Vallejo police shortage a "state of emergency," outside agencies to be called in to help
SOLANO COUNTY -- It's not your everyday police emergency; this time, the call for help is coming from inside the department.
A state of emergency has been declared for one East Bay Area police department, now able to put the call out for help to neighboring agencies. It's all thanks to crippling staffing shortages.
The Vallejo Police Department told CBS13 that deputies from agencies like the Solano County Sheriff's Office, Napa County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol will get the call as soon as this week to divert help to Vallejo as needed.
"This proclamation, it's going to allow certain things to happen a little bit quicker," said interim Vallejo Police Chief Jason Ta, asking the city council to vote in favor of the emergency declaration.
With more than 50 open officer positions, the emergency is the last resort.
"It could mean looking at other ways to police our cities using other law enforcement agencies," Ta said.
It comes as our region deals with staffing shortages of its own.
"In Stockton, we are relying on other agencies to help us as well," said Jeremiah Skaggs, vice president of the Stockton Police Officer Association.
Skaggs said its staffing shortages are the worst they've been in a decade.
"We're going to lose 14 officers per year in age-based retirement alone. We are not hiring and retaining 14 officers a year at current pace. We are not even keeping up with age-based retirements," Skaggs said.
He added that the fix to the shortages starts with paying officers better and offering better working conditions.
"It's a complete oversight by the city to focus narrowly on recruiting and not discuss at all retention as the number 1 issue," said Skaggs.
It's a widespread Northern California crisis as cops shop around for better pay and hours at other departments.
"Would you at any point think that Stockton needed to do something similar like this state of emergency?" CBS13 reporter Ashley Sharp asked.
"That would help today, but it doesn't help tomorrow," Skaggs said.
It's a Band-Aid to a bigger problem as departments call for help.
The Solano County Sheriff's Office and CHP's Solano branch both confirmed to CBS13 on Wednesday that they have not officially been asked to step in and help in the city of Vallejo just yet.
The Vallejo Police Department said they expect those calls to go out as soon as this week.
