EPD’s Chief Watson Gives an Update on the State of the Department
Letter to the Eureka Community from EPD’s Chief Steve Watson:
Dear Eureka community:I thought it appropriate to give you an update on the state of staffing at the Eureka Police Department as we have received some inquiries and expressions of support and concern. I also shared this information during a presentation to the City’s police Citizen Advisory Board (CAB) during their July 27th meeting. First, I’ll give you an update providing a snapshot in time of our current situation followed by sharing some of what we are doing to improve our recruiting and staffing issues.For fiscal year 2021/22, the Eureka Police Department was allocated a total of 73 fulltime positions. Among these positions, those of relevance to this particular discussion include:• 35 sworn police officers plus 1 sworn Parks/Waterfront Ranger(Measure Z funded) = 36 total officers• 9 police sergeants• 2 police captains• 10 communications dispatchers (3 senior dispatchers and 7regular dispatchers)• 3 police records specialists• 1 police records technician• 2 Community Services Officers (CSO)• 1 Animal Control Officer (ACO)As of today (9/15/2021), here we stand with these positions:• 9 officer vacancies or -25% (27 of 36 are currently filled)• 1 sergeant vacancy (retirement) or -11% (8 of 9 filled)• 3 dispatcher vacancies or -30% (7 of 10 filled)• 3 records specialist vacancies or -100% (0 of 3 filled)• *1 CSO vacancy (retirement) or -50% (1 of 2 filled)• **1 ACO vacancy or -100% (0 of 1 filled)In conjunction with the City’s Human Resources Department, we have been working tirelessly over the past months to attract, recruit, and hire qualified, quality new employees to fill these vacant positions while also endeavoring to retain our current members. We currently have approximately 14-plus applicants, who successfully passed their interviews, in the active background investigation process with other eligible applicants in the queue. We have interviewed well-over 25 applicants for these vacant positions during the past 2-3 months while continuing to fly new recruitments on an on-going basis as necessary.Since July 1st, I have personally participated in 22 scheduled job interviews including around 17 police officer interviews, tendered 3 new conditional job offers, and moved well over 20 individuals forward into the pre-hiring background investigation process.One experienced local lateral police officer has successful completed his pre-hire background investigation and is due to start with EPD in the coming weeks pending completion of his medical examination.Two local entry-level police officers with some policing experience are currently in the background investigations process for hire.6 police cadet applicants have been moved into the background investigation process. Successful candidates who are hired will attend the January 2022 basic police academy as sponsored police cadets for the Eureka Police Department. We intend to send a large group of cadets to the upcoming academy, and we have several other cadet applicants also awaiting potential background investigations for this purpose.A new communications dispatcher was hired and started work with EPD about two weeks ago. Two dispatcher applicants are currently in the background investigation process. In addition, one experienced dispatcher from another agency is currently undergoing a background investigation for part-time work with EPD (to help with our staffing needs). Additionally, an experienced former EPD dispatcher has agreed to help out part-time and will remain on the books as a part-time employee.*Recruitment for the open CSO position is completed and two candidates are currently undergoing pre-hire background investigations.**Recruitment for the open ACO position is completed and a new ACO is due to start (pending medical examination) in the next few weeks.Efforts to hire police records specialists are continuing.Members of the Eureka Police Officers Association (EPOA) recently signed a new MOU with the city resulting in a 13% pay raise over the course of its 3-year contract along with an increase in annual uniform allowance. EPOA Dispatchers received a 21% pay increase over 3 years. Members of the department in the Eureka City Employees Association (ECEA) bargaining unit also received a 15% pay increase over the next 3 years.The City is currently offering a $20,000 signing bonus for experienced lateral police officers, and a $10,000 signing bonus for experienced lateral dispatchers (with prorated 3-year employment contracts required). To help in recruitment efforts for the positions of Police Officer and Communication Dispatcher, the City is also offering an Employee Recruitment Incentive.These staffing challenges are not unique to the Eureka Police Department. Agencies across the state and nation, including others here in Humboldt County (HCSO, APD, CHP, Saint Joseph Hospital, etc.—I’ve been told the Sheriff’s Office currently has over 20 vacant deputy positions) are also severely short-staffed and struggling to recruit and retain employees. I spoke with the Santa Cruz Police Chief yesterday morning and he told me they are also experiencing these staffing problems, including recently losing two more officers. The problem is widespread.
One issue we continue to experience is a high number of applicants failing their background investigations for cause. EPD refuses to lower our high standards because we believe our community and noble profession deserve the best we can offer. (This doesn’t mean “perfect” people but we want and expect quality people.)While we continue to work tirelessly to increase and maintain staffing levels, the current staffing shortages present a major challenge including staff burnout, stress, and fatigue due to mandatory overtime assignments to maintain minimum safe staffing levels. Last week, Patrol moved to an emergency schedule where officers are required to work 12.5 hour shifts 3-4 days a week. Dispatch and Records are also struggling due to their vacant positions, and additional staff have been assigned part-time to help these sections.Our special team units have also been impacted. Our Problem-Oriented Policing Unit (POP) is currently staffed with only a sergeant and one detective, both of whom have been covering numerous patrol shifts to help out (one detective moved to another agency in Shasta County this summer, and a second detective returned to Patrol duty early to help out). Our Criminal Investigations Services section (CIS) is short one detective (only 3 of 4 positions are filled). Finally, our Community Safety Engagement Team (CSET) has been reduced from 5 fulltime members to three.These reductions have temporarily impacted our ability to consistently deliver full services at the high level we strive to achieve, though we are working hard to minimize and overcome these impacts. While arrests and enforcement are by no means the only measure of our success, EPD has continued to lead the county if number of arrests and jail bookings over at least the past several years. For example:EPD officers made 4,579 arrests in 2019 (1,068 felony, 3,511 misdemeanor). According to Humboldt County jail booking records by agency for 2019, EPD officers made more than double the number of custodial arrests than the next closest agency (and significantly more than the next two agencies combined). EPD made 3,522 custodial arrests in 2018 (2,639 of these were “fresh” arrests) as compared to 1,393 by APD and 1,661 by HCSO. This ratio has held true since at least 2017.We deeply appreciate your continued understanding and support. On behalf of the dedicated men and women of the Eureka Police Department, thank you.All the best,Chief Steve Watson
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I’d like to give a special thanks to the scumbags in the “defund the police” movement and those involved in the national riots for their contributions in making potential officers think way more than twice before signing up to face your abuse. What a bunch of losers.
To those still willing to serve, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! This includes multiple family members across the country.
Are you referencing the attack on the Capitol where Trumps insurrectionists tried to kill Capitol police? Yeah, the thin blue line went out the window with that bullshit.
Cops are just like every other group of humans. They’re not all angels in blue uniforms. Get real.
Alf, your comment is spot on. I agree with you 100%! I really makes me sad when I read in the news that a police officer has been killed in the line of duty. In big city’s like Chicago they are treated like garbage.
Like the one who shot a 14 year old 14 times and lied about it?
Like the rioters who stormed the capital building and assaulted police officers?
I don’t condone either one. However, if you look at the numbers, there were millions more rioting, looting and burning down cities than were even present in DC. Those facts are overlooked and distorted by BLM and other groups involved.
The Minnesota Supreme Court rules voters in Minneapolis may decide on abolishing police dept. Fox News
Great! Let the cops leave and leave the place to the social workers. See where that gets them.
We could give the police more money, and they could open new positions, but if nobody wants to work for them, its not going to fix anything.
Clearly you have not taken the time or made any effort to understand what the “defund the police” concept actually means.
Are these guys still part of the department?
https://kymkemp.com/2021/03/18/a-slap-in-the-face-chief-watson-and-the-eureka-police-union-repudiate-abhorrent-texts-by-officers/
what about the officer that was caught on video telling someone to “go back to the reservation”?
Him too. I think sometimes folks cry racism when none is present, but that was some blatant racist bullshit.
I know this can be hard to do but places really need to consider being more lax in past or current marijuana use. With there being officers who abuse their power it’s quite ridiculous to reject people who use marijuana but otherwise would be upstanding candidates. This goes for all work places.
Only in Humboldt… just what we need is a bunch of cops on drugs.
Of course cops in Humboldt have never done drugs . They’re as clean as the driven snow..
They are allowed to drink alcohol. You must agree that it would be better if they smoked pot than drank alcohol. OR maybe you think they shouldn’t be allowed to use either drug?
I personally don’t believe in using either one. I do believe in the law, however and as long as marijuana is Federally illegal, there should be a zero tolerance in law enforcement and any other governmental personnel. As far as alcohol, there should be a zero tolerance for it’s use on duty.
I actually felt this way in other areas of our state too. With officers being drunk on the job or having drinking problems I don’t see why marijuana would be a worse thing to allow people to partake in in their off time.
No- not on duty! But a few puffs on the weekend is no more dangerous than a few drinks. Anyways I think this post was more about past use. I also prefer to have the cops (with their weapons) operating with clear heads. Some jobs (airline pilots come to mind) I’d much prefer to have done by sober people. Yes Humboldt- sober people do exist. Back to point- I don’t want a drunk or a stoner as a cop. Occasional drink or puffs off-duty is different…
In the transportation industry drug testing includes pot. It also includes a lower blood alcohol level. Since this industry is Federally controlled, one bad test can ruin your ability to drive commercial vehicles forever. Cops are out there enforcing these laws and should never be allowed anything those who they monitor are not allowed. I guess I have no problem with a cop being hired who admits he had a few joints as a kid, but I’m not for anyone with a criminal record for drugs ever being hired.
Smoking marijuana as a kid is a crime.
That’s very true, but there are so many “sealed” records for kids who actually learn from their mistakes and go on to become responsible adults I’m a lot more forgiving to them than adults. I of course prefer law enforcement from sources that never, even as kids did crimes if given the choice.
Bill Clinton never did learn from his mistakes and continued right on through being Commander In chief!
Excellent point. Cops allowed free-time cannabis use would make better law enforcement.
Humans who are not producing endogenous anandamide and/or 2-AG at their CB1 receptors (where THC docks) are at greater risk of developing PTSD. In fact, who gets PTSD and to what extent depends on the current status of their endocannabinoid system receptor CB1 at the time of the stressful event.
Studies done on 9/11 responders with PTSD found they weren’t making anandamide and their CB1 receptors were empty.
THC works in the brain to encourage the process in the amygdala called fear extinction. It can sub when the body stops producing the two mentioned endogenous cannabinoids.
Want better law enforcement? Quit testing for weed!
Cecilia J Hilliard is my source on 9/11 responders. She is at The Medical College of Wisconsin.
Did anybody read this part: One issue we continue to experience is a high number of applicants failing their background investigations for cause.
Think this could be a nation wide problem?
since they have a documented domestic abuser in a senior staff position and multiple racists on the force, i gotta wonder what’s enough to exclude someone from a job.
And what about those texts?…….
The EPD does not address cyber crimes especially those committed by suddenlink
Perhaps if officers did not spend so much time & energy arresting and re-arresting the same people day after day, week after week, month after month for the “crime” of public intoxication, a better job of catching car burglars and other property crimes would be addressed.
I would like to see some honest statistics on the actual man hours spent arresting and booking (and immediate release) of people who drink. That being their only crime, your money would be better spent buying these “criminals” alcohol and leaving them alone.
Sounds like a ton of excuses to me. Anyone reading into this can see there are many red flags. Was there any mention of majority of officers/deputies leaving for other (better) agencies? What are the statistics in the past several years for qualified, highly desired officers leaving out of the area for other agencies?
Everyone knows the pay isn’t the greatest in the Humboldt area, but is money really the issue? With the cost of living, the majority of officers can live comfortably in Humboldt. With a $20,000 sign on bonus for experienced officers, that should be attracting a lot of qualified, experienced officers, right? NOPE! Just another sign of desperation.
My assumption is the root cause for these shortages here is the organizational structure of the department and how mismanaged/micromanaged it is. But, when officers leave, I am sure they let the administration know why they are leaving. I am also sure it goes through one ear and out the other.