Antioch Police Chief Says Staffing Outlook Bleak
ANTIOCH (AP) -- The head of the Antioch Police Department is offering a bleak outlook about staffing levels at the department.
Antioch police Chief Jim Hyde told the City Council on Tuesday that his department has a 35 percent vacancy rate, including 50 unfilled positions and vacancies where officers are on injury or military leave.
The Contra Costa Times reports that the department has avoided layoffs of sworn officers, but Hyde says the department may have to lay off anywhere between one to ten offices, depending on the city's budget.
Hyde said detectives may have to be put back on patrol, while the department may also have to stop investigating property crimes.
The chief's assessment comes a week before Antioch voters decide whether to approve a half-cent sales tax aimed at restoring some city services.
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