Santa Paula Likely to Keep Its Own Police Force

Following a raucous public hearing marked by angry protests, Santa Paula’s city manager said Thursday the city would probably forgo contracting with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and retain its own police agency.

Dozens of residents waving colorful “Keep Santa Paula Police” signs jammed a special City Council meeting Wednesday night to lodge protests against dismantling the department. They took turns praising Police Chief Bob Gonzales and his officers for their service to the community.

On Thursday, City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said it was evident the people wanted to keep their own department. “I heard loud and clear people’s support for the Police Department,” he said. “We’re very likely moving forward with the department based on what I heard last night.”

The council recently commissioned a $22,500 sheriff’s study after an audit of Santa Paula’s 31-officer department in January concluded it was an inefficient and underfunded agency.

Although Bobkiewicz said the council would ultimately decide the future of law enforcement operations in the city, there was little doubt officials would place a tax measure on the November ballot asking for increased police funding.

Exactly what type of initiative the council chooses to pursue is undecided, but Bobkiewicz said Thursday that a utility tax was possible.

He also said the city has hired a polling firm to survey 400 residents in June to gauge their support for a tax measure.

In his comments Wednesday night, Mayor Gabino Aguirre told the crowd of about 100 that the council had made no final decisions on police services and was simply gathering information on how best to serve the city’s 30,000 residents. Whatever action it decides upon, Aguirre said, it is clear more money is needed to bolster law enforcement services.

“In order for us to provide the best service for the community, you’re going to have to go into your wallets and pull out some money,” he said.

An additional $2.3 million a year is needed to bolster the Police Department’s current $4.2-million budget to achieve adequate funding levels, according to the audit. The extra money is needed to purchase new equipment and offer more competitive salaries to officers, who are among the lowest-paid in the region.

According to Sheriff’s Capt. Cheryl Wade, who presented the 50-page study to the council, Santa Paula could contract with her department for basic law enforcement services for about $5 million a year, which includes $350,000 in one-time start-up costs.

What Wade and Sheriff Bob Brooks could not promise the council was whether all existing police officers would retain their jobs, whether they would transfer into his department at the same level or rank, and if the overall contract costs would remain steady.

Wade said the basic services contract would keep the same number of officers -- about 16 -- on the street each day, but would dramatically reduce the number of dispatchers and personnel staff members.

She also said the contract costs could jump 14% during the 2004-05 fiscal year, contingent on upcoming budget decisions by the county Board of Supervisors.

The new fiscal year begins July 1.

“I haven’t been very good at predicting what the Board of Supervisors will do,” Brooks said in response to questions about possible cost hikes.

The sheriff told the council and residents that he was not trying to “sell the city” on the plan and that merely drafting the study was difficult because the police chief is a friend.

On Thursday, Gonzales said his department provided good protection for the city but could do even better with more funding.

“[The city manager] saw first-hand, as did the council, the desire of the community to maintain their own local police department,” Gonzales said. “It was very telling.”

During Wednesday night’s public hearing, the police chief reminded the council that crime in the city had dropped to 30-year lows.

Resident John Wisda said the city had failed to properly fund the force during the last decade and that it was time it did. Without adequate funding, Wisda said, Gonzales was predestined to struggle with maintaining adequate equipment and technology.

“The Police Department, in some ways, has been set up on this,” Wisda said.

A town hall meeting to further discuss the sheriff’s study, a potential public safety tax initiative and another proposal to contract with the county’s Fire Department has been scheduled for the city’s Community Center on May 20.