State Senator Bill Dodd announced Thursday that the Assembly unanimously passed his bill to address the chronic Vallejo Police Department staffing shortage, nearly three months after the State Senate passed House Bill 1379.
The bill would allow qualified, retired police officers to work full-time for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, providing the additional deputies to assist Vallejo during staffing shortages.
“Today we are taking a big step to meet Vallejo’s public safety needs by allowing retired sheriff’s deputies to work more hours for the Sheriff’s Office,” said Dodd, a Democrat who represents the Third District. “These experienced, retired professionals bring a wealth of training and experience, improving public safety while saving taxpayer dollars. This is a smart way to address this pesky problem and keep our community safe.”
SB 1379 is sponsored by the Vallejo City Council, Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara, the Solano County Deputy Sheriffs Association, the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce and the California State Sheriffs Association. It passed the Assembly in a unanimous, bipartisan vote earlier this week. After a consent vote in the Senate, it will next go to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature.
The bill passed the Assembly at a difficult time for the Vallejo Police Department, which has been struggling with severe staffing issues that prompted the City Council and Vallejo’s acting Police Chief Jason Ta to declare a local state of emergency last summer.
Council members voted unanimously to give Ta and then-City Manager Mike Malone the authority to make unilateral decisions regarding public safety in Vallejo. This means Ta does not have to consult with the council or the Vallejo Police Officers’ Association before making decisions about law enforcement in the city.
“I need help,” Ta told officials at the July 2023 meeting. “I need to bring this to your attention. I need to bring this to the public’s attention.”
The staff shortage has been clearly felt over the past two and a half months: Ten of the 15 murder cases this year occurred during this period – many of them near or in the vicinity of Sonoma Boulevard.
The department is allowed to employ 132 sworn officers for the city of 123,000, but as of August that number has been reduced to 62, with only 36 officers assigned to the patrol division. On average, it takes up to two years to recruit and train new officers. A cost-effective interim solution is to use retired deputies and other police officers. But current law prohibits them from working more than 960 hours per year, creating staffing gaps.
In response, Senator Dodd introduced Senate Bill 1379 earlier this year. The bill would allow qualified retirees to exceed the 960-hour limit for the next three years. The exemption would also apply to dispatchers and evidence technicians. The bill would allow the Solano County Sheriff’s Office to respond to more emergency calls in Vallejo by providing them with the deputies they need to do so. The state has previously allowed retired employees to fill urgent staffing needs with similar exemptions.
“I want to thank Senator Dodd for addressing the urgent need for assistance in Vallejo,” Ferrara said. “This important change will help us ensure the appropriate staffing levels to keep the community safe.”
The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce immediately expressed its approval.
“We fully support the return of retired officers who are ready to continue their service,” Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shawna Gilroy said in a press release. “With the state of emergency in Vallejo, we welcome the help to provide greater protection and safety for our businesses, residents and community. The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce will continue to support our emergency personnel to make our community the best it can be.”
