Salinas police gets makeover to reduce officer overtime

It’s the biggest reorganization in Salinas police history, according to Chief Kelly McMillin.

The challenge for McMillin is trying to keep the minimum amount of officers on patrol and said he has the plan to do it.

Fresh off a two-day retreat with his top staff, McMillin spoke at this month’s Police Community Advisory Committee meeting and didn’t hold back talking about his department.

“We’re not doing our basic job well and haven’t been doing it well for years,” he said, referring to low staffing levels not the quality of officers.

Those levels have dropped dramatically since the start of the recession, on top of unfulfilled positions after officers retire or leave for other job opportunities.

“We can’t think about building into the future until we repair that foundation,” McMillin said.

It’s a foundation of patrol officers working hours of overtime just to fill the minimum requirement on the streets. Those officers are worn out, the chief said.

“You just don’t want to get stopped by that cop because your chances of getting really good customer service are going to be pretty low,” he said.

Still, some were caught off guard by his reconstruction plan. Outgoing vice chairperson of the advisory committee Cynthia Schaffer heard it for the first time Wednesday night

“Being on a committee, and not knowing, when I feel we should be 100 percent in the know,” Schaffer said.

Here’s the plan:

“A total of 19 police officers and four police sergeants are coming back to patrol,” McMillin determined.

Everyone that isn’t already assigned to patrol or investigations will be consolidated to patrol. That means every special assignment position is gone. Those positions include, the Violence Suppression Unit, community police officers at Hebron Heights, the Police Activities League Officer, Salinas’ officers from Monterey County’s S.T.I.N.G. Task Force, the traffic unit and tech services officers.

“[It] does not add more police officers to the street. All it does is eliminate structural overtime that we currently have,” McMillin said.

Right now, Salinas PD has 24 positions it’s trying to fill. McMillin said when they fill those spots, they begin to bring back the specialty positions. This new restructuring plan goes in effect July 1.