Stanton Vote Could Decide Fate of Police Department

In a vote that could determine the fate of their police department, Stanton residents will decide Tuesday whether to accept a special property tax earmarked for police protection services.

Mayor Sal Sapien said this week the city is studying a proposal to dismantle its police force and contract with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for police services to cut costs. He said he supports the special tax proposed in Measure G on Tuesday’s ballot because he wants the city to retain its own police force.

He said an “exploratory” offer from the sheriff’s department to provide police services for the community is on hold until after the election.

“Right now, I think everybody is waiting to see what happens with Measure G,” Sapien said. “After the election, we’ll take a position.”

Fire Dept. Disbanded

This year, Stanton disbanded its fire department after it was learned that it would have had to pay an additional $1 million within three years to buy sorely needed emergency equipment. Fire protection is provided through the Orange County Fire Department.

If passed, Measure G would generate $353,000 for police services. Should two-thirds of the city’s voters approve the measure, the tax would be assessed annually as follows: $18 for a mobile home, $24 for a single-family residence, $75 for a vacant lot and $300 for a commercial or industrial lot.

The measure was proposed as a “feeler” to gauge whether residents want to continue supporting their own police department, city officials said.

It was initiated by the City Council during sensitive labor talks. Many believe the measure was offered to help mollify the police department’s poorly paid rank-and-file members who were dissatisfied with their new labor contract.

But the police have not mounted a campaign. Their only show of support has come from a few luncheon speeches, said David Duchrow, the Stanton police officers association’s Santa Monica-based attorney.

Stanton police officers’ monthly salaries range from $2,264 to $2,752, which makes them the lowest-paid in Orange County, according to a survey released by the California League of Cities in August.

Stanton officers wanted a 10% pay raise when their contract expired July 1. The city countered with a wage and benefit package amounting to a 7% increase. The officers rejected the city’s offer, but the council voted to implement it anyway.

City Manager Jim Buell said the City Council asked the sheriff’s department to submit a proposal on the cost of contracting for police services. Buell said the cost embodied in the proposal was far less than the $2.8 million annually now needed to operate Stanton’s police department.

While council members maintained that the new tax measure could help hire more police officers, raise salaries or buy new equipment, city officials are not certain where the money would be spent, Buell said.

“The council has not made a determination as to how or where the money will be utilized,” Buell said.

Police Chief Robert Eason said more money is needed to keep pace with Stanton’s growth if residents want to keep a high level of police protection. But Eason has not actively campaigned or taken an official position on Measure G. He said he is prevented from campaigning on the measure because he is a city official.

Eason noted the city’s population of 27,800 has increased by a third in the last 10 years. But the department only has 32 sworn officers, “fewer officers than we had 10 years ago,” he said.