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Fortuna police union reports nearly 3,000 overtime hours, urges action on retention
Summary
The president of the Fortuna Police Employees Association told the council the department had logged about 2,963 hours of overtime in a recent tracking period and described ongoing retention problems and upcoming retirements that could worsen staffing shortages.
Justin Primo Forey, president of the Fortuna Police Employees Association, updated the Fortuna City Council in public comment on the department's staffing and overtime trends, reporting the union had tracked a total of about 2,963 overtime hours since their initial June 29 tally and that an additional 826.25 overtime hours had been added since the prior update.
Primo Forey said the problem is one of retention rather than recruitment: since January 2020 the department has lost 13 personnel to other agencies or training-program attrition, and multiple officers will reach retirement eligibility in the next five years. He described the operational strain on remaining officers, saying members regularly work what amounts to an extra 20 hours per week, sometimes bringing children to dispatch areas when calls occur late at night.
Council members acknowledged the seriousness of the update and thanked the employees for speaking. One council member called the update 'not very pleasant.' No formal action was taken during that portion of public comment; council members said they would consider options discussed in prior meetings and follow up through staff channels.
Ending: Council members and staff said they will continue to examine staffing and retention approaches; no specific policy or budget action was decided at the meeting.
