Lack of funds handcuffs Rodeo's rising need for police protection

By Tom Lochner
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/13746266.htm

RODEO - Bottom line: If the people of Rodeo want more police protection, they'll have to pay for it.

Contra Costa County Supervisor Gayle Uilkema and Sheriff Warren Rupf brought that message to a town meeting more than a week ago, but it didn't sit well with some of the people who attended. A similar mood prevailed at a Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council meeting this past week.

Residents of this unincorporated town are upset over reductions in coverage by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office in the past few years.

Federal housing and drug-fighting funds once paid for a "resident deputy" at the county's Bayo Vista housing project. Rodeo shared another deputy with North Richmond under the federal "Weed and Seed" program. A federal Community Oriented Police Services grant once put another deputy at a downtown sheriff's substation. The John Swett Unified School District, which includes Rodeo, had a school resource officer until June.

All of this was in addition to regular beat patrols and a 40-hour-a-week resident deputy paid most recently out of "return-to-source" tax funds from industry supplemented by leftover state helicopter support grant funds in the sheriff's kitty. Another deputy is based at Bayo Vista for 20 hours a week.

Now Rodeo stands to lose its lone townwide resident deputy.

"Are all the bad guys going to know there's no police in Rodeo?" RMAC member Pat Munnelly asked Wednesday. "It's going to be a shooting gallery."

Not counting the housing deputy, Rodeo would have to make do with only one deputy per shift in Beat One, which also includes Crockett, Tormey and Port Costa.

"The service level in the entire county is too low, and Rodeo is no exception," Rupf said at the town meeting.

Crime has been on the rise, said Lt. Donny Gordon, commander of the Sheriff's Bay Station, which covers all West County. There has been a 14 percent increase in calls for service in Rodeo from 2004 to 2005; assaults with a deadly weapon are up from 4 to 19 incidents over the same time span; and the number of armed robberies increased from six to 15.

Auto burglaries rose by half; residential burglaries more than doubled. There was one rape and one arson in each of the two years. There were no homicides either year, Gordon said.

The resident deputy will be phased out March 5 -- unless Rodeo comes up with the money.

Uilkema, Rupf and officials of the county administrator and Local Agency Formation Commission outlined ways the residents might tax themselves.

A resident deputy's salary, benefits and other costs would be about $157,000 a year. That translates into $60.10 a year for each of Rodeo's 2,619 taxable parcels, assuming all pay the same rate.

A tax district would require two-thirds' voter approval.

"We need a real groundswell of support," said Rich Seithel of the County Administrator's Office.

Said Uilkema, "He's not saying that we're promoting a tax. That would be your job. ... But in order (for you) to make that decision, we're providing information."

Several residents pointed out that the $157,000 would pay for only 40 hours of coverage in a 168-hour week. Others were skeptical that any tax would get voter approval.

Some suggested using Rodeo Redevelopment Project funds to pay part of a deputy's salary. About $80,000, or half a deputy's annual cost, is set aside in this year's Rodeo redevelopment budget.

Uilkema said she wants the town to find other sources before tapping into redevelopment funds. But Rupf said law enforcement is a good use for the funds.

"What good is redevelopment if not to safeguard the quality of life?" Rupf asked.

Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council member Jim Gray said the federal government, which subsidizes and regulates Bayo Vista, should chip in for police coverage.

Gray also questions whether Rodeo is getting a fair share of sheriff's resources.

"The solution is quite simple," he said. "Our resident deputy is not being retired from the force come March. No, he will still be in uniform, and all Sheriff Rupf has to do is assign him to Rodeo. Where he belongs."

Rodeo had 8,717 residents according to the most recent U.S. Census, in 2000. Crockett, Port Costa and Tormey had about 3,500 residents combined. That comes out to a total of about 12,200 residents in Beat One. Crockett, additionally, has two resident deputies, paid from Crockett cogeneration plant mitigation funds.

The county sheriff has 158 sworn positions, including deputies, sergeants and lieutenants, dedicated to patrol in unincorporated areas of the county with a total population of 165,000, said sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee. That comes out to 9.6 patrol positions per 10,000 residents.

Beat One's round-the-clock coverage by a deputy represents 4.2 40-hour-a-week shifts.

One lieutenant and five sergeants staff the Bay Station, which covers all West County unincorporated areas except Kensington. With just more than one-quarter of the Bay Station coverage area's population, Beat One's prorated share of the patrol supervisory shifts would be about 1.6.

The total patrol staffing for Beat One, once the resident deputy is phased out March 5, thus comes out to 5.8 shifts for 12,200 residents, or about 4.75 per 10,000 residents, without factoring in the 20 weekly hours of the housing deputy at Bayo Vista.

Several police experts contacted by the Times were reluctant to define an adequate level of policing. Alan Deal, spokesman for the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, said, "You can't use a per capita approach" because of variables in geography, population density, crime levels and other factors.

Reach Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760 or tlochner@cctimes.com.

RODEO - Bottom line: If the people of Rodeo want more police protection, they'll have to pay for it.

Contra Costa County Supervisor Gayle Uilkema and Sheriff Warren Rupf brought that message to a town meeting more than a week ago, but it didn't sit well with some of the people who attended. A similar mood prevailed at a Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council meeting this past week.

Residents of this unincorporated town are upset over reductions in coverage by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office in the past few years.

Federal housing and drug-fighting funds once paid for a "resident deputy" at the county's Bayo Vista housing project. Rodeo shared another deputy with North Richmond under the federal "Weed and Seed" program. A federal Community Oriented Police Services grant once put another deputy at a downtown sheriff's substation. The John Swett Unified School District, which includes Rodeo, had a school resource officer until June.

All of this was in addition to regular beat patrols and a 40-hour-a-week resident deputy paid most recently out of "return-to-source" tax funds from industry supplemented by leftover state helicopter support grant funds in the sheriff's kitty. Another deputy is based at Bayo Vista for 20 hours a week.

Now Rodeo stands to lose its lone townwide resident deputy.

"Are all the bad guys going to know there's no police in Rodeo?" RMAC member Pat Munnelly asked Wednesday. "It's going to be a shooting gallery."

Not counting the housing deputy, Rodeo would have to make do with only one deputy per shift in Beat One, which also includes Crockett, Tormey and Port Costa.

"The service level in the entire county is too low, and Rodeo is no exception," Rupf said at the town meeting.

Crime has been on the rise, said Lt. Donny Gordon, commander of the Sheriff's Bay Station, which covers all West County. There has been a 14 percent increase in calls for service in Rodeo from 2004 to 2005; assaults with a deadly weapon are up from 4 to 19 incidents over the same time span; and the number of armed robberies increased from six to 15.

Auto burglaries rose by half; residential burglaries more than doubled. There was one rape and one arson in each of the two years. There were no homicides either year, Gordon said.

The resident deputy will be phased out March 5 -- unless Rodeo comes up with the money.

Uilkema, Rupf and officials of the county administrator and Local Agency Formation Commission outlined ways the residents might tax themselves.

A resident deputy's salary, benefits and other costs would be about $157,000 a year. That translates into $60.10 a year for each of Rodeo's 2,619 taxable parcels, assuming all pay the same rate.

A tax district would require two-thirds' voter approval.

"We need a real groundswell of support," said Rich Seithel of the County Administrator's Office.

Said Uilkema, "He's not saying that we're promoting a tax. That would be your job. ... But in order (for you) to make that decision, we're providing information."

Several residents pointed out that the $157,000 would pay for only 40 hours of coverage in a 168-hour week. Others were skeptical that any tax would get voter approval.

Some suggested using Rodeo Redevelopment Project funds to pay part of a deputy's salary. About $80,000, or half a deputy's annual cost, is set aside in this year's Rodeo redevelopment budget.

Uilkema said she wants the town to find other sources before tapping into redevelopment funds. But Rupf said law enforcement is a good use for the funds.

"What good is redevelopment if not to safeguard the quality of life?" Rupf asked.

Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council member Jim Gray said the federal government, which subsidizes and regulates Bayo Vista, should chip in for police coverage.

Gray also questions whether Rodeo is getting a fair share of sheriff's resources.

"The solution is quite simple," he said. "Our resident deputy is not being retired from the force come March. No, he will still be in uniform, and all Sheriff Rupf has to do is assign him to Rodeo. Where he belongs."

Rodeo had 8,717 residents according to the most recent U.S. Census, in 2000. Crockett, Port Costa and Tormey had about 3,500 residents combined. That comes out to a total of about 12,200 residents in Beat One. Crockett, additionally, has two resident deputies, paid from Crockett cogeneration plant mitigation funds.

The county sheriff has 158 sworn positions, including deputies, sergeants and lieutenants, dedicated to patrol in unincorporated areas of the county with a total population of 165,000, said sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee. That comes out to 9.6 patrol positions per 10,000 residents.

Beat One's round-the-clock coverage by a deputy represents 4.2 40-hour-a-week shifts.

One lieutenant and five sergeants staff the Bay Station, which covers all West County unincorporated areas except Kensington. With just more than one-quarter of the Bay Station coverage area's population, Beat One's prorated share of the patrol supervisory shifts would be about 1.6.

The total patrol staffing for Beat One, once the resident deputy is phased out March 5, thus comes out to 5.8 shifts for 12,200 residents, or about 4.75 per 10,000 residents, without factoring in the 20 weekly hours of the housing deputy at Bayo Vista.

Several police experts contacted by the Times were reluctant to define an adequate level of policing. Alan Deal, spokesman for the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, said, "You can't use a per capita approach" because of variables in geography, population density, crime levels and other factors.

Reach Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760 or tlochner@cctimes.com.