Pacific Grove Police Officers understaffed

The Pacific Grove Police Officers’ Association sent out a letter to the city’s residents. The letter included details on how the Police Department is “severely understaffed.”

Sgt. Carl Lafata of the Pacific Grove Police Department says ” We’re having a very difficult time right now recruiting and retaining our existing officers because of the fact that we’ve fallen so far behind paying benefits and the city seems reluctant to address that issue.”

Officers complaints range from long hours to being short staffed. This week they contacted residents by mail.

“We wanted to make very clear to the citizens and business owners that if we are unable to recruit and retain then they need to know why,” says Lafata.

The Pacific Grove officer says he reached out to city officials about the letter but he says he didn’t get a response. Pacific Grove Councilman Rudy Fischer says no one contacted him about the letter but he’s willing to talk.

Fischer says, “I think that they have to negotiate that if they want more benefits, then they may have to make some cuts and give up some things in salary.”

Salary and benefits could all be up for discussion at tonight’s City Council meeting. Fischer says tonight should be interesting but he doesn’t expect any “fireworks.”