VALLEJO, Calif. (KRON) – The Vallejo police union says that citizens are endangered by the city’s failure to hire police. Specifically, they’re saying there are not enough cops to cover all beats on a regular basis.
The POA says, for ten years the city has had open positions and because the force is consistently shorthanded “there are generally no more than six officers on the street at any given time in a city of over 120-thousand.”
This puts Vallejo well below cities like Oakland and Richmond and the shortage forces officers to work overtime which causes fatigue and “adversely impacts citizen safety.”
“I don’t think because you are tired and overworked that you then not be held accountable for abuse. It’s very significant that officers treat all citizens constitutionally whether they are overworked or not,” Civil Rights attorney John Burris said.
Burris has sued Vallejo police for wrongful death in the police shooting of Sean Monterrosa. He says while more police officers may be needed to patrol the city, understaffing is not an excuse for officers crossing the line and using excessive force.
“It doesn’t allow for unlawful shooting or arrests, and there still should be some accountability,” Burris added.
Vallejo police says recruiting and hiring is a top priority of the new chief. While only 105 of the 122 funded positions are currently filled, 13 candidates are now being reviewed. The city has also received a federal grant meaning they now have funding for eight additional officers. They’ve reached out to the CHP asking for eight officers to help with patrols.
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from KRON4 https://ift.tt/3gJ0HJn
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