Staffing State of Emergency Extended for Calif. Police Agency

The Vallejo City Council extended a police staffing state of emergency Tuesday, with the mayor and one councilmember opposed.

The motion to extend the emergency carried 5-2 with Mayor Andrea Sorce and Councilmember Alexander Matias opposed, and with one council member encouraging the police chief to vigorously pursue recruitment efforts.

The Vallejo Police Department has been critically understaffed for years, causing the city to declare the emergency in 2023. The shortage has led to massively delayed response times, among other issues. The state of emergency must be renewed every 60 days, which is why it was on Tuesday's agenda.

Police Chief Jason Ta told the council staffing levels have risen to a total sworn staff of 80, with two on disability or injured, 77 full-duty sworn officers and 40 officers working patrol.

This represents progress, given that when the staff hit its lowest level in 2023 there were only 62 full-duty sworn officers, the chief said. Nonetheless, at present, "we have over 34 vacancies," Ta said.

The chief gave a quick rundown of the efforts to supplement enforcement in the city while the department moves to hire more officers. A years-long effort for the Solano County Sheriff's office to provide deputies and other personnel is almost to the finish line, he said.

Solano County supervisors unanimously approved an amended contract Sept. 23. Seven deputies will police Beats Two, Three and Four from 2 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Sunday for one year, starting Jan.1.

The City also approved a contract with AX9 Security in October 2024 to launch a pilot program for unarmed security patrols.

Currently in place is an arrangement that has existed since mid-2024 in which the CHP supports Vallejo with enhanced traffic enforcement against sideshows and reckless driving.

The department is also using technology, including surveillance towers and license plate readers, Ta said. The latter "have been effective, particularly with homicide investigations," he said.

Additionally, the department is revitalizing its volunteer program, starting in January 2026, Ta said. Duties will include help with special events, community engagement, school and safety assistance and abandoned vehicles; the chief expects to get about 150 hours a month in volunteer time. Other measures are planned or underway as well.

With regard to recruitment, Ta said the department hired a company called Allstar Recruitment to help with marketing. The department also examined its recruitment policies and practices, studying 2023 and 2024 efforts.

"In 2023 we hired, for the entire year, 11 officers. That's not bad, that was a year though we were losing more officers," Ta said. "Within that year we backgrounded 50 people and hired 11; our ratio was about 22 percent."

In 2024, the department backgrounded 89 people and hired 23 out of the 89 backgrounds, the chief said. "Backgrounding" refers to running background checks.

"We need to background more people than the number of vacancies. I believe if we get that implemented, we're going to see at least two or three more job offers," the chief said.

Councilmember Tonia Lediju asked the chief, "When do you consider yourself as a police department to be out of a state of emergency with all the work going on and with the Sheriff's Office (assistance)?"

Ta said there are several factors, including the number of officers. "We still have 34 vacancies. That's a lot of vacancies.

"The number of officers directly relates to response times. Sometimes crime victims, rape victims are waiting for hours at a hospital for officers to arrive to collect evidence. That's an emergency," Ta said.

"Until these response times get to a more reasonable rate," it would be prudent for the state of emergency to continue, the police chief said.

Lediju asked how many background checks would need to be performed in the next year to help ensure that the 34 vacancies would be filled.

"That looks like at least 170 background checks?" she asked, and Ta agreed.

"Whatever we need to do to see 170 background checks, let's see that we meet our mark by January 2027," Lediju said.

Ta said he felt the state of emergency was helpful in ensuring that partner agencies would continue to give assistance when called upon.

Sorce noted, "I appreciate the progress you have made in (shortening) response times. I have a different perspective on the state of emergency.

"I just don't think the community in Vallejo deserves to be in a perpetual state of emergency. With the Sheriff's Office coming in and the security guard contract the CHP support and the support from the legislature and everything we've done, I think it's time to take responsibility in keeping our residents safe," Sorce said.

The mayor said she would prefer that the council continue to look at the numbers and track the goals, moving from a state of emergency to a regular state of police staffing update "and turn the page on those two years."

One council member, Alexander Matias, joined the mayor in voting against extending the state of emergency.

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