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Council hears request to budget an additional patrol deputy; members ask for data and budget timing
Summary
Councilmembers discussed a request to budget for one additional patrol deputy to close staffing gaps, with proponents citing vacancies, overtime costs and a multi‑year recruitment timeline; members asked for crime data and confirmed any hiring should proceed through the budget process with follow‑up in January.
A councilmember asked the council to consider budgeting for an additional patrol deputy for Riverbank Police Services, saying recurring vacancies and swing‑shift gaps leave the city short‑staffed and limit proactive enforcement and outreach.
The presenter said the department currently operates with 10 patrol deputies across shifts, has experienced hundreds of vacancy instances this year and that additional deputies would reduce vulnerabilities during shift transitions, lower overtime costs and help address retail theft and traffic enforcement. The presenter said the fully‑loaded cost with benefits ranges approximately from $140,000 to $185,000 per deputy per year and that recruitment and training commonly take two to three years.
Councilmembers and staff agreed the issue required more detailed data before a fiscal commitment: requests included recent crime trends, time‑of‑day incident patterns, vacancy statistics, and how additional staffing would fit into the five‑year strategic plan. Multiple councilmembers supported bringing the topic back on a future agenda and incorporating it into the upcoming budget cycle in January/February so the request can be evaluated alongside other departmental priorities.
Several members of the public, including Michael Christie and a written commenter (Madi Cris Garza), offered support for additional officers and urged the council to prioritize public safety as the city grows. Council ultimately did not authorize immediate hiring outside the budget process but left open staff follow‑up and a presentation in January to prepare for budget deliberations.
