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Contra Costa’s budget woes impacts Sheriff’s department
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(STARR One on patrol over the hills of Contra Costa County, California. Rough terrain and remote valleys in unincorporated parts of the county require these services, but they are at risk because of budget cuts.)
California residents have long assumed that they could successfully transfer responsibility for their safety to the professionals in law enforcement and criminal justice. But the state’s economic downturn has led to drastic drop in property and sales tax revenues, and now municipalities are being forced to cut public safety budgets to the point that Californians must confront a harsh reality.
A recent article noted how fiscal issues required Contra Costa County to cut back on both Sheriff’s services and in the prosecutor’s office. Fortunately, last-minute negotiations, along with a voluntary pay cut by District Attorney Robert Kochly, averted the proposed policy of not prosecuting certain misdemeanors. However, there is only enough funding to continue prosecutions for another four months. Nor was there any eleventh-hour miracle for the Sheriff’s Office.
The California Constitution, in Article 13, Section 35, declares:
(1) Public safety services are critically important to the security and well-being of the State's citizens and to the growth and revitalization of the State's economic base.
(2) The protection of the public safety is the first responsibility of local government and local officials have an obligation to give priority to the provision of adequate public safety services.
(3) In order to assist local government in maintaining a sufficient level of public safety services, the proceeds of the [sales and use] tax enacted pursuant to this section shall be designated exclusively for public safety.
Furthermore, California residents passed Proposition 172 in 1993, establishing a permanent half-cent sales tax to pay for local public safety services. (In Contra Costa, these services include the Sheriff’s Office, county jails, fire departments, prosecutors, probation, and juvenile hall.)
But what happens when there aren’t enough tax revenues?
Eileen Devlin, Chief of Management Services for the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, said that the new budget required the layoff of 93 deputy positions, though only 22 active deputies were laid off.
“Over the last 5 years, the Sheriff has made every effort to meet the budget by holding more and more deputy positions vacant,” says Devlin. “He has skillfully managed to provide effective service with less resources. This has meant that each year, more deputy sheriff positions went unfilled until there were 71 positions vacant. Now, those openings have been eliminated in order to meet the Fiscal Year 2009/10 budget numbers.”
This budget is based upon projections in both property tax and Prop 172 sales tax revenues, which are expected to stay depressed through at least June 2010. Since Contra Costa doesn’t know if its economic woes have reached bottom yet, they must proceed cautiously. If projections are too optimistic, another belt tightening process will likely require more layoffs, because 89% of the Sheriff’s Office budget is personnel costs.
Jim Bickert, President of the Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriff's Association, said: “During overnight hours, there will be extremely little coverage in unincorporated areas.” (The unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County contains about 170,000 people, mostly living in suburban bedroom communities.) As far as remaining safe, Deputy Bickert recommends that people “shouldn’t be complacent. Don’t expect that you will pick up the phone and get immediate help. People should be prepared to take care of themselves, within the scope of the law.”
Deputy Bickert says that because the general fund revenues have been decreasing, Prop 172 is effectively replacing general fund money that used to be earmarked for public safety. He also has concerns over the burgeoning welfare system, which in California defines “indigent” at 300% of the federal poverty level. Because of the growing focus on public health, more money has been flowing into the services like the county hospital and preventive health for illegal aliens. (Note: County Health Services recently eliminated the latter program, cutting the budget $6 million.)
Deputy Bickert is concerned that political agendas have compromised the safety of Contra Costa residents. He said, “We have to ask ourselves: do we want health services or a Sheriff’s Office?” He also pointed out that the welfare system has created a strata of society that is dependent on government, and that this population group also demands the most Sheriff’s services. As a result, the “donor community” (aka tax payers) gets the least amount of service, and recent budget cuts will only exacerbate this imbalance, so that those who pay the most will be at greater risk.
Deputy Bickert pointed out that he is only interested in educating the public:
“I want this information to get out because the public needs to be involved in this debate. I want them to simply know the truth and be able to talk to county leaders about what is going on. Otherwise, people don’t know what they are voting on, and that concerns me.”
It is said that only the truth will set you free. Hopefully, this information will help the residents of Contra Costa.
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