Baldwin Park committee approves Measure BP funding for two community service officers

The Baldwin Park Stakeholders Oversight Committee voted unanimously May 13 to allocate Measure BP funds to create two Community Service Officer (CSO) positions and to purchase associated vehicles, adopting a revised total of $607,372.

The committee approved the funding after staff told members a one-time purchase of vehicles—rather than leasing—was financially preferable under current market conditions and that corrected benefit estimates increased the total cost. The committee’s action covers the CSO positions, initial equipment and vehicle costs, and a 10% contingency included in the revised staff report.

Committee staff said buying vehicles made more sense given anticipated long service lives. Enrique (staff member) told the committee the purchase “saves the city money” because vehicles are typically retained and well maintained by departments. The revised total—$607,372—reflects corrected per-position benefits and a contingency added after a second revision was posted the morning of the meeting.

Police department leadership described the CSO job scope and training. The Police Chief said CSOs will be assigned to parks and other field duties, will handle nonemergency reports and location checks, and “they will have arrest powers as well,” noting CSOs will receive academy training on arrests and use-of-force so they can book individuals directly when appropriate.

Members asked for and received operational clarifications: staff said CSOs would likely work staggered shifts (roughly mid-morning into evening) to increase park coverage and handle nonemergency workload, freeing sworn officers for other duties. Staff also committed to establishing a baseline of calls for service at park locations and reporting comparisons once the CSOs are deployed.

Public speakers during the meeting urged the committee to prioritize park improvements and other community needs alongside public-safety spending. One resident, who identified longstanding concerns about Walnut Creek Park, asked the committee to “enhance the city” with awnings and park repairs rather than focusing only on public-safety equipment. Another commenter, Greg Tuttle, said he found the CSO proposal “totally absurd,” raising questions about cost, hours and whether private security could be used instead.

The committee made the motion and voted by roll call. Member Hernandez, Member Martha Carcamo, Member Orozco, Member Rodriguez, Member Nguyen, Vice Chair Jackson and Chair Lara all voted yes; the motion passed. The committee did not record a named mover or seconder on the audio transcript.

Staff directions: the committee approved the funding package as described in the revised staff report and directed staff to return with (a) corrected unit costs in the record, (b) a baseline report of park-related calls for service to allow later comparison, and (c) at least annual status reports on CSO operations and fiscal impacts.