The San Jose Police Department projects it’s staffing level of officers will be its lowest since 1985, according to a report the department prepared for City Council. At the rate offices are leaving, either through retirement, or because they can find a department elsewhere that will offer appropriate retirement and disability security, the force will dip below 1000 officers by the year 2017, for the first time in 30 years. Back then, there were 300,000 fewer people to protect.
Chief Larry Esquivel notes in the report that it’s been hard to keep officers from leaving the department, (according to the report, in part because of ongoing legal battles over pension and disability) and the academy program is challenged by a “lower qualified candidate pool.” What officer wants to work in a city where they may get seriously injured putting their life on the line and not be taken care of with appropriate disability coverage?
Since the $10-million set aside to fill open positions isn’t doing much good there, it’s being used to cover the massive overtime costs to keep patrol and 911 response at baseline levels in the face of the staffing shortage.
If Mayor-elect Liccardo continues the court fight to defend illegal pension reform, we see no improvement in sight.
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