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POST faces nearly $11 million reduction in 2025–26 budget; six vacant positions targeted
Summary
The governor’s May budget revision instructs POST to cut about $11.1 million for FY 2025–26, largely from operational savings and by keeping six vacant positions unfilled, POST staff said. Leaders said training delivery to the field should not be affected but staff reductions will be concentrated in agency support and the accountability division.
The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) said Thursday that the May revision to the governor’s budget will reduce the commission’s 2025–26 budget by about $11.1 million, or roughly 9.94 percent.
Tom Osborne, POST’s assistant executive director, briefed the commission on the change during a fiscal‑items presentation. He said the reduction combines two categories: ongoing salary/vacancy savings tied to control‑section direction on vacant positions and a broader cut to state operations. Under POST’s plan, the agency will absorb the reduction by not filling six long‑vacant positions (producing approximately $1.79 million in ongoing salary savings) and by reducing about $9.33 million in operational spending, including lower projected outside counsel and Office of Administrative Hearings expenses.
Osborne said the larger operational reductions reflect lower anticipated invoices for outside counsel and administrative hearings than previously budgeted and that those adjustments explain much of the total reduction without cutting training delivery to the field. Executive Director Manny Alvarez said the agency does not foresee cuts to frontline training of peace officers and dispatchers, and he emphasized that contractual language has been added to require training providers to fill POST‑reserved seats so more classes run at cost‑efficient capacity.
Staff acknowledged the reductions will be felt mainly in support operations and in the POST accountability division; Alvarez said that roughly 215 full‑time positions are on board now, the agency’s full‑staffing target is about 263 positions, and historical additions have been in the range of 15–20 new employees per year. Osborne said the agency hopes to maintain training delivery levels by requiring higher fill rates in contract courses and by shifting internal resources.
Why it matters: POST administers training standards and certification for tens of thousands of peace officers in California. Reductions in filing, hearings, and administrative support could slow some accountability processes or extend backlogs if not managed carefully; POST leaders said they will prioritize training delivery and try to avoid service impacts to the field.
What’s next: Staff said they will provide updates to commissioners on staffing outcomes and on any additional operational impacts as budget actions firm up in late summer and at the September commission meeting.
