Manteca Police is at almost full staffing.

Seventy-four of 75 authorized sworn officer positions are currently filled.

At the same time, four candidates that have passed interviews for the vacant position as well as three anticipated retirements are now in background checks.

 City management in the past decade has gone from trying to squeeze salary savings by waiting as long as possible to replace open positions — even those tied to retirements — to where they are anticipating needs in such a manner that positions either are seamlessly filled or there is only a short gap.

Manteca is not struggling to find qualified officers as a number of California police departments are.

Interim Police Chief Stephen Schluer credits that to the solid reputation the City of Manteca and the police department both enjoy.

The department has been getting a number of well-qualified veteran officers who also want to make lateral movements. The new personnel envisioned in the proposed spending plan includes  three firefighters, a police lieutenant, and two police officers funded with Measure M sales tax receipts. Those positions won’t be funded until midyear when the city will make sure it has adequate revenue coming in as projected.

During the 2022-2023 budget approval, the council added a 75th position — a police officer trainee that will be covered by the general fund.

The new personnel envisioned in the adopted spending plan includes three firefighters, a police lieutenant and two police officers funded with Measure M sales tax receipts. Those positions were “authorized” but won’t be funded until the midyear budget review when the city will make sure it has adequate revenue coming in as projected.

The midyear review takes place in February.

If revenue is adequate at the time, the goal is to increase the police force to 78 sworn officers before June 30.

At the same time enough firefighters will be hired to man a shift for a second fire engine planned to be stationed at the Union Road fire station. The station, which has by far the largest service calls in the city, is also closest to current growth south of the 120 Bypass.

Mike Aguilar, who just retired this month as a police chief, in March of this year during the budget workshop told the council the department needed a minimum of seven more sworn officers plus an additional code enforcement officer as well as a community service officer for the traffic division.

Assuming the council in February funds the three tentative approved positions, the department will be still three officers short of what was seen as the minimum  almost a year ago. That is in addition to the unfilled request for another code enforcement officers and the CSO for traffic.

Aguilar’s staffing requests included:

*A lieutenant for the services division.

*Two patrol officers

*A code enforcement officer.

*Two police officers to serve as detectives in the street crimes unit.

*A community officer for the traffic unit.

*A second detective for the organized retail crime unit.

*A sixth traffic/DUI officer.

On the needs list in March was a new police department facility to adequately house the current department while accommodating new growth.

Aguilar also said the department needs to work toward a five beat minimum for all patrol shift staffing on a 24/7 basis.

He also said there is a need to develop a mental and physical wellness workplace culture in the police department.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com