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Lodi chiefs seek more officers, support staff and say ALS, new training facility are advancing; ambassador program to move to police
Summary
Police and fire chiefs told council they need added sworn officers, civilian support and inspectors to maintain staffing and expand service, and described progress on ALS and a May 26 groundbreaking for a White Slough training facility; staff proposed reallocating the ambassador/security contract savings to fund a police Community Liaison Officer (CLO).
Police Chief Garcia reported the department has 80 allotted sworn positions and is at 79 on paper, but noted many recruits are in training so the number of active "working bodies" is lower; he asked for eight additional sworn officers and several support positions (two CSOs, an animal shelter admin position and staff for a real‑time information/camera center) to sustain proactive policing and specialized assignments.
"We can function and still provide services and make sure people are safe," Garcia said, "but we need additional staffing to maintain and continue to address a problem and not have it repeat itself." He described cadets, academy timelines and field‑training slots that create a lag between hiring and a fully productive officer.
Fire Chief Johnson said suppression capabilities meet minimum standards but administrative and prevention staffing needs remain; he requested a deputy chief of administration and additional inspectors to support fire prevention, and reported that the ALS rollout is underway (Engine 1 declared ALS Sept. 15 and the department plans to expand ALS staffing and engine companies over the next 18 months).
On staffing training, James said the city will partner with Delta College on the White Slough Public Safety Training Facility, with a ceremonial groundbreaking scheduled for May 26. The facility is being phased so the city takes the first, less infrastructure‑heavy component and Delta College will lead later classroom/building phases.
On the ambassador/security program, staff proposed amending the contract with A1 Security to remove the ambassador scope and reallocate the resulting savings to the Police Department to add a CLO FTE; staff will present a midyear budget adjustment next week to formalize the reallocation.
