Assembly Approves Sen. Dodd’s Vallejo Public Safety Bill

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced today the Assembly has unanimously approved his legislation that would help address chronic police staffing shortages in Vallejo by allowing qualified, retired law enforcement officers to work up to full-time for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, providing the additional deputies needed to aid Vallejo during the staffing emergency.

“Today we take a big step toward addressing Vallejo’s public safety needs by allowing retired deputies to work more hours for the Sheriff’s Office,” Sen. Dodd said. “These seasoned, retired professionals bring a wealth of training and experience, enhancing public safety, while saving taxpayers money. It’s a smart way to address this vexing problem and protect our community.”

The Vallejo Police Department has become severely understaffed, prompting the city council to declare a local emergency.  The department is authorized to have 132 sworn officers for the city of 123,000 people but is down to 62, with just 36 officers assigned to the patrol division. On average, it takes up to two years to recruit and train new officers. A cost-effective interim solution is to use retired deputies and other law enforcement officers. However, existing law prevents them from working more than 960 hours per year, leaving gaps in staffing.

In response, Sen. Dodd introduced Senate Bill 1379, which allows qualified retirees to exceed the 960-hour limit for the next three years. The waiver would also apply to dispatchers and evidence technicians. The bill would allow Solano County Sheriff’s Office to respond to more emergency calls in Vallejo by giving them the necessary deputies to do so. The state has previously allowed retired employees to meet urgent staffing needs with similar exemptions.

SB 1379 is supported by the Vallejo City Council, Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara, Solano County Deputy Sheriffs Association, the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce and the California State Sheriff’s Association. It was approved earlier this week in a unanimous, bipartisan Assembly vote. It heads next to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature following a Senate concurrence vote.

“I would like to thank Sen. Dodd for addressing the dire need for help in Vallejo,” Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara said. “This important change will help us ensure the appropriate staffing levels for community safety.”

“The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to have SB1379 approved by the Senate Committee,” said Shawna Gilroy, the chamber’s president and CEO. “We are in full support of bringing back retired officers that are willing to continue to serve. With the state of emergency in Vallejo we welcome the help to provide more protection and safety to our businesses, residents and community. The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce will continue to support our emergency services personnel in an effort to make our community the best it can be.”

###

Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. More information on Senator Bill Dodd can be found at www.senate.ca.gov/dodd.