City Manager Proposes Deal to Contract Law Enforcement to County

City Manager Gabe Gonzalez said yesterday that he's looking into farming out law enforcement in Rohnert Park to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. 

"With our severe structural deficit, I'm looking at which city services I can cut," Gonzalez said. "I've asked the sheriff's office what it would mean for them to provide public safety to Rohnert Park."

Gonzalez said he'd notified the Police Officer's Association and Rohnert Park Public Safety. He said he was unsure what kind of cuts that would mean to hours and officers.

Public Safety officer Joe Ferronato's reaction this morning was that he's had better days.

"I've been an officer with this department for 22 years, and it's looking like I might be getting laid off." 

"While the city manager is exploring all cost saving measures, we believe that the public safety system is already saving money by combining our forces," said Lt. Jeff Taylor, a public information officer with the department. "If the consolidation goes through, that will take care of the police side, but what about fire?"

"But this is all speculation right now," Taylor added.

The department has made deep cuts to man hours and staffing, Taylor said earlier this year. They've gone down to a budget of $15 million for the year from $19.5 million; and over the last five years, "we've  gone from a force of 128 employees and 79 sworn, to a force of about 83 and 60 sworn."

Taylor said about the department's staffing in a Dec. 7 article that "we're at that tipping point right now, of what we can maintain safely and still move the mission ahead. Any more cuts and we would have to cut some services," he said.

Gonzalez said that he's not only looking for cuts in the Public Safety Department. In order to close a $2.4 million gap, he's looking at consolidating services such as road repairs, building inspections and park maintenance, for example.

"We're looking at all services, and asking what we can share," Gonzalez added.

"We have a huge structural deficit, and it's [Gonzalez's] job to turn the city around," said Mayor Gina Belforte. "He's looking into this for all departments, not just the police department."

Editor's note: Chief Brian Masterson reported last week that his department was doing a good job at keeping Rohnert Park safe. The 2010 crime stats show a the city is plagued with more property crimes than violent offenses. There have been two murders in the last five years, and that's due in large part to community policing and officers' presence on the streets.