UCPD Folds Community Policing, Traffic Units in Unprecedented ‘Staffing Crunch’

Thanks to a “perfect storm” of injuries on the police force, the cops who help Union City residents deal with residential and neighborhood issues have been temporarily reassigned to patrol. 

While there’s a possibility that the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Officers may return to tackling quality of life issues in the next six to 12 months, a total of eight injured officers combined with a looming wave of retirements has put the Union City Police Department in “a significant staffing crunch,” according to Cmdr. Ben Horner, a spokesman for the department.

Traffic cops were also forced to supplement patrol in September.

“It hurts us to close those units down,” Horner told Patch. “There’s nothing sinister about it.” The department is still operating at its authorized level, Horner said.

According to Horner, of UCPD’s 118-person staff, there are 77 sworn police officer positions (three are currently open), with 41 dedicated to patrol. Of those 41 patrol officers, eight are on leave with critical long-term injuries, some sustained during struggles with suspects, others cumulative from the rigorous day-to-day demands of policing, Horner said. Some of the injuries are career-ending, he added.

“Ultimately, because we have so many officers on long-term injuries we have had to make a very hard decision,” Horner said. “Do we order the remaining patrol officers to take extra shifts on a mandatory basis and risk burn-out and additional injuries? Or do we supplement patrol staffing temporarily with the COPPS unit and also with the Traffic Enforcement Unit?”

Both the COPPS and Traffic units are typically staffed with one sergeant and four officers.

The COPPS unit conducts long-term problem solving for neighborhood quality of life issues such as drug house and prostitution enforcement, landlord-tenant disputes and sexual offender compliance. The unit also works with Neighborhood Watch groups and runs the Crime Free Housing program. Meanwhile, the Traffic unit conducts traffic enforcement throughout the city and at local schools.

Certain aspects of public safety have been impacted as a result of the closing of the units.

“Our patrol force is generally able to provide short term solutions via 911 response but the impacts are dealing with deeply entrenched gang and drug house issues,” Horner told Patch. “Those types of cases become more challenging.”

“The Traffic unit is doing a good job of directed enforcement while they are assigned to patrol but certain routine tasks such as managing school site traffic, directed ticket writing at certain intersections, etc. has been impacted,” Horner added.

While it’s common for one or two officers to be on leave at any given time, the current staffing issue is “unprecedented,” Horner said.

And it could get worse.

18 retirements on the horizon

On top of the three current openings and eight officers on leave, the department is expecting 18 retirements in the near future — including several patrol officers, nearly half of the department’s sergeants and a third of the command staff, according to Horner.

As a result, the department has ramped up recruiting efforts.

According to Horner, the agency is in the process of hiring three experienced officers who are currently working in other communities. The department has also hired four new officers who are in their final weeks of training camp; once training is completed, the new officers will join the patrol division. Union City police have also made numerous visits to police academies in efforts to recruit new officers.

The department has also introduced a new classification of officer called the “police trainee.” The new position allows Union City police to hire entry-level candidates and sponsor them through the police academy — something UCPD hasn’t been in a financial position to do in the past. Six of these trainees will enter the academy in early January, according to Horner.

Of course, the increase in staff won’t happen overnight.

“All of this recruiting, hiring, and training takes time,” Horner said.

Candidates undergo “a rigorous battery of tests” including multiple interviews, a polygraph exam, a background investigation, psychological and medical screenings, and final interviews with the chief of police,” Horner said.

During UCPD’s last entry-level recruitment, more than 300 candidates applied and 75 were screened before weaning down to the six potential recruits.  

“We will be recruiting, hiring, and training continuously for the next couple of years,” Horner said.

------

Sign up for the free Union City Patch newsletter | Like Union City Patch on Facebook | Follow @UnionCityPatch on Twitter | Blog for Union City Patch