By David Warren– — At the 8 July City Council meeting, the City approved resolutions (1) adopting the memorandums of understanding for the Citrus Heights Police Officers’ Association and the Citrus Heights Police Employees Association; (2) the amended salary table with cost-of-living adjustments and select market equity adjustments; (3) and amendments to the employer contribution level for employee health benefits; a word salad for the salary agreement between the sworn (police officers) and unsworn employees of the Citrus Heights Police Department (CHPD).
Within the numerous pages of the documents is an unnerving fact, employee reductions in both classifications. The number of police officers is being reduced by 9.5 full-time equivalents (positions) which may not seem a large number, but one only compare the draconian reduction to the total number of CHPD staff.
What is most striking and concerning is the complete termination of motor (motorcycle) traffic enforcement officers by the transfer of their positions to patrol, i.e., the officers that respond to calls for service. The justification for the staffing reductions is/was budget limitations…