, this creates undue hardship on employees and community alike,” according to the report. “Due to reduced staffing, sworn officers must work overtime. In 1973, there were 2.8 sworn officers for every 1,000 residents. Today, there is less than one sworn officer per 1,000 residents.”
Further, according to the grand jury’s report, the Police Department faces challenges recruiting and retaining officers because of low pay, decreasing benefit packages and resources, and uncertain job security.
“As an example, the OPD uniform allowance is $720 annually, compared to city of Chico with $900 and town of Paradise with $930,” according to the report. “In addition, patrol cars are not equipped with computers, requiring sworn officers to return to the station to write reports, thus taking officers off the streets.”
The panel found a similar staffing shortfall at the Oroville Fire Department, which has a staff of 16 and operates “only one engine with two or three personnel,” which is below the minimum standard of two engines staffed by two people each set by the National Fire Protection Association.
“This shortfall leaves the community without sufficient resources to respond to emergency calls safely and effectively,” according to the report, which added, “Due to the staffing deficiencies of one engine with two to three personnel, the OFD relies heavily on the Butte County Fire Department, El Medio Fire Protection District, and neighboring fire entities for coverage.”
Grand Jury investigators wrote that pay and personnel cuts have been an ongoing issue in the city since at least 2013.
“With revenues declining and no resolution in sight, along with reduced staffing levels, the employees and citizen of Oroville are negatively impacted,” according to the report.
Among its recommendations, the jurors suggested identifying, obtaining and earmarking new revenue this year specifically for public safety, merging the El Medio Fire Protection District with the Oroville Fire Department and holding several town hall meetings focusing on public safety through next June.
The panel’s investigation of Oroville’s police and fire departments was one of eight topics included in its final report released Friday. Others included a closer look at the city of Oroville’s budget problems, and investigations of the Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector Department and the road maintenance division of the Butte County Public Works.
June 15, 2018
Chico Enterprise-Record
By Andre Byik
No comments:
Post a Comment