Contract 1st Step to Rebuilding Police

Fueled by a rebounding economy and rising tourist trade, Garden Grove is about to embark on a major campaign to boost its sagging Police Department, which has been battered by staffing shortages and an exodus of officers over the last few years.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on a new three-year police contract Tuesday, a move that city officials and police officers believe is a solid first step in turning around a department struggling with the fewest number of officers per capita in the county.

“We are rebuilding the department,” said Capt. Dave Abrecht, a police spokesman. “Now the economy is better, and the city’s redevelopment efforts are providing more income in the city, and we have a lot of hope of making things better than they were.”

Officers said the vote comes at a key time. The force has gutted its upper ranks to maintain numbers of police officers on the streets, but suffered low morale and overworked officers as a result.

“Garden Grove is historically the lowest-staffed [police department] in Orange County,” acknowledged City Manager George Tindall. “When you have people working harder with less benefits than their peers, it adds frustration after a while.”

Officials said part of the fattened police budget is possible because of more tourism, which has been helped by redevelopment around Disneyland. The new contract would increase salaries more than 8% and boost retirement benefits, as well as add officers to the force. It eventually would cost the city $2 million more annually than the present $24-million budget.

If passed, union officials said, it could stem the threatened departure of 23 of the city’s 152 officers, many of whom are being recruited by higher-paying departments within the county.

Tension between the city and its Police Department began about four years ago, when Garden Grove was forced by the recession and cuts in federal funding to eliminate jobs across City Hall. The force instituted a policy of attrition, according to Mark Hutchinson, the police union’s president, eliminating positions as officers retired or left the department.

At the time, the department had 175 officers. Now it is down to 152, giving it a ratio of less than 1 police officer for 1,000 residents. At one point, even the popular DARE anti-drug program was at risk for cuts.

Hutchinson said officers were understanding of the cuts at first, but grew resentful after the city refused to increase pay despite its improving finances. Contract negotiations were bitter and contentious, with talks for the present temporary contract lasting a year.

“[City officials] were always stating that they don’t have any money. When times were bad we understood, but financially, this city is so sound now and has been for years. We thought that it’s time they thank the police officers for the job that they’re doing,” he said.

Despite the lower number of police officers, serious crimes have dropped about 40% in the last 10 years, Abrecht said.

The new focus on the Police Department comes during a boom in Garden Grove business.

The city spent $250 million on improvements along Harbor Boulevard, betting tourism dollars from an expanded Disneyland would boost its revenue. Now, there are six new hotels at various stages of construction or completion along that road. They may bring increased crime, as well as visiting families concerned with safety.

“We don’t want to get in a situation where there’s not enough police to cover tourist crime,” Hutchinson said.

Even with the proposed contract, rebuilding the department may be easier said than done. There is a nationwide shortage of police officers, Abrecht said, with fewer people wanting government jobs during economic booms.

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Times staff writer Jack Leonard contributed to this story.