Line of Duty
Seaside police chief takes pay cut, adds P.G. workload.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Seaside is dealing with a serious rise in gang violence, but Police Chief Vicki Meyers says the city’s deal to share her with Pacific Grove won’t hinder those efforts.
“I believe this will enhance police services,” she says. “When agencies share an executive administrator, it opens up lines of communications between departments.”
On July 22, the day after P.G. Police Chief Darius Engles retires, Meyers will begin leading both police departments. But Seaside officials haven’t yet worked out the terms of her raise – and in the meantime, she’s taking a pay cut.
Meyers and other Seaside Police Department managers will see a 12-percent reduction in salaries and benefits effective July 1. Ten percent of that has been on the books since 2009, but the coming fiscal year will shave an additional 2 percent.
Rank-and-file cops have also taken hits. According to Seaside Personnel Services Manager Roberta Greathouse, Police Officers Association members have foregone raises, among other concessions, since 2009; they also took a 7-percent reduction in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
The POA is still negotiating its next contract. A police services assistant will be laid off July 6.
Seaside approved the chief-sharing deal June 7, and P.G. followed suit June 20. The cities haven’t worked out all the financial details, but Seaside Deputy City Manager Daphne Hodgson anticipates P.G. will reimburse Seaside about $125,000 per year. Roughly $36,000 is available for Meyers’ raise.
Pacific Grove and Seaside also agreed to share a police sergeant. Seaside now has five sergeants and plans to add a sixth through an internal promotion, which would, for a year, prevent the layoff of a patrol officer.
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