Los Gatos Town Council To Discuss Police Dispatcher Shortage

LOS GATOS, CA — The Los Gatos Town Council will discuss a shortage in police dispatchers during its meeting Tuesday, amid tension between the town administration and police union and the recent departure of its police chief.

The town of over 30,000 residents currently has three full-time dispatchers despite having the budget for eight, according to a staff report. Two dispatchers are currently in training. Between July 2020 and August 201, six dispatchers have resigned, retired or didn’t complete training.

The shortage has created a “public health crisis,” Bryan Paul, the president of the Los Gatos Police Officers Association told Patch last month. Paul said that the remaining dispatchers were all working overtime hours, burnt out and exploring leaving the department.

Paul spoke about the issue at the Sept. 7 town council meeting, when tempers flared between the attendees and town officials.

No action was recommended by town staff on the agenda item ahead of Tuesday's meeting.

Tuesday’s meeting will also be the town’s first public meeting since reports that the former police chief, Peter Decena, who resigned last month, was forced out of the job. Town Manager Laurel Prevetti told Patch that Decena "voluntarily resigned" and declined to comment further on a "personnel matter."

To address the dispatcher shortage, town staff wrote that the police department has brought in retired dispatchers and dispatchers from other local agencies to staff vacant shifts and will maintain an “open continuous” recruitment process for dispatcher positions. A “sustainable staffing plan” for dispatcher positions will take several months to implement, according to the town.

In the staff report, town staff noted that newly-hired dispatchers must complete a “rigorous training,” and they cannot take calls independently until they pass the training.

The town is also currently in the bargaining process with two unions with staff in the police department.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. It will be held at the Los Gatos Council Chambers and can be accessed via Zoom here or streamed on YouTube.

Related:

• Los Gatos 'Public Health Crisis': Police Face Dispatcher Shortage
• Former Los Gatos Police Chief Was Pushed Out Of Job: Police Union