SALINAS, Calif.- Red and blue flashing lights, it's what locals in Salinas will see, as police are busy fighting crime. But what if we told you, there are less than a dozen officers, to take all the city's calls during any given shift?
The department said it needs more. So, what will it take? You might have guessed it already, another tax. We went to find out if a special tax would help.
Let's take Friday as an example of how strapped the force can be. Two teenagers were shot at on Garner Avenue, just before five on Friday night. One victim escaped unharmed. But the other was flown to a San Jose hospital. A few hours later, 5 females were shot at as they walked along Boronda road, near Walmart. Police said if the two incidents were any closer together, there could have been major trouble in responding. So we went to find out what it will take, for the city of Salinas to beef up its police force.
"We come down here," said Salinas Deputy Chief Terry Gerhardstein, in a tour around the station.
"This was completely flooded," Gerhardstein said.
From the rust to the cramped spaces, Gerhardstein said the building is outdated and in need of some major repairs.
"That's another issue," Gerhardstein said.
But fixing the stained carpet and removing asbestos from the walls, are only on Gerhardstein's wish list. That's because they're short staffed. He said the department can afford 155 officers. But because it's so hard to earn a badge, 149 are currently on staff and 130 can actually work because a handful are on leave.
"There's only so much money available to the whole city and there's only so much money available to the police department and we're at its limit right now," Gerhardstein said.
Gerhardstein said it's up to the city to come up with a new plan to hire more. On Monday we spoke with Councilmember Steve McShane who said why not create a special tax strictly for the police department? Even he knows it'll be an uphill battle, he said the numbers Gerhardstein has to share, speak volumes.
"So if we have 11 officers scheduled to work and two call in sick, we have to order two over and make them work 15 hours or bring two in on over time and they work 10 hours overtime," Gerhardstein said.
Gerhardstein said salaries for 17 officers are currently paid for by a federal grant, but that money won't last forever. McShane said a tax should cover new hires and a new station. Officers said they don't have enough space to store all of their equipment. Bags are stuffed up to the ceiling, all the way down to the floor. Gerhardstein said they have a minimum number of officers for every shift. But until the money flow changes, that minimum will never be enough.
"I think the average citizen thinks we can just throw officers out there and make ends meet and that doesn't happen," Gerhardstein said.
