Police Services Feasibility Study - City of Santa Paula

Revenue Offset Programs
The Santa Paula Police Department currently provides the following community
programs:
SPPD currently has one (1) officer assigned to AB1913 Juvenile Probation Task
Force. This position is not identified in the team’s enhanced or minimum staffing
level, but this service can be included as long as the position is 100 percent
revenue offset for the County.
SPPD currently has one (1) reserve officer assigned to the School Resource
Officer (SRO) position. This position has been added to the enhanced staffing
level in the event the City would like to continue to support this program.
Collateral Programs / Assignments
Canine Patrol
SPPD currently has three (3) canine teams assigned to patrol. Santa Paula
citizens have a positive perception of these teams and the canines not only serve
a policing function, but are also a valuable community outreach tool (Arroyo
Associates, Inc., p. 42). The Arroyo study recommended discontinuing the
canine unit and coordinating services with another agency (p. 42). A canine from
a neighboring contract could be brought in as needed but delays would be
significant. Our recommendation is that one of the deputies assigned to the 84-
hour overlap car be a canine team.
Arrangements would need to be made for the team to attend weekly canine
training with other Sheriff’s canine team members on Tuesdays. Training varies
between ten (10) and twelve (12) hours. If training does not fulfill the deputies’
shift assignment, deputies return to their station and complete the remaining
hours of their shift. On a patrol 12-plan, the canine team’s normal day to work
rotates each week. Therefore, two (2) of the Tuesday training days fall on the
team’s regular day off and two (2) fall on the team’s day to work. With that in
mind, the City would be directly billed for twelve (12) hours of overtime per pay
period, and there would be no additional charge for the twelve (12) hours of
backfill per pay period because a relief factor has been included in the rate
schedule. Depending upon the rank classification of the canine handler, the City
can expect to spend either $18,595 (Senior) or $16,388 (Deputy) in annual
overtime (see Appendix F).
By maintaining a canine team, the community will have continual access to a
valuable tool that directly benefits the citizens and community of Santa Paula.
Canine teams dedicate their lives to the communities they serve and they save
hundreds of man-hours by searching for evidence, suspects, lost children,
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