Last Modified: Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 9:25 p.m.
A Rohnert Park City Council budget study session scheduled for Tuesday has raised the hackles of the city's powerful Public Safety Officers Association.
The association, regularly one of the biggest spenders in the city's elections, has planted a flag of alarm over what they say will be a proposal for more layoffs from the public safety department, which combines police and fire services.
“I was notified by the chief .
.
. that the city was planning on laying off six more officers,” said Rohnert Park Police Sgt. Dale Utecht, president of the safety officers association.
He said that would dangerously curb the capabilities of an already depleted force.
“We're going to be taking more public safety officers off the street,” he said. “I was already directed to notify the officers.”
Three layoffs would come from the fire services side of the department, and three from the police services, Utecht said. That would leave one of the city's two fire stations undermanned and having to rely that much more on police officers, who traditionally provide back-up services in the event of fire service-related emergencies.
But with three more police officers also gone, Utecht said, “if your officers are busy there's going to be nobody to respond and assist the fire crew.”
“It was a shock to me, because as a council we haven't even discussed this, we haven't looked into it,” said Councilwoman Amie Breeze. She would oppose the proposal she said Sunday.
“I believe there are a lot of other stones for us to turn over first,” she said.
The association released a letter Saturday urging Rohnert Park residents to contact councilmembers about the issue. Utecht said the department had already suffered the loss of six public safety officers, among other positions cut.
“I'm going to have to see what everybody has to say,” Councilwoman Gina Belforte said. “I want to keep the city as safe as possible, that's probably my ultimate goal at this point.”
The 1 p.m. Tuesday meeting is at the city's Spreckels Performing Arts Center.
You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Hay at 521-5212 or jeremy.hay@pressdemocrat.com
<p>A Rohnert Park City Council budget study session scheduled for Tuesday has raised the hackles of the city's powerful Public Safety Officers Association.</p><p>The association, regularly one of the biggest spenders in the city's elections, has planted a flag of alarm over what they say will be a proposal for more layoffs from the public safety department, which combines police and fire services.</p><p>“I was notified by the chief .<TH>.<TH>. that the city was planning on laying off six more officers,” said Rohnert Park Police Sgt. Dale Utecht, president of the safety officers association.</p><p>He said that would dangerously curb the capabilities of an already depleted force.</p><p>“We're going to be taking more public safety officers off the street,” he said. “I was already directed to notify the officers.”</p><p>Three layoffs would come from the fire services side of the department, and three from the police services, Utecht said. That would leave one of the city's two fire stations undermanned and having to rely that much more on police officers, who traditionally provide back-up services in the event of fire service-related emergencies. </p><p>But with three more police officers also gone, Utecht said, “if your officers are busy there's going to be nobody to respond and assist the fire crew.”</p><p>“It was a shock to me, because as a council we haven't even discussed this, we haven't looked into it,” said Councilwoman Amie Breeze. She would oppose the proposal she said Sunday.</p><p>“I believe there are a lot of other stones for us to turn over first,” she said.</p><p>The association released a letter Saturday urging Rohnert Park residents to contact councilmembers about the issue. Utecht said the department had already suffered the loss of six public safety officers, among other positions cut.</p><p>“I'm going to have to see what everybody has to say,” Councilwoman Gina Belforte said. “I want to keep the city as safe as possible, that's probably my ultimate goal at this point.”</p><p>The 1 p.m. Tuesday meeting is at the city's Spreckels Performing Arts Center.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Hay at 521-5212 or jeremy.hay@pressdemocrat.com</p>