Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arvin police dispatchers, officers urge council to address staffing and pay amid heavy workloads
Summary
Multiple Arvin Police Department dispatchers and officers told the City Council they are short-staffed, working long hours and at risk of leaving; union leaders and an investigator warned investigators would be reassigned to patrol if departures continue. The city said it will follow up with staffing numbers.
At the Arvin City Council meeting, multiple members of the Arvin Police Department urged the city to address chronic staffing shortages and noncompetitive pay, saying the shortfalls are affecting dispatch operations and complex investigations.
"Please remember that we are the ones you call on your worst day," said Karina, who identified herself as a public safety dispatcher with the Arvin Police Department. She told the council the department currently operates as a "solo dispatcher agency" with one dispatcher per shift and said some colleagues have worked 60 to 72 hours in a week to cover vacancies. "The stress, frustration, and burnout is the worst that I have seen in the 12 years that I have been at the department," she said.
Vicente Madrona, who introduced himself as president of the Auburn Police Officers Association, said both unions are in negotiations with the city and urged officials to open a line of communication about expenses, revenues and grant opportunities. "We are overworked because we're very short staffed," Madrona said, citing overtime and recruitment challenges.
Armando Pantoja, a city investigator, warned that losing experienced officers would harm the city's ability to complete complex cases such as child abuse and sexual assault investigations. "As we continue to lose people, this will directly affect us as investigators because we will be forced to go back to patrol," Pantoja said.
Officer Jose Gonzalez, who said he has been with the department nearly three years, said he enjoys the work but may seek employment elsewhere if pay and benefits do not improve: "I'm actually thinking of applying out to a different agency just because, you know, other departments are doing the same job as me, but getting paid more." Several speakers said the department is engaged in negotiations and that some officers are already pursuing transfers.
City staff acknowledged the concerns and said they took notes during public comment and will follow up with the council after coordinating with the chief. "We will provide city council with an update based off of what we heard tonight," a staff member said.
What happens next: The council directed staff to gather and report staffing numbers and related data so members can evaluate recruitment, retention, overtime and budget implications. No formal action or policy change was adopted at the meeting.
