Salinas police chief outlines staffing shortfalls, recruitment push and youth programs

Salinas Police Chief Carlos Acosta told the Police Community Advisory Committee on July 23 that the department is actively recruiting to fill several vacant sworn and civilian positions, expanding community engagement and youth programs, and emphasizing officer wellness and crisis‑intervention training.

Acosta said the department is authorized for 161 sworn positions and currently has 144 filled; seven recruits are in the police academy and the department reports 13 current openings (four of those positions are frozen). Professional staff count is 44 with 11 positions to hire. Acosta explained that, after accounting for recruits in the academy and personnel on light duty, the number of fully trained officers available for duty is lower: he cited a fully trained on‑duty figure of about 114.

Staffing and recruitment: Acosta said the department has hired seven lateral candidates since his November appointment and is running outreach efforts including oral‑board assessment events, attendance at community career days and partnerships with local media to boost recruiting. He said…