2 Expenditures
The City is facing a situation where expenditures are projected to grow faster than revenues. In prior years Watsonville was already dealing with structural shortfalls in its budget. This was primarily driven by increasing costs of unfunded actuarial liabilities (UAL) related to retirement costs. Unfunded actuarial liabilities refer to the difference between the projected obligations of the pension plan and the assets set aside to fund those obligations. Though this is still a major driver for the increased costs, salaries and insurance costs have also seen steep increases. We received a 12% increase in Worker’s Compensation, Liability and 4.8% Health Insurance rate increases. The City has demonstrated prudent fiscal planning and remained focused on maintaining reserves and anticipating future needs. We have reduced our workforce by 14 positions across our departments. We have been prudently working with our departments; we are better prepared to address unforeseen circumstances or financial challenges that may arise. We have implemented a 1% operating budget reduction as well. These two efforts have helped the City to be able to have a balanced budget with no deficits. We are also proactively planning for certain adjustments that must be made to accommodate cost-of-living adjustments, (COLAS), small equity adjustments, increased benefits costs, and contractual obligations.
With the passage of Measure R, we were able to leverage the funds and work on issuing a Lease Revenue Bond. Currently we are working with a financial advisor that tells us that a $12MM bond Actual Projected Budget Budget
Revenue 2024 2025 2026 2027
Property Tax 14,788,668 14,943,741 15,661,030 15,786,150 Sales Tax-General 15,936,386 15,596,717 15,231,874 15,693,891 Hotel Room Tax 1,412,314 1,450,000 1,610,000 1,620,000
Utility User Tax 4,675,775 4,769,979 4,532,000 4,650,000 Transfers In 3,993,020 4,249,900 4,487,890 4,587,890
Measure R $6,190,360 5,403,984 5,573,439 5,625,000
TOTAL 46,996,523 46,414,321 47,096,233 47,962,931
General Fund 46,996,523 46,414,321 47,096,233 47,962,931 CDD 2,376,587 1,781,992 1,706,400 1,708,400
Police 1,608,643 1,441,599 1,707,297 1,707,297
Streets 44,078 82,122 262,000 262,000
Parks 766,243 627,513 875,163 875,163
Other 15,994,626 10,795,722 10,081,041 10,320,739
Bond Proceeds - - 12,000,000 -
TOTAL 67,786,700 61,143,269 73,728,134 62,836,530
3 issuance would cost us $1.5 MM annual debt service payment for 10 years. We have already met with the rating board S&P and brought for your approval the issuance of this bond. We are excited that the $8.5MM will fully help fund the remainder of the Ramsay Renaissance Park Project and provide $3.5MM for the City Plaza renovation.
Additionally, this revenue source has added about $350k for Library operations and $1.4MM for additional Parks programming. On the other hand, Parks has been able to offer more programming for seniors and youth, seniors, Teen Action Council and added special events. Also, we have budgeted most of the fund balance and current operational revenue to fund our Library Rooftop project, the citywide Street Lights and a Trails annual project.
Table 6 below summarizes General Fund proposed budget that includes Measure R funds.
Table 6: General Fund proposed budget that includes Measure R funds Salaries– Salaries and benefits make up 51% percent of General Fund operating expenditures and therefore represent the greatest cost increase. The budget also reflects both actual and expected contractual raises for all our bargaining units. While salaries typically account for approximately 75% of the General Fund expenditure, this proportion appears reduced in the current fiscal year due to significant investments ($28.2MM) in capital projects funded by Measure R and Bond Proceeds.
Measure R is part of the General Fund and is therefore included with General Fund totals.
Graph 2: General Fund Expenditures Breakdown
Proposed Measure R Budget FY 25/26
Operations
Parks 1,419,650
Library $350,000
Financing 1,500,000
Capital Library 2,600,000
Capital Public Works 2,200,000
Totals 8,069,650
4 Unfunded Actuarial Liability (UAL) – The City’s UAL costs pose an ongoing challenge. In the upcoming FY 2025-26 UAL costs will represent 8% of the general fund operating budget.
Other Benefits – Other benefits such as normal retirement costs, social security, and Medicare are expected to rise at similar rates to salaries. Our health insurance broker has recently provided information that after several years of minimal or no increases in healthcare costs, there will be a 4.8 percent rate increase in the current calendar year.
Other Non-Position Costs –Other citywide non-position impacts on the General Fund are mainly rate increases and the JPA contract with the county for 911 and Animal Shelter Services. We are also expecting an unknown cost for the public safety radio system upgrade.
Table 7: General Fund Operating Budget by Department
Below is the table that shows the breakdown of the General Fund expenditures:
5 Graph 3: General Fund Operational Expenditures by Type Actual Original Budget Budget
Expenditutres 2024 2025 2026 2027
City Council 125,142 296,825 222,385 224,740
City Manager 1,831,926 1,861,960 1,849,053 1,943,845
City Clerk 732,570 1,196,910 841,968 872,677
City Attorney 163,010 603,757 703,262 703,262
Community Development 3,086,169 3,229,808 2,821,973 2,984,845 Finance 1,564,016 1,898,810 2,003,388 2,110,801
Human Resources 894,256 913,185 1,099,108 1,161,101
Social Services 239,436 279,415 235,000 250,000
Parks & Community Services 5,697,669 7,336,688 7,794,136 8,083,314 Fire 9,344,775 9,239,593 9,434,479 9,893,285
Library 454,088 943,584 887,789 945,154
Non-Department 3,827,378 2,904,728 2,717,042 2,774,248
Police 22,539,380 24,866,361 24,741,722 26,133,627
Public Works 1,754,656 1,373,247 2,224,056 2,321,667
Total Depts 52,254,471 56,944,871 57,575,361 60,402,566
6 Approximately 75 percent of the City of Watsonville’s operating revenues are allocated to personnel costs across all departments. The largest share supports Public Safety services, followed by Parks & Community Services and lastly the City’s Internal Support Departments.
Community Development Department – The Community Development Department is actively engaged in two major projects: in getting the City’s new general plan update and housing element to the finish line. They are further planning for a decrease in planning demands, including few projects in the planning pipeline and it is anticipated cooling market conditions and reduced new housing starts because of increased construction costs and uncertainty with tariffs on lumber and building materials.
Parks and Community Services Department- The Parks and Community Services (PCS) offers a wide array of services and programming for our community. The Science Workshop Program is also a program that PCS offers; this helps better leverage our combined child programming resources. PCS grew programs and community participation through the addition of Measure R funds. They added programming for youth, seniors, Teen Action Council and added special events. In addition to the ongoing projects and programs mentioned earlier, the department is also actively involved in the Ramsay Renaissance Park Improvements. Bothman Construction was awarded the contract at the March 2024 meeting.
Construction is in full swing, in fact we just negotiated additional funding through a lease revenue bond we are issuing leveraging general funds including Measure R funds. The park’s grand opening is expected in late 2025. The department is also working on the design for the City Plaza renovation.
These efforts demonstrate the City’s and department commitment to enhancing recreation facilities and providing inclusive and enjoyable spaces for our community.
Other General Fund Operational Changes- As discussed, most of the increases in the table above reflect the increased costs of doing business and increases in salary and benefits for existing employees.
Graph 4: General Fund Operational Expenditures by Department for Fiscal Year 2025-26 Five Year Outlook
7 Our five-year projection assumption assumes that there will be no new programmatic changes. It provides a snapshot of the projected costs if we were to maintain our current operations and not introduce new programming. To that end it takes our annual budget produced and described above and adds some assumed inflationary factors to both the revenues and expenses. This of course will be refined and updated each year as information becomes available, as economic conditions change, as new priorities arise, and as decisions are made to keep the City’s budget in balance. Table 8 reflects the General Fund’s five-year outlook with major assumptions described below.
Table 8: General Fund Five-Year Outlook
Property Tax: Based on historical figures we are projecting a 3% increase in each of the out years.
Sales Tax: FY 2025-26 sales tax is expected to have a 3.6% increase over the last fiscal year. In the following years past the current proposed budget, we have received estimates from our sales consultants as to our percentage growth increases assuming some normal growth.
Other Non-Department and Departmental Revenues: Are projected to grow between 2% and 3% for each of the out years assuming some normal amount of inflation.
Salaries: In the last three years we assume salaries have grown very gradually, at 2%.
Retirement Costs: The normal cost portion of our retirement is anticipated to grow at the same rate as our salaries. Our portion of the unfunded liability is based on the most recent actuarial reports from CalPERS. The actuarial report shows our annual liability increasing in the budget year included.
Health Benefits – While Watsonville has seen little to no increases in our health insurance costs in recent years, we knew it was an anomaly in industry and among our peer cities. The City of Watsonville has recently been informed that after several years of minimal or no increases in healthcare costs, there will be a moderate increase of approximately 4.8 percent in the upcoming calendar year. We have planned such an increase in the next fiscal year as the increase is effective at the beginning of the calendar year.
Utilities – We will be working on a new rate fee study in the upcoming fiscal year but have used the previous adopted rate increase schedule for the Public Utilities of 1% for Water, 7.5% for Wastewater, and 5% for Solid Waste.
FY 2025/26 FY 2026/27 FY 2027/28 FY 2028/29 FY 2029/30
Revenue 73,728,134 62,774,170 63,837,515 65,406,293 66,810,561 Expenses 89,091,290 64,847,566 66,659,643 68,526,082 70,448,515 Revenue less Expense (15,363,156) (2,073,396) (2,822,128) (3,119,790) (3,637,954)
8 Other Non-Personnel Costs – We assume these costs will increase by 3%, an assumed approximate for CPI.
Operating Capital- In our 5-year Capital Plan, we are budgeting capital for just over $20.1 million in FY 2026-27. The City has quite a bit of unfunded capital needs. We continue to look for outside funding sources to meet those needs. However, budgeting a realistic amount of capital to maintain our facilities is imperative to preventing projects from becoming larger and more expensive replacement projects.
Select Special Revenue Funds
Table 9: Select Special Revenue Funds
Library Fund
The Library Fund is supported through a County levied special sales and use tax, Measure R funds, and General Fund. As such, we expect its revenues to return to normal levels and follow the sales tax patterns described above. The Library proposes utilizing some of its accumulated fund balance in their special revenue fund for building improvements, upgrading the AV in the meeting rooms and adding pillar booths. This will enable the library to expand its service, offering to better cater to the needs of our citizens.
ARPA
We have budgeted and obligated the remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support improvements at the Ramsay Park Renaissance project. This fund provided us with opportunities to fund streets, council chamber upgrades, youth job training, Summer in the City Program and position restoration, just to name a few. We will continue to monitor the spending of these funds as the deadline to fully spend down these funds is December 31, 2026.
Gas Tax and SB1
Gas Tax is expected to be relatively flat in this budget. These funds pay for roadway projects and include some staff and material costs for regular maintenance of the streets. The Public Works Department has 2 SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
0250 0262 0305 0306 0310 0312
Projected Resources 2025-26 LIBRARY
ARPA FUNDAMERICAN RELIEF
PLAN GAS TAX
SB 1 - GAS TAX
FUNDING
SALES TAX
MEASURE Y
MEASURE D -
TRANSPORTATIO
N FUND
Revenues 4,699,264 7,891,503.00 1,455,601.00 1,100,000.00 5,212,100 1,178,000 Transfer In 25,940
Total Gross Resources 4,725,204 7,891,503 1,455,601 1,100,000 5,212,100 1,178,000 Operations 4,569,883 - 1,084,038.00 - 5,435,589 -
Capital 386,000 7,891,503.00 1,285,094.00 4,446,374.00 1,940,630 5,700,525 Transfer Out 180,648 - -
Debt Service -
Grand Total 5,136,531 7,891,503 2,369,132 4,446,374 7,376,219 5,700,525 Surplus / (Shortfall) (411,327) - (913,531) (3,346,374) (2,164,119) (4,522,525)
9 been very successful in recent years in receiving grants for transportation projects in addition to these special revenue funds.
Measure Y
In March 2020, Watsonville voters overwhelmingly approved Measure Y, renewing the existing half-cent public safety sales and use tax. This renewal has provided continued support for essential city services, particularly in the Fire, Police and Parks departments, by allowing for increased expenditures and expanded budgets. The Fire and Police Departments can fund positions, other operating expenditures, and some capital with these funds. The Parks Department can fund repairs, staffing and other operating costs with their allocation.
Both Fire and Police are now facing limitations in capital funding capacity. As a result, ongoing support from the General Fund will be necessary to meet future capital investment needs. In the current fiscal year, the City is planning to purchase a new tiller truck using a portion of the remaining spendable fund balance. The General Fund will assume responsibility for the associated debt service payments in future years, ensuring the department can maintain its critical emergency response capabilities.
Select Enterprise Funds
Table 10: Select Enterprise Funds
The Utility Enterprise Funds of Wastewater, Water, and Solid Waste are proposing minimal changes to their operating budgets. In this upcoming fiscal year, they will be embarking on a new five-year rate study. The study will evaluate the need for additional resources to support several upcoming capital projects that are expected to be significant in cost. The rising costs within the Utility Enterprise Funds are primarily driven by increasing capital improvement expenses, the costs of materials and supplies, and in the case of Solid Waste, the cost of disposal contracts, rather than personnel-related cost increases typically seen in the General Fund.
4 ENTERPRISE FUNDS
0710 0720 0730 0740 0741 0789
Projected Resources 2025-26 WASTE WATER WATER AIRPORT SOLID WASTE LANDFILL CLOSURE FIBER OPTIC FUND Revenues 36,232,690 27,174,548 4,636,463 20,231,889 141,850 Transfer In
Total Gross Resources 36,232,690 27,174,548 4,636,463 20,231,889 - 141,850 Operations 19,544,209 18,656,764 4,346,395 16,883,985 150,761 77,443 Capital 20,810,995 31,198,256 171,000 2,990,055 630,545 Transfer Out 202,513 31,651 5,056 45,836
Debt Service 182,013 4,118 28,796 547,966
Grand Total 40,739,730 49,890,789 4,551,247 20,467,842 781,306 77,443 Surplus / (Shortfall) (4,507,040) (22,716,241) 85,216 (235,953) (781,306) 64,407
10 The Enterprise Funds are also adding one position and removing some positions. This will help their operations run more smoothly. The table below shows the position they are adding and the positions they are removing from the budget.
Table 11: Enterprise and Internal Service Fund Proposed Personnel Adjustments The Water Fund is preparing to pursue a 4.5MM State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan to finance upcoming compliance requirements related to Chromium-6 regulations. Simultaneously, the Wastewater Department will be initiating the replacement of the Main Switchgear and Energy Recovery Electrical System Improvements. These two major initiatives represent the primary drivers contributing to increased budgetary needs with the enterprise funds. Our Solid Waste Division was able to reopen Landfill Cell IV in the current fiscal year after a seven-year closure, unveiling two new areas that will give the city its own waste facility for about 75 years. This project is a major milestone in sustainable waste management. Reopening the landfill strengthens the City’s ability to manage waste locally, keeping costs down for residents and ensuring a more sustainable future.
The Airport Fund is supported through three revenue streams, leasing properties to aeronautical and non-aeronautical commercial businesses, leasing of aviation storage units, and aviation fuel sales. The department is expecting revenues to improve in the budget cycle. The Airport is committing a portion of its special events budget to community outreach efforts by partnering with local schools and offering the 4
th grade field trip, community non-profits and emergency services groups. They are also planning a Fire in the Sky event in September 2025.
Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan
The Five-Year Capital Plan helps the City prioritize its funding and planning for longer term structural needs. This year, all departments submitted a comprehensive list of all capital needs and projects.
Departments were encouraged to submit all their known capital needs knowing that the City may not be able to fund all projects. The list will inform the City of its capital needs. Several departments have recently been through Master Planning processes which formed their requests. Furthermore, the Public Works and Utility department has recently completed a comprehensive facility study. The study identified most of the City’s buildings and their maintenance and repairs needs.
The prioritization and decision process differed depending on funding source. For the General Fund, this year’s guiding principles were:
Position Department Status
Number of
FTE
Water Operations Supervisor Water Addition 1
Integrated Waste Worker Solid Waste Removal 1
Fleet and Warehouse Coordinator MSC Internal Services Removal 1
11 1) To fund projects that aligned with City Council’s strategic priorities as much as possible to create efficiencies by collaborating across the City.
2) To match or sync up with grant or other funding activities occurring at the same time; and 3) Projects required by changes in law or operational necessity. 4) Maximize the use of fund balance from other available funds to preserve General Fund for projects with no other funding options.
Based on the above criteria, the General Fund has prioritized finishing the Ramsay Renaissance Park Project and the City Plaza Renovation projects. New funding in the General Fund is $13MM in FY 2025- 26, which includes an additional $8.5MM for the Ramsay Renaissance Project and $3.5MM for the City Plaza Project. The City is issuing lease revenue bonds in the amount of $12MM to be able to complete these projects. The General fund’s capital expenditure also includes funding for police vehicles, body worn cameras and flock cameras. We are also proposing to fund $159k towards the financing of a fire tiller-truck for our Fire Department. Also, included in the reappropriation are the costs for the City’s General Plan, Wayfinding and Ramsay Park. We are hoping to complete Ramsay Park by the end of 2025 and re-open for our community’s use. Measure R is proposing to fund the Library Rooftop Project at $2.6MM and the Citywide Streetlights project at $1.9MM.
Most capital projects are not General Fund and will be managed by the Public Works and Utilities Department. Both the Wastewater and Water Enterprise Funds have previously completed comprehensive master plans last year which informed their proposals.
Wastewater Fund
In Fiscal year 2024/25, the two larger recommended projects are the Main Switchgear and Energy Recovery Electrical System Improvements $15MM in FY 2025-26. The main electrical switchgear and backup generation system that provides power and emergency backup power to all equipment in the Wastewater Treatment Plant is nearing the end of its useful life. This critical equipment was identified in the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTF) Hazard Assessment as vulnerable to flood and seismic hazards.
This project will replace this critical equipment and mitigate future flood or seismic hazards so the WWTF will continue to provide safe and effective wastewater treatment for the communities it serves. We are also planning to spend about $1.35MM on sewer pump improvements at the lift station at Pajaro Dunes.
We also are budgeting for a fencing project and reappropriating $1.0MM for a Headworks Project.
Water Fund
In Fiscal Year 2025/26 the Water Fund is proposing to spend $4.5MM on a project to work on water main replacements. Water mains are pipes that supply drinking water to homes and businesses. As they age, they become corroded and can break, causing problems for communities. The City invests to improve water system reliability. Additionally, in Fiscal Year 2025-26 they are proposing to spend $2MM on the Chromium-6 project. The State is in the process of updating the regulation limits for Chromium-6.
Depending on the final regulation limit issued by the State, several of the City's existing well sites may require additional treatment to meet these new regulatory limits. This project will provide Chromium-6 treatment technology at wells 2,3,7,14,17 &18 to meet regulatory compliance.
12 They are also proposing other projects that will repair or improve reservoirs, RWTF Electrical Improvements, water meter main replacements and various other projects.
Solid Waste.
The Solid Waste Capital Program is a bit smaller than in years past as they completed the reopening of Cell IV in April 2025. The proposed planned purchases are collection vehicles, street sweepers, and fuel trailers at about $1.0MM. They will also be working on some building improvements and are proposing to spend $300k for FY 25/26.
Grant Funds
The City has been successful in obtaining a $10.5MM grant to construct a pedestrian bridge over SR 1, install sidewalk and reconfigure bike lanes on Harkins Slough Rd. and modify Harkins Slough Rd/Green Valley Rd/Silver Leaf Dr intersection to improve bicycle and pedestrian access. Also, at Pajaro Valley High School and at feeder schools and various locations within the high school attendance area install high visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, upgrade curb ramps and improve bicycle facilities and provide pedestrian and bicycle safety training.
Transportation Funds
Funding comes from many sources, and each has its own requirements. Four of the sources, Gas Tax, Measure D, SB1 and General Funds in the form of Measure R have similar requirements and can be used on design and construction of transportation projects that include road repair and rehabilitation, traffic signals, safety improvements and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The City also secures grant funding through local, State and Federal sources that is awarded on a competitive basis. These grants often focus on an area, such as safety, pedestrian facilities, bicycle facilities or reducing pollution. Another source of funding is developer fees, which are collected for specific improvements in an area and use restricted to that purpose.
The number and size of projects identified in the our recent Pavement Management Plan will be determined by available funding. Currently, Watsonville receives approximately $3.5MM annually from Gas Tax, SB1 and Measure D to fund all transportation work and projects. Approximately $1 million of this is used for staffing, operations, and maintenance costs. Grants also provide one-time funding for specific projects. We are planning to spend $3.7MM on pavement repair in fiscal year 25/26.
Unfunded Capital Needs
Despite a plan which expects to fund over $60.5 million of new Capital projects next budget year, we still have many unfunded capital projects. The majority of these are not for “wish list” items but for basic maintenance and updates to our facilities and equipment, as identified in our facility’s plan. Capital investment was neglected after the 2008 recession and has left the City with a backlog of needs to our police and fire stations, our parks, our community buildings, and our sports facilities. We will continue to seek grants and other funds to invest in our capital assets and potentially look to Federal infrastructure funding that we hope will come our way.
Table 12: Capital Improvement Program by Funding Source
13 Budget Legislation
Each year the passage of the budget requires the passage of a few legislative items. Below is a listing of each of those items along with a brief description. Today’s action:
The following shall be requested to be adopted at the June 24, 2025, council meeting.
That the Joint City Council, the City Council in its capacity as the Housing Successor Agency shall:
1) Budget and CIP: approve a resolution adopting the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget, including the associated transfers of funds and approve the Five-Year Capital Improvement Program and position changes as highlighted and summarized in the staff report.
FY25/26 Requests Carryforwards 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 2029/30 GENERAL FUND $ 13,126,062 $ 6,995,137 $ 3,096,062 $ 4,458,062 $ 9,426,062 $ 1,571,062 MEASURE R $ 4,800,000 $ 5,185,488 $ 400,000 $ 300,000 $ 300,000 $ 300,000 COMPUTER REPLACEMENT FUND $ - $ -
TOTAL GENERAL FUND $ 17,926,062 $ 12,180,625 $ 3,496,062 $ 4,758,062 $ 9,726,062 $ 1,871,062
SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
CDBG $ 225,000 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
CIVIC CENTER $ 445,000 $ 1,010,435 $ 1,035,000 $ 75,000 $ - $ - LIBRARY $ 106,000 $ 280,000 $ - $ - $ - $ -
GRANTS $ 10,541,000 $ 16,626,633 $ 6,863,000 $ - $ - $ - ARPA $ - $ 7,891,503 $ -
PARKS DEVELOPMENT $ - $ 89,712 $ - $ - $ - $ -
GAS TAX $ 555,000 $ 730,094 $ 555,000 $ 555,000 $ 555,000 $ 555,000 SB1 $ 3,725,000 $ 721,374 $ 1,325,000 $ 1,325,000 $ 1,325,000 $ 1,325,000 MEASURE Y $ 514,000 $ 1,426,630 $ 1,198,614 $ 1,164,000 $ 500,000 $ 115,000 MEASURE D $ 1,750,000 $ 3,950,525 $ 1,180,000 $ 1,180,000 $ 1,180,000 $ 1,180,000 EAST HIGHWAY $ - $ 321,000 $ - $ - $ - $ -
UNDERGROUND UTILITY $ - $ 287,171 $ - $ 350,000 $ - $ - STORM DRAIN $ 70,000 $ 400,000 $ 2,000,000 $ - $ - $ -
PARK LAND IMPACT $ - $ 24,120 $ - $ - $ - $ -
CITY-WIDE TRAFFIC $ 900,000 $ 70,468 $ - $ - $ - $ -
PUBLIC FACILITIES $ - $ 11,603 $ - $ - $ - $ -
FIRE IMPACT $ 82,000 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
MANABE OW IMPACT FEE $ 190,000 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
TOTAL SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS $ 19,103,000 $ 33,841,268 $14,156,614 $ 4,649,000 $ 3,560,000 $ 3,175,000 $ -
ENTERPRISE FUNDS $ -
AIRPORT $ 80,000 $ 91,000 $ 887,200 $ 420,000 $ 1,587,000 $ - WASTEWATER $ 10,015,000 $ 10,795,994 $ 8,050,000 $19,589,454 $18,225,900 $ 7,550,000 WATER $ 10,510,145 $ 20,688,111 $19,310,402 $19,588,106 $29,978,158 $ 11,287,632 SOLID WASTE $ 1,290,000 $ 1,700,055 $ 1,580,808 $ 935,808 $ 1,500,000 $ 100,000 LANDFILL CLOSURE $ 300,000 $ 330,546 $ 200,000 $ 100,000 $ 100,000 $ 100,000 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY $ 840,000 $ 410,552 $ 340,000 $ 340,000 $ 340,000 $ 200,000 TOTAL ENTERPRISE FUNDS $ 23,035,145 $ 34,016,258 $30,368,410 $40,973,368 $51,731,058 $ 19,237,632 $ -
TOTAL CIP $ 60,064,207 $ 80,038,151 $48,021,086 $50,380,430 $65,017,120 $ 24,283,694 Capital Improvement Plan Summary
14 That the City Council shall adopt the following resolutions or ordinances:
2) Gann Limit: Resolution establishing the “Total Annual Appropriations” pursuant to State Constitution Article XIII-B for Fiscal Year FY 2025-26 (Proposition 4 GANN spending limit) as shown in Attachment 4; and
3) Property Tax levy: That the City Council adopt an ordinance to instruct Santa Cruz County to levy and collect property tax on taxable property within the City of Watsonville for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, at the levy rate of 0.077% and allocating to the Retirement Fund; and
4) Airport fees: Approve a resolution adopting various rates and fees at the Airport as shown in Attachment 2. The airport periodically updates its rates and fees based on inflation, comparison with other airports, limits set by the FAA, and operational revenue requirements. It has been two years since the airport has adjusted its rates and fees. 5) Facility Rental Fees at Parks and Community Services: Approve a resolution adopting facility rental fees at the PCS department as shown in Attachment 3. The Parks and Community Services Departments offer a variety of indoor and outdoor facilities for the public to rent. Facilities include community rooms, picnic areas, tennis courts, a car wash station and sports fields.
That City Council in its capacity as the Housing Successor Agency shall adopt:
6) Expenditures of housing funds: That the Housing Successor Agency shall adopt a resolution to authorize the expenditure of low and moderate-income housing funds for planning and general administrative costs for the purpose of producing, improving, and preserving the community's supply of low and moderate-income housing; and 7) Redevelopment Project: Find that the use of taxes allocated from the Watsonville 2000 Redevelopment Project for producing, improving, and preserving the supply of low and moderate-income housing outside the project area will be of benefit to the project area.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
The current balance budget meets Strategic Plan goal Number 2 of fiscal health by presenting a balanced budget, preserving the General Fund Reserve, and looking ahead to ensure the long-term financial health of the City.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Appropriate Fiscal Year 2025-26 spending $309,520,897.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
The City Council may direct staff to present different alternatives for the budget or make changes to
15 the current recommendation.
ATTACHMENTS AND/OR REFERENCES (IF ANY):
1) Budget 25.26 Corrections after draft budget publication
Attachment 1 - Technical Changes
Budget 25.26 Corrections after draft budget publication Fund Org Object Project Description FY 25/26
0260 337 5890 09050 GRANT PROCEEDS (278,766.00)
0260 337 5890 09053 PARKS REVITALIZATION GRANT 3,500,000.00 0250 621 6510 OPERATING TRANSFER IN 25,940.00
0510 773 6510 OPERATING TRANSFERS IN (1,500,000.00)
Total Revenue Increaes 1,747,174.00
0150 510 7011 REGULAR SALARIES & WAGES (48,688.00)
0150 510 7038 RETIREMENT PLAN CHARGES (4,328.00)
0150 510 7062 GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE (9,527.00)
0150 510 7066 SOCIAL SECURITY (3,725.00)
0150 160 7221 ADVERTISING 2,000.00
0150 160 7232 TRAVEL & SUBSISTENCE 400.00
0150 160 7321 REP & MAINT-OTHER EQUIP/FURN/T 1,000.00
0150 450 7323 REP & MAINT-VEHICLES & EQUIPME 10,000.00
0150 450 7325 REP & MAINT-BUILDINGS 10,000.00
0150 450 7359 PERSONNEL TRAINING (2,000.00)
0150 430 7361 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES 68,218.00
0150 450 7361 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES 2,700.00
0150 510 7361 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES 66,268.00
0150 409 7369 FEES & PERMITS 164,927.00
0150 450 7533 SPECIALIZED DEPT MATERIALS (20,700.00)
0150 510 7731 MSC CHARGES 4,375.00
0150 901 7805 15214 PATROL VEHICLE REPLACEMENT 23,086.00 0150 620 7910 OPERATING TRANSFER OUT (25,940.00)
0201 801 7021 09072 TEMPORARY & CASUAL WAGES 8,000.00
0201 801 7021 09073 TEMPORARY & CASUAL WAGES 9,500.00
0201 973 7301 15151 PARKS - PINTO LAKE MASTER PLAN (200,000.00) 0201 973 7301 15153 PARKS - PARK ASSESSMENT CIPS (467,953.00)
0201 801 7361 09070 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES 6,000.00
0201 801 7361 09072 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES (23,500.00) 0201 973 7361 15151 PARKS - PINTO LAKE MASTER PLAN 200,000.00 0201 973 7361 15153 PARKS - PARK ASSESSMENT CIPS 467,953.00 0201 975 7361 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES 67,672.00
0260 337 7021 09050 TEMPORARY & CASUAL WAGES 226,258.00 0260 337 7361 09053 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES (3,500,000.00) 0260 337 7533 09050 SPECIALIZED DEPT MATERIALS 131,700.00 0306 924 7837 15083 GREEN VALLEY RD SAFETY (250,000.00) 0306 924 7837 15185 PMP YR1 PROJECT MGT & CONST OV (350,000.00) 0306 924 7837 15186 PMP YR. 1 - PS&E CONSULTANT (300,000.00) 0306 924 7837 15187 PAVEMENT REPAIR PROJECT (425,000.00) 0310 526 7232 TRAVEL & SUBSISTENCE (6,000.00)
0310 526 7307 EXPERT & CONSULTATION SERVICES (15,000.00) 0310 526 7327 REP & MAINT-UNIFORMS & ACCESS 10,000.00
0310 526 7359 PERSONNEL TRAINING (47,767.00)
0310 526 7361 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES 9,000.00
0310 529 7361 09045 OTHER CONTRACT SERVICES-YOUTH (34,100.00) 0310 526 7501 OFFICE SUPPLIES 5,500.00
0310 529 7559 09045 OTHER SUPPLIES & MATERIALS 34,100.00 0312 972 7837 15083 GREEN VALLEY RD SAFETY (25,000.00)
0348 948 7533 15178 TWO VEHICLES REPLACEMENT-FIRE 82,000.00 0354 959 7213 14009 WATER SERVICES 4,000.00
0510 773 7741 RAMSAY -PRINCIPAL 1,500,000.00
0710 911 7835 15115 SW PUMP STATION IMPROV PAJARO (500,000.00) 0720 596 7011 REGULAR SALARIES & WAGES 131,164.00
0720 596 7038 RETIREMENT PLAN CHARGES 9,037.00
0720 596 7062 GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE 18,834.00
0720 596 7066 SOCIAL SECURITY 10,034.00
0720 596 7067 ALT-457 DEFERRED COMP 1,300.00
0720 913 7813 15129 PAYMENT KIOSK 80,000.00
0720 913 7855 14346 CHROMIUM 6 TREATMENT PLANTS (1,935,888.00) 0720 913 7855 14794 NATURE CENTER BUILDING (702,496.00)
0720 913 7855 14826 AIRPORT, HAMES, AMESTI AND RID (329,774.00) 0720 913 7855 15122 MSC NEW BUILDING DESIGN (250,000.00) 0720 913 7855 15131 EUREKA CANYON FISH LADDER REPA (328,518.00) 0740 570 7011 REGULAR SALARIES & WAGES (47,611.00)
0740 570 7038 RETIREMENT PLAN CHARGES (4,233.00)
0740 570 7062 GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE (18,924.00)
0740 570 7066 SOCIAL SECURITY (3,642.00)
0760 545 7011 REGULAR SALARIES & WAGES (65,337.00)
0760 545 7038 RETIREMENT PLAN CHARGES (5,808.00)
0760 545 7062 GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE (19,053.00)
0760 545 7066 SOCIAL SECURITY (4,998.00)
Total New Appropriation Requests (6,610,484.00)
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. (SHA)
Reso No. (SA)
Meeting Date: 062425 SWZ ______ TV ______ Finance _____ 1 RESOLUTION NO. (CM)
RESOLUTION NO. (SHA)
RESOLUTION NO. (SA)
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY
COUNCIL IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE HOUSING
ASSETS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE FORMER REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, AND THE SUCCESSOR
AGENCY OF THE FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY
OF WATSONVILLE ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2025-2026, PROVIDING FOR CERTAIN TRANSFERS OF FUNDS,
APPROVING THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
(CIP) FOR FISCAL YEARS 2025-26 to 2029-30, AND POSITION
CHANGES
WHEREAS, pursuant to § 1103 of the Charter of the City of Watsonville a proposed budget for fiscal year 2025-26 has been submitted to the City Council by the City Manager and the City Council has reviewed and made revisions as it deemed advisable; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 1104 of the Charter, the Council fixed the time and place for holding the public hearing on the proposed budget; and WHEREAS, copies of the proposed budget have been and are available for inspection by the public at the Office of the City Clerk at least ten (10) days before the hearing to consider final adoption; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 1104 of the City Charter, a public hearing was held to consider the adoption of the proposed budget after due notice as provided by law at which time interested persons desiring to be heard were given such opportunity; and WHEREAS, after the conclusion of the public hearing the Council further considered the proposed budget and made any revisions thereto that it deemed advisable; and
WHEREAS, the appropriate officers, departments, boards, and commissions of the City identified all public improvements proposed in Watsonville; and
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. (SHA)
Reso No. (SA)
Meeting Date: 062425
2 WHEREAS, on May 6, 2025, the Planning Commission reviewed said identified public improvements and listed and classified same with a coordinated program of proposed public improvements for the five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) according to a logical order or priority; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission recommended a coordinated program of proposed public improvements for the fiscal years 2025-26 to 2029-30 period to the City Manager and Council; and
WHEREAS, § 1105 of the Charter provides after submission of the proposed budget, but before the beginning of the ensuing fiscal year, the Council shall adopt a final budget with revisions, if any, and said final budget shall be certified by the City Clerk.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Approval of 2025-26 Budget. That the City of Watsonville and the City Council in its Capacity as the Housing Successor Agency to the Former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Watsonville proposed a budget for 2025-2026, presented by the City Manager to the members of the City Council, and filed with the City Clerk, and as thereafter amended by the City Council, a copy of which budget is on file in the Office of the City Clerk, is hereby approved as to form in the amount of $309.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.
Section 2. Approval of 2025-2026 Successor Agency Budget. That the Successor Agency for the Former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Watsonville proposed budget for 2025-2026, presented by the City Manager to the members of the Agency, and filed with the City Clerk, and as thereafter amended by the Agency Members,
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. (SHA)
Reso No. (SA)
Meeting Date: 062425
3 a copy of which budget is on file in the Office of the City Clerk, is hereby approved as to form in the amount of $.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.
Section 3. Adoption of 2025-2026 Budget. That the portion of the proposed budget applicable to the 2025-2026 fiscal year presented by the City Manager to the members of the City Council, and filed with the City Clerk, and as thereafter amended by the City Council, a copy of which budget is on file in the Office of the City Clerk, is hereby approved as the final budget in the amount of $309.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and the several amounts stated therein as proposed expenditures are hereby appropriated for the objects therein described on Exhibit “A,” attached hereto and incorporated herein.
Section 4. Appropriations. That from the effective date of the adopted budget, the amounts stated in said budget as proposed expenditures are hereby appropriated to the offices, agencies and departments for the respective objects specified in said adopted budget.
Section 5. Council Transfers. That the City Council is authorized pursuant to Section 1107 of the Charter of the City of Watsonville, after adoption of the budget, to amend or supplement the budget as to authorize the transfer of unused balances appropriated from one purpose to another purpose, or to appropriate available revenue not appropriated in the budget.
Section 6. Lapse of Appropriations. Pursuant to § 1107 of the Charter, all such appropriations shall lapse at the end of the 2025-2026 fiscal year except to the extent that they shall have been expended or lawfully encumbered.
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. (SHA)
Reso No. (SA)
Meeting Date: 062425
4 Section 7. Manager Transfers. That the City Manager is authorized to transfer appropriations within fund budgets; provided, however, that the total appropriations are not increased thereby.
Section 8. Finance Transfers. That the Administrative Services Director is authorized to transfer appropriations among the items within departmental budgets, excepting there from Salary and Capital accounts.
Section 9. Capital Improvement Program. That the Capital Improvement Program for 2025-2030, attached as a part of the 2025-2026 budget, as amended by the City Council, is hereby approved. Capital projects carried over from prior periods (reappropriated), as amended by Council are hereby approved, except as already expended.
Section 10. Personnel Changes. That the 16.75 proposed full time equivalent personnel reductions across all funds as included in the Attachment, Exhibit B and 1 position addition included in the FY 2025-2026 budget, as amended by the City Council, is hereby approved.
Section 11. Excess Expenditures. Pursuant to § 1107 of the Charter, except to the extent provided in this resolution, no officer, department or agency of the City shall, during any fiscal year, expend or incur any obligation to expend money for any purposes not authorized by or in excess of the amounts appropriated by this budget, as amended, for a given classification or expenditure. For purposes of expending or incurring such obligation, classification means the same as the term “fund” defined in the Budget.
Section 12. Public Copy Available. Pursuant to § 1105 of the Charter, a copy of the adopted budget, certified by the City Clerk shall be placed on file in the office of the City Clerk where it shall be available for public inspection. Certified copies shall be
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. (SHA)
Reso No. (SA)
Meeting Date: 062425
5 reproduced and copies made available for use by all officers, offices, departments and other agencies of the City and for use by civic organizations ************************************
FOUND FISCAL YEAR 25/26
0150 76,183,067.00
0160 4,353,000.00
0201 13,239,901.00
0202 494,660.00
0204 825,159.00
0205 714,804.00
0209 510,394.00
0210 230,830.00
0215 50,000.00
0221 122,623.00
0225 48,814.00
0245 63,654.00
0246 1,782,989.00
0250 5,110,591.00
0260 30,929,391.00
0262 7,891,503.00
0265 56,739.00
0266 50,000.00
0274 100,000.00
0276 24,120.00
0281 89,712.00
0285 600.00
0290 3,000.00
0305 2,369,132.00
0306 4,446,374.00
0309 185,993.00
0310 7,376,219.00
0312 5,700,525.00
0340 970,468.00
0344 321,000.00
0348 82,000.00
0349 11,603.00
0350 470,000.00
0354 63,125.00
0357 287,171.00
0358 190,000.00
0360 61,358.00
0510 1,786,993.00
0710 40,739,730.00
0720 49,890,789.00
0730 4,551,247.00
0740 20,467,842.00
0741 781,306.00
0760 3,210,988.00
0780 6,554,151.00
0787 11,105,689.00
0789 77,443.00
0790 4,906,760.00
0825 11,500.00
309,494,957.00
CITY OF WATSONVILLE & SUCCESSOR AGENCY
BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS BY FUND OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE
BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS
BY FUND
DESCRIPTION
RDA_HOUSING
COMMUNITY DEV BLOCK GRANT
H.O.M.E. GRANTS
GENERAL FUND
RETIREMENT FUND
MEASURE R
RDA_OBLIGATION RETIREMENT FUND
CAL HOME GRANT
RELOCATION REVOLVING
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
ABONDONED VEHICLE AUTHORITY
CIVIC CENTER COMMON AREA
LIBRARY
SPECIAL GRANTS
ARPA FUND-AMERICAN RELIEF PLAN
PUBLIC EDUCATION FEE -CABLE TV
LLMAD-GONZALEZ STREET
GREEN BUILDING FEE
GAS TAX
SB 1 - GAS TAX FUNDING
SPECIAL MOBILE HOME FUND
PUBLIC ART FEE
PARK LAND IMPACT FEE
PARKS DEVELOPMENT
IMPACT: CITY-WIDE TRAFFIC
IMPACT: EAST HIGHWAY 1 AREA
PARKING GARAGE
SALES TAX MEASURE Y
MEASURE D -TRANSPORTATION FUND
IMPACT: STORM DRAIN IMPROVEME
LLMAD (SPECIAL DISTRICTS FUND)
UNDERGROUND UTILITY
IMPACT: FIRE CAPITAL IMPROVEM
IMPACT: PUBLIC FACILITIES
AIRPORT
SOLID WASTE
LANDFILL CLOSURE
MSC INTERNAL SERVICE FUND
MANABE OW IMPACT FEE FUND
LLMAD BAY BREEZE SPECIAL DISTR
DEBT SERVICE FUND
WASTE WATER
WATER
NARCOTICS FORFEITURE AWARD
TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS
City Of Watsonville 308,175,138.00
WORKERS COMP/ LIABILITY
HEALTH INSURANCE
FIBER OPTIC FUND
INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY ISF
Housing Successor Agency of the Former Redevelopment Agency 825,159.00 Successor Agency of the Former Redevelopment Agency 494,660.00 Total Appropriations Page 497 of 682 309,494,957.00
Attachment B
Personnel Adjustments Proposed FY 25/26
Position Description
General Fund CHANGES Fund Org FTE
ASSIST CITY MANAGER Removal 150 120 -1
CUSTODIAN Removal 150 220 -1
ADMIN SVCS MANAGER Removal 150 230 -1
IT ANALYST II Removal 150 285 -1
DEVELOP REVIEW TECH Removal 150 315 -1
POLICE OFFICER Removal 150 410 -1
POLICE OFFICER Removal 150 410 -1
REC COORDINATOR Removal 150 417 -1
POLICE CLERK II Removal 150 419 -1
FIRE INSPECTOR Removal 150 450 -1
SR ADMIN ANALYST Removal 150 690 -1
Total -11
Grants Fund
REC SPECIALIST Removal 260 337 -1
PROGRAM COORDINATOR Removal 260 336 -1
ADMIN ANALYST Removal 260 368 -0.5
ADMIN ANALYST Removal 260 380 -0.5
SR ADMIN ANALYST Removal 260 339 -1
Total -4
Enterprise Fund
Integrated Waste Worker Removal 740 570 -0.75
Fleet and Warehouse Coordinator Removal 760 545 -1
Total -1.75
Positions being Adjusted Down -16.75
ADDED
Water Operations Supervisor Addition 720 596 1
Total 1
Positions Increase Requested 1
Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 062425 SWZ ______ TV ______ Finance ______ 1 RESOLUTION NO. ________ (CM)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE ESTABLISHING TOTAL ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS
PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA STATE CONSTITUTION ARTICLE XIII-B FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026
[Proposition 4 Gann Spending Limit]
WHEREAS, the initiative commonly referred to as Proposition 4 Gann spending limit adopted November 6, 1979, by the state electorate provided for Article XIII-B of the State Constitution to establish government spending limitations, and requires the establishment of total annual appropriations subject to certain limitations and adjustments for change.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA AS FOLLOWS:
That the total annual appropriations limit (Proposition 4 Gann spending limit) for the City of Watsonville General Fund during the fiscal year 2025-2026 is $188,516,347; the amended budget subject to the spending limit is $56,068,570 as set forth in Exhibit “A,” a copy of which is attached hereto, and is hereby approved and adopted. ****************************
Exhibit A
Proposition 4 Calculation
For Fiscal Year 2025-26
Spending Limit Calculation
[a] 2024-25 Limit $ 176,281,910
Calculation of Growth Factor
Change in Population 6.440%
Non-resident, New Const. Assessment Growth
Change in California Per Capita Person Income
[b] Growth Factor (1.0644 *1.0047) 1.06940268
[c] 2025-26 Limit ( [a] multiplied by [b] ) $ 188,516,347 2025-26 Gann Limit Proposed Spending
Proposed General Fund Spending 73,675,361 $
Less Non-tax General Fund Revenues:
Transfers In (non-tax) (4,487,890)
Use of Money and Property (4,124,385)
Fees (8,994,516)
In-lieu Charges -
Other non-tax revenue -
[d] Spending Subject to the Gann Limit $ 56,068,570
Remaining Capacity ( [d] subtracted from [c] ) $ 132,447,777
Ord No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 062425 SWZ ______ TV ______ Finance ______ 1 ORDINANCE NO. (CM)
AN UNCODIFIED ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE INSTRUCTING THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ TO
LEVY AND COLLECT A PROPERTY TAX ON TAXABLE PROPERTY IN
THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING
JULY 1, 2025, FIXING THE RATE OF 0.077% THEREOF AND
ALLOCATING IT TO THE RETIREMENT FUND
WHEREAS, Proposition 13 [Article XIII of the State Constitution] does not apply to measures approved by the voters prior to the effective date of the Article XIII of the State Constitution; and
WHEREAS, participation in the State Employees Retirement System or other system for the retirement of City employees, hereinafter set forth, is a measure approved by the voters of the City of Watsonville prior to the effective date of Article XIII-A; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Ordinance No. 437-78 (CM), as amended by Ordinance No. 670-85 (CM), the County of Santa Cruz is authorized to levy and collect ad valorem taxes on taxable property within the City of Watsonville; and WHEREAS, on November 7, 2006, at a Special Municipal Election, the voters of the City of Watsonville approved Subdivision (3)(b) of Section 1122 of Article XI of the Charter of the City of Watsonville establishing the rate to be collected not to exceed 7.7 cents on each One Hundred and no/100th ($100.00) Dollars of assessed valued.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. ENACTMENT. The County of Santa Cruz is hereby instructed to levy upon the taxable property of the City of Watsonville for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, a property tax which is hereby fixed at the rate of 0.077% (pursuant to Subsection
Ord No______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 062425 2
1122(b)(3) of the Charter of the City of Watsonville), designated and to be allocated and divided among the funds of the City, as described and attached hereto on Exhibit “A.” SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon the adoption in accordance with Section 608(c) of the Charter.
SECTION 3. PUBLICATION. The City Clerk is hereby directed to cause this ordinance to be published in one regular issue of the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian and/or Santa Cruz Sentinel in compliance with the provisions of the Charter of the City of Watsonville within fifteen (15) days after its adoption. ***********************************
CITY OF WATSONVILLE
Final Retirement Tax Calculations
with Levy Rate of 0.077%
Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Retirement
General Fund Public Safety Departments
Police Department
Police PERS
System Costs
1,811,148
Police PERS Unfunded Liability 3,737,524
Police Social Security &/or Medicare 305,726
Alternate 457 for Temporary employees
Fire Department
Fire PERS
50,440
835,733
Fire Employee PERS Unfunded Liability 1,939,458
Fire Social Security &/or Medicare 71,733
Alternate 457 for Temporary employees 9,100
General Fund- Remaining Departments
PERS 895,293
Employee PERS Unfunded Liability 1,649,149
Social Security 764,681
Alternate 457 for Temporary employees 116,782
Administration Fee Allocation Costs -
Grand Total Needed 12,186,767
Less: Allowance for Turnover (300,000)
Estimated General Fund Pension Costs $ 11,886,767
Less: Estimated Levy Proceeds (37% of total costs) 4,200,000 Amount supported by General Fund $ 7,686,767
CITY OF WATSONVILLE
Final Retirement Tax Calculations
with Levy Rate of 0.077% Fiscal
Year 2025-2026
General Fund Retirement Program Costs
Police Department
Fire Department
Other non-safety departments
Grand Total Needed
Less: Allowance for Turnover
Estimated General Fund Pension Costs s:
Estimated Levy Proceeds (37% of total costs)
Amount supported by General Fund
$ 5,904,838
2,856,024
3,425,905
12,186,767
(300,000)
$ 11,886,767
$ 4,200,000
$ 7,686,767
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. (SHA)
Meeting Date: 062425 SWZ ______ TV ______ Finance ______ 1 RESOLUTION NO. __________ (CM)
RESOLUTION NO. __________ (SHA)
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY COUNCIL IN
ITS CAPACITY AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE HOUSING ASSETS AND
FUNCTIONS OF THE FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE
CITY OF WATSONVILLE FINDING THAT THE USE OF THE FORMER
AGENCY’S FUNDS AND OTHER ASSETS GENERATED FROM THE
WATSONVILLE 2000 REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA FOR THE
PURPOSE OF IMPROVING, INCREASING, AND PRESERVING THE
COMMUNITY’S SUPPLY OF LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING
OUTSIDE THE PROJECT AREA WILL BENEFIT THE PROJECT AREA
WHEREAS, in accord with the California Community Redevelopment Law (Health and Safety Code sections 33000, et seq.) (the “CRL”), the City Council of the City of Watsonville (“City”) previously established the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Watsonville (“Agency”); and
WHEREAS, in accord with CRL section 33334.2(a), not less than twenty percent (20%) of all tax increment that was allocated to the Agency from the Watsonville 2000 Redevelopment Project Area (“Project Area”) was placed into the Agency’s Low and Moderate Income Housing Fund (“LMIHF”) and used to increase, improve and preserve the community’s supply of low and moderate income housing; and WHEREAS, in accord with Assembly Bill 1X26 (“AB26”) and Assembly Bill 1484 (“AB1484”) (AB26 and AB1484, collectively, the “Dissolution Acts”), the Agency was dissolved and its assets, functions, and obligations were assumed by other public agencies; and
WHEREAS, in accord with CRL section 34176, the City of Watsonville (“City”) elected to become the Agency’s housing successor agency (“Housing Successor”) and to assume the Agency’s low and moderate income housing responsibilities, including those related to the LMIHF and the income attributable to the repayment of loans made
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. ____ (SHA)
Meeting Date: 062425
2 from the LMIHF and the sale of assets purchased with LMIHF funds (all of the foregoing, collectively, “Housing Assets”); and
WHEREAS, in accord with CRL section 34176(d), the Housing Successor has established in its accounts a separate “Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund” (“LMIHAF”) and has placed all Housing Assets which it received from the Agency into the LMIHAF and will likewise place any future Housing Assets it receives into the LMIHAF; and
WHEREAS, under the Dissolution Acts, the Housing Successor’s use of the LMIHAF is subject to the CRL’s housing-related requirements; and WHEREAS, CRL section 33334.2(g) provides that funds in the LMIHF may be used outside the Project Area only if the Agency’s governing and legislative bodies determined that the proposed use would benefit the Project Area; and WHEREAS, as the Housing Successor’s legislative and governing body, the City Council may make the findings required by CRL section 33334.2(g) with respect to the use of funds in the LMIHAF outside of the Project Area; and WHEREAS, the General Plan of the City of Watsonville demonstrates a need for affordable housing throughout the community; and
WHEREAS, the Housing Successor proposes to use funds in the LMIHAF outside of the Project Area for various projects designed to increase, improve, and preserve the City’s supply of decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY
COUNCIL IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE HOUSING ASSETS AND
Reso No. (CM)
Reso No. ____ (SHA)
Meeting Date: 062425
3 FUNCTIONS OF THE FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE :
Section 1. Based on the written and oral information presented to it, the City Council determines as follows:
A. The use of LMIHAF funds for the development of low and moderate income housing outside of the Project Area will benefit the Project Area, since there is the need for additional affordable housing throughout the community, as indicated by the City of Watsonville General Plan, and since more land is needed to develop sufficient affordable housing in the community than is available within the Project Area.
B. The use of LMIHAF funds outside the Project Area is authorized.
The Housing Successor’s use of LMIHAF funds is subject to the same CRL requirements as the Agency’s use of LMIHF funds would have been.
Section 2. The findings and determinations set forth in this Resolution are final and conclusive.
Section 3. The City Clerk will certify the adoption of this Resolution and will cause it to be processed in the manner required by law. ***********************************
Reso No. (SHA)
Meeting Date: 062425 SWZ ______ TV ______ Finance ______ 1 RESOLUTION NO. __________ (SHA)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE
HOUSING ASSETS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE FORMER
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE FINDING
THAT THE USE OF FUNDS FROM THE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME
HOUSING ASSET FUND FOR PLANNING AND GENERAL
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS IS NECESSARY FOR THE PURPOSE OF
PRODUCING, IMPROVING, AND PRESERVING THE COMMUNITY’S
SUPPLY OF LOW AND MODERATE-INCOME HOUSING
WHEREAS, in accord with the provisions of the California Community Redevelopment Law (Health and Safety Code Section 33000, et seq. (“CRL”), the City Council of the City of Watsonville (“City”) previously established the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Watsonville, a public body, corporate and politic (“Agency”) to carry out the purposes of and exercise the powers granted to community redevelopment agencies under the CRL; and
WHEREAS, on February 1, 2012, the Agency was dissolved pursuant to Assembly Bill 1X26 (Stats. 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 5) (“AB 26”), and its rights, powers, duties and obligations were transferred to a “successor agency” (as defined by CRL Section 34171(j) and Section 34173); and
WHEREAS, CRL Section 34176 provides that the City, as the former Agency’s creating entity, could elect to retain the housing assets and functions of the former Agency and to assume its rights, powers, duties, obligations; and WHEREAS, in accord with Section 34176, the City elected to retain the former Agency’s housing assets and functions and to become the successor (“Housing Successor”) to the former Agency’s housing rights and duties; and
Reso No. (SHA)
Meeting Date: 062425 2
WHEREAS, as the Housing Successor, the City holds the former Agency’s housing funds and assets; and
WHEREAS, as required by CRL section 34176(d), the City has created among the City’s accounts a “Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund” (“LMIHAF”) and has deposited the former Agency’s housing funds (and income from the former Agency’s housing assets) into the LMIHAF; and
WHEREAS, CRL Section 34176 provides that the funds in the LMIHAF may be used only in accord with the CRL’s applicable housing-related provisions; and WHEREAS, the City, as Housing Successor, proposes to expend funds from the LMIHAF for the purposes allowed under the CRL’s housing-related provisions, including for planning and administrative expenses directly related to programs and activities authorized by CRL Section 33334.2(e) and Section 33334.3(e); and WHEREAS, in accordance with CRL Section 33334.3(d), the Housing Successor may expend money from the LMIHAF for planning and general administrative activities directly associated with the development, improvement and preservation of affordable housing which is not disproportionate to the amount actually spent for the costs of the production, improvement, or preservation of that housing; and WHEREAS, CRL Section 33334.3(d) requires that the Housing Successor determine annually that the planning and administrative expenses paid for with housing funds are necessary for the production, improvement, or preservation of low- and moderate-income housing.
Reso No. (SHA)
Meeting Date: 062425 3
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF WATSONVILLE IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE HOUSING
ASSETS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE , CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. In accord with CRL Section 33334.3(d), the City Council determines that the Housing Successor’s use of funds from the LMIHAF to pay for planning and administrative expenses is necessary for the production, improvement, or preservation of low- and moderate-income housing.
Section 2. In accord with CRL Section 33334.3(e), the City Council authorizes the Housing Successor’s use of funds from the LMIHAF for planning and administrative costs directly related to programs and activities authorized by CRL Section 33334.2(e) and Section 33334.3(e).
Section 3. The findings and determinations set forth in this Resolution are final and conclusive.
Section 4. The City Clerk will certify the adoption of this Resolution and cause it to be processed in the manner required by law.
******************************
Reso No. (CM)
Reference: Reso No. 137-23
Meeting Date: 062425
1 RESOLUTION NO.__________ (CM)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE ADOPTING THE “CITY OF WATSONVILLE PARKS
AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IMPACT FEES” WITHIN THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE
Rescinds Resolution No. (CM)
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:
1. This action does not meet CEQA’s definition of a “project”, because the action does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
2. That the City Council does hereby approve and adopt the “City of Watsonville Impact Fees,” a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by reference, to be used to determine priority of use and appropriate fees and charges for the Parks and Community Services Department facilities within the City of Watsonville.
3. That the aforementioned amended fees, rates, and charges shall supersede any and all fees, rates, and charges of the City inconsistent therewith and shall be effective July 1, 2025.
***********************************
City of Watsonville Citywide Fee Schedule
Park Land In-Lieu Fee, Park Land Impact Fee, Park Improvement Impact Fee, and Community Centers & Recreational Facilities Impact Fee Summary of Parks and Recreation Impact Fees per Unit
Dwelling Unit
Size in Sq Ft
Park
Land
In-Lieu
Fee 1
Park
Land
Impact
Fee
Park
Imprvmt
Impact
Fee
Comm/Recr
Impact Fee
Total 2
<600 0.0020 $1,397 $1,696 $234 $3,327
600-900 0.0035 $2,438 $2,961 $408 $5,807
>900-1,200 0.0049 $3,465 $4,208 $579 $8,252
>1,200-2,100 0.0062 $4,377 $5,316 $732 $10,426
>2,100 0.0069 $4,845 $5,884 $810 $11,539
1 Fees are calculated on the fair market value per acre valuation of the project. 2 Total includes the park land impact fee rather than the park land inlieu fee; only one of the two fees would be charged to a single project, depending on whether it involves a subdivision.
Park Land In-Lieu Fees (Subdivisions)
Dwelling Unit
Size in Sq Ft
Acres
per
Capita
Population
per Unit
Max
Acres
per
Unit
Fee -
40% of
Max
<600 0.003 1.32 0.0040 0.0020
600-900 0.003 2.31 0.0069 0.0035
>900-1,200 0.003 3.28 0.0098 0.0049
>1,200-2,100 0.003 4.15 0.0124 0.0062
>2,100 0.003 4.59 0.0138 0.0069
Fees are calculated on the fair market value per acre valuation of the project.
Park Land Impact Fees (Non-Subdivision Projects)
Dwelling Unit
Size in Sq Ft
Cost per
Capita
Population
per Unit
Max Impact
Fee per
Unit
Fee -
40% of
Max
<600 $2,111.85 1.32 $2,794 $1,397
600-900 $2,111.85 2.31 $4,877 $2,438
>900-1,200 $2,111.85 3.28 $6,929 $3,465
>1,200-2,100 $2,111.85 4.15 $8,755 $4,377
>2,100 $2,111.85 4.59 $9,690 $4,845
* These impact fees do not apply to residential subdivisions that are required to dedicate park land or pay fees in lieu of dedication pursuant to the Quimby Act
Exhibit A
Park Improvement Impact Fees (All Residential Development) Dwelling Unit
Size in Sq Ft
Cost per
Capita
Population
per Unit
Max Impact
Fee per
Unit
Fee -
40% of
Max
<600 $2,564.78 1.32 $3,393 $1,696
600-900 $2,564.78 2.31 $5,923 $2,961
>900-1,200 $2,564.78 3.28 $8,415 $4,208
>1,200-2,100 $2,564.78 4.15 $10,633 $5,316
>2,100 $2,564.78 4.59 $11,768 $5,884
Community Centers and Recreation Facilities Impact Fees Dwelling Unit
Size in Sq Ft
Cost per
Capita
Population
per Unit
Max Impact
Fee per
Unit
Fee -
40% of
Max
<600 $353.05 1.32 $467 $234
600-900 $353.05 2.31 $815 $408
>900-1,200 $353.05 3.28 $1,158 $579
>1,200-2,100 $353.05 4.15 $1,464 $732
>2,100 $353.05 4.59 $1,620 $810
Exhibit A
Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 062425 SWZ ______ TV ______ Finance ______ 1 RESOLUTION NO.__________ (CM)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE ADOPTING THE “CITY OF WATSONVILLE PARKS
AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT FACILITY USE PRIORITY CLASSIFICATIONS” AND ADOPTING THE FACILITY RENTAL FEE
SCHEDULE FOR THE USE OF PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES
WITHIN THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:
1. That the City Council does hereby approve and adopt the “City of Watsonville Parks and Community Services Department Facility Use Definitions and Priority Classifications,” a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by reference, to be used to determine priority of use and appropriate fees and charges for the Parks and Community Services Department facilities within the City of Watsonville.
2. That the City Council does hereby approve and adopt the “City of Watsonville Parks and Community Services Department Facility Rental Fee Schedule,” of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “B” and incorporated herein by reference to establish fees for the use of such Parks and Community Services Department facilities within the City of Watsonville.
3. That the aforementioned amended fees, rates, and charges shall supersede any and all fees, rates, and charges of the City inconsistent therewith and shall be effective July 1, 2025.
***********************************
The following classifications shall apply for purposes of determining priority use, as well as applicable fees and charges. User categories shall be determined by the Director of Parks and Community Services and subject to the City’s appeal process.
PRIORITY 1: Use for City Conducted, Sponsored, Co-Sponsored and PVUSD Activities (Fees do not apply to Priority 1 Activities)
▪ City of Watsonville conducted, sponsored or co-sponsored activities. ▪ City Council approved use agreements.
▪ Pajaro Valley Unified School District activities as may be defined in either a mutual use agreement or specific facility joint use agreement.
▪ Pajaro Valley Unified School District activities at the request of a School administrator for a specific time period (but less than that defined as a “continuous use”) for a specific school use when such use does not interfere with normal operations of a particular facility. PVUSD uses in these cases will not be charged a fee. PVUSD is responsible for student and site supervision. In addition, this use is subject to “bumping” for a fee paid reservation by an individual or community organization eligible to rent the facility.
PRIORITY 2: Use by Non-Profits (Youth Non-Profits will be given priority over Adult Non-Profits) ▪ Private or parochial schools within the Pajaro Valley. ▪ Non-profit 501(c)(3) youth or senior groups.
▪ Pajaro Valley Unified School District requests that would create a regular use of a facility, which may require City to staff facility, and would displace other occasional users, and when such use would preclude use by the City for its own programs or rentals by others. ▪ Non-profit 501(c)(3) adult groups
PRIORITY 3: Private Use
▪ Private groups or individuals, special interest community groups, unions, political groups or others not meeting the above criteria.
CITY OF WATSONVILLE PARKS & COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
FACILITY USE DEFINITIONS AND PRIORITY CLASSIFICATIONS
Exhibit A
FACILITY
TYPE FACILITY DESCRIPTION
HOURLY FEE Cleaning
Fee
Refundable
Deposit
Classrooms &
Meeting
Rooms
Including Callaghan Cultural Center Classroom,
Muzzio Community Center Classroom, Ramsay Park
Family Center Classroom, Senior Center Conference
Room, Senior Center Classroom
$50 $200 $200
Event Rooms
Including Marinovich Community Center
Multipurpose Room, GHWR Youth Center
Gymnasium, Senior Center Auditorium, Veterans
Memorial Building Gymnasium (sports use only)
$75 $300 $300
Medium
Venue
Ramsay Park Family Center (Gymnasium and game
lobby) $100 $300 $300
Large Venue
Including Veterans Memorial Building Auditorium
(non-sporting events) $175 $500 $500
Dance Room Including Veterans Memorial Building Dance Room $50 $200 $200 Community
Room-Half
Civic Plaza Community Room A, Civic Plaza
Community Room B $100 $300 $300
Community
Room-Whole
Civic Plaza Community Room A and B $160 $300 $300
Park Including City Plaza $75 $0 $300
Field/Parking
Lot
Including Ramsay Baseball/Softball Field, Ramsay
Sotomayor Soccer Field (each field), Seaview Ranch
Field, PVUSD fields, Ramsay Park Parking Lot (per
lot), Pinto Lake Park Parking Lot
$50
($10 per hour
for field lights) $0 $75
Synthetic
Field
Synthetic Field at E.A Hall Middle School $70
$40 half $0 $100
Court
Including Ramsay, Callaghan and Joyce-McKenzie
Tennis Courts $15 $0 $75
Picnic Charge per day, including Ramsay Park Picnic Areas, River Park Picnic Area, Franich Park Picnic Areas $90 $0 $50 Pavilion/
Large Park
Event
Area/Park
Rental
Charge per day, including Pinto Lake Park Pavilion,
Franich Park Event Area, Ramsay Park Event Area
$200 $0 $100
PVUSD
Facilities
Facilities included in current Joint Use Agreements
with PVUSD
Applicable facility categories and fees will be
applied to school facilities.
Fees listed are per hour, unless otherwise indicated and include use and set up of available tables, chairs and A/V equipment (if available). Additional fees for insurance, security guards and cleaning may apply. *Cleaning fees are required for large family gatherings which include food and beverage
CITY OF WATSONVILLE PARKS & COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
FACILITY/FIELD RENTAL FEE SCHEDULE
Exhibit B
● Non-Resident Fees – Facilities rented by individuals or organizations without a mailing address within the Watsonville City limits shall pay an additional 10% (or 110%) of the applicable rate. Residents are considered individual who live within the City limits and organizations for which 60% of their participants are Watsonville residents.
● Promoter Fees - Facilities rented by any of the above categories for which an admission is charged or donation accepted or a profit is to be made, shall pay an additional 85% (or 185%) of the applicable rate. ● Non-Profit Discount – Eligible Non-Profit organizations shall receive a 25% fee reduction off hourly rates, after accounting for applicable Non-Resident and Promoter fees.
Exhibit B
City of Watsonville
PINTO LAKE CITY PARK
Fees
SERVICE FEE
Vehicle Entry Fee
Day use (weekends & holidays) $3
Six month day use permit $20
Annual day use permit $30
Boat Trailer Parking Fee $5
Six month permit $20
Annual Permit $30
Launch Fees
(Includes safety, equipment inspection, state
license check, etc.)
$15
Annual Launch Permit $70
Seniors, aged 62 years and older, and person with disability (those with CA State Disability Placards in their automobile license plate) shall be granted fifty percent (50%) discount on vehicle, boat trailer or launch fees
Recreational Vehicle Camping Fee includes one
(1) to two (2) persons in one travel trailer
$50 per night
Each additional person, pet, or vehicle $5 per night
Service pets with proper documentation and certification will not be charged a per night fee Dump Station Fee $10
Life Jacket Rental Fee $5 per vest
Boat Rental Fee $13 per hour
Boat and Watercraft Inspection Fee
Inspection Fee per canoe, kayak, inflatable
up to 12 ft.
$12
Inspection Fee per boat, and inflatable over 12 ft. $15 Baseball Field Rental Fees: Per the Parks and Community Services Facility/Field Rental Fee Schedule.
Exhibit B
Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 062425 SWZ ______ TV ______ Airport ______
1 RESOLUTION NO.__________ (CM)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE AMENDING RENT CHARGES FOR HANGARS AND
FEES AT THE WATSONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT FOR FY2025-2026 AND FY2027-2028
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:
1. This action does not meet CEQA’s definition of a “project”, because the action does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
2. Pursuant to its authority as set forth in Watsonville Municipal Code Section 7-18.205, the City Council hereby approves the amended Watsonville Municipal Airport Rate and Fee Schedule as listed in Exhibit “A”, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
3. That the aforementioned amended fees, rates, and charges shall supersede any and all fees of the City inconsistent therewith and shall be effective immediately.
*********************************
Effective July 1, 2025 WATSONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
RATE AND FEE SCHEDULE
Fiscal Years 2025-2027
$315.00
$350.00
(b) Hangars B, C, D & E -
3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 $315.00
1, 2, 9 & 10 $350.00
$450.00
$1,020.00
$435.00
$310.00
$1,945.00
$90.00
$100.00
$125.00
Twin Engine Aircraft under 12,500 pounds $200.00
Aircraft over 12,500 pounds $700.00
$10.00
$40.00
$15.00
$60.00
$30.00
$120.00
$100.00
$400.00
$50.00
$100.00
A, B, C, D & E $150.00
W, X, Y & Z $200.00
$500.00
7 - NON COMPLAINT AIRCRAFT STORAGE RATE
$500.00
$250.00
up to 1.5 times published storage rate*
6 –NON COMPLIANT STORED AIRCRAFT FEE (annual)
Initial Application Fee
Single Engine per Night
Single Engine per Week
Aircraft over 12,500 pounds per Week
Aircraft over 12,500 pounds per Night
TurboProp/SE/ME/JET Week
TurboProp/SE/ME/JET Night
Twin Engine per Week
Twin Engine per Night
(f) Mini Hangars
(g) Corporate Hangars
1- AVIATION STORAGE UNITS RATES (monthly)
2- AIRCRAFT TIE DOWNS RATES (monthly)
(a) Hangars A -4, 5, 6 & 8
A -1, 2, 3, 9 &10
(c) Hangars F, G, H, I, J & K
(d) Hangars M & L
(e) Hangars W, X, Y & Z
3 - TRANSIENT TIE-DOWNS FEES
4 - HANGAR WAIT LIST FEES
Annual Fee
Tail-In Spots- Single Piston Engine*
Tail-In Spots- Single Piston Engine
Taxi-In Spots- Single Piston Engine
8 - SPECIAL EVENT SLOT RESERVATION FEE
SPECIAL EVENT SECURITY FEE (WAVIED WITH FUEL PURCHASE)
5- END ROOM RATES (monthly)
Exhibit A
Effective July 1, 2025 WATSONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
RATE AND FEE SCHEDULE
Fiscal Years 2025-2027
Minimum one hour $300.00
After one hour/rate per hour $100.00
Piston, Single or Twin Engine $300.00
Helicopter, Turboprop and Turbo Fan VARIES
$200.00
$15.00
$0.01
$100.00
$100.00
$15.00
Day $5.00
Week $30.00
Month $75.00
$50.00
$25.00
20 – TENANT VEHICLE SECURITY DECAL FEE $5.00
21 – STORAGE UNIT REINSTATEMENT FEE $150.00
$60.00
$80.00
BETWEEN
$250 - $500
*Tie-Downs imapcted by Compass Rose relocation; no vehicle parking permitted in these spaces **Determined during annual Aviation Storage Unit Inpsection and billed thereafter.
Airport monthly charges paid monthly, in advance ;Tranisent fees paid in advance or payment arranged for upon arrival ASU rents are due 1st of each month, delinquent on the 11th; A late payment fee in the amount of twevle and one half percent (12.5%) of total amount delinquent on all accounts unpaid will be charged. 22 - ADMINISTRATIVE/ACCOUNTING PROCESSING FEE
23 – AIRPORT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST RATE/PER HOUR
24 -ENTRY SIGNAGE (available space only; annual)
19 - GATE ACCESS FEE, PER CARD OR FOB
18 - GATE CARD ACCESS ANNUAL FEE
16- ACTIVITIES PERMIT FEE (per event)
15- COMMERCIAL AERONAUTICAL OPERATOR PERMIT FEE (annual) 17- LONG TERM PARKING FEES
9 - GROUND POWER UNIT SERVICE FEE
10 - AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY RUNWAY REMOVAL FEE
14 - COMMERCIAL OPERATOR PERMIT FEE (Per event)
13 - COMMERCIAL MOGAS FUEL FLOW RATE/PER GAL
12 - NON-COMMERCIAL MOGAS FUELING (annual)
11 - AFTER HOURS FUELING FEE
Exhibit A
City of
Watsonville
Finance
Department
June 24, 2025
Proposed Biennial Budget
FY 2025-27
Today’s Actions
Today’s Actions - continued
Budget Overview
Budget By Fund
General Fund
General Fund Revenues
General Fund by Department
Key Items to Balance Operational Budget
*Remove 11 Vacant Positions from Budget for FY
25/26, previously on a hiring pause
*Implement a contingent budget for a 1% reduction
of operational expenditures for fiscal year,
approximately $450,000 across general fund
departments
Capital Improvement Program
FY
25/26
through
FY
29/30
Other Funds
Special Revenue Funds
2 SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
0250 0262 0305 0306 0310 0312
Projected Resources 2025-26 LIBRARY
ARPA FUNDAMERICAN RELIEF
PLAN GAS TAX
SB 1 - GAS TAX
FUNDING
SALES TAX
MEASURE Y
MEASURE D -
TRANSPORTATIO
N FUND
Revenues 4,699,264 7,891,503.00 1,455,601.00 1,100,000.00 5,212,100 1,178,000 Transfer In -
Total Gross Resources 4,699,264 7,891,503 1,455,601 1,100,000 5,212,100 1,178,000 Operations 4,543,943 - 1,084,038.00 - 5,435,589 -
Capital 386,000 7,891,503.00 1,285,094.00 4,446,374.00 1,940,630 5,700,525 Transfer Out 180,648 - -
Debt Service -
Grand Total 5,110,591 7,891,503 2,369,132 4,446,374 7,376,219 5,700,525
Enterprise Funds
4 ENTERPRISE FUNDS
0710 0720 0730 0740 0789
Projected Resources 2025-26 WASTE WATER WATER AIRPORT SOLID WASTE
FIBER OPTIC
FUND
Revenues 36,232,690 27,174,548 4,636,463 20,231,889 141,850 Transfer In
Total Gross Resources 36,232,690 27,174,548 4,636,463 20,231,889 141,850 Operations 19,544,209 18,656,764 4,346,395 16,883,985 77,443 Capital 20,810,995 31,198,256 171,000 2,990,055
Transfer Out 202,513 31,651 5,056 45,836
Debt Service 182,013 4,118 28,796 547,966
Grand Total 40,739,730 49,890,789 4,551,247 20,467,842 77,443
Internal Service Funds
5 INTERNAL SERVICE FUND
0760 0780 0787 0790
Projected Resources 2025-26
MSC INTERNAL
SERVICE FUND
WORKERS COMP/
LIABILITY
HEALTH
INSURANCE
INFORMATION &
TECHNOLOGY ISF
Revenues 3,309,096.00 6,714,151.00 11,105,689.00 2,989,000.00 Transfer In - -
Total Gross Resources 3,309,096 6,714,151 11,105,689 2,989,000 Operations 3,210,988.00 6,554,151.00 11,105,689.00 3,656,208.00 Capital 1,250,552.00
Transfer Out
Debt Service
Grand Total 3,210,988 6,554,151 11,105,689 4,906,760
Current Risks/Considerations
*Potentially Volatile General Fund
Revenues
*UAL Payments projected to increase
*Currently working on Class and
Compensation Study for all bargaining
groups
*Overtime Costs for Fire and Police
Opportunities
Questions
• Marissa Duran, Finance Director
• 831-768-3471
• [email protected]
• watsonville.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26527/Budget-FY-2025-27- Draft
1 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
TO: CITY COUNCIL
WRITTEN BY: ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF RODRIGUEZ, POLICE CAPTAIN MCKINLEY RECOMMENDED BY: POLICE CHIEF ZAMORA
APPROVED BY: TAMARA VIDES, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: WATSONVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT STUDY BY MATRIX CONSULTING GROUP
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that, by motion, the City Council accept the Watsonville Police Department Study Report prepared by Matrix Consulting Group and provide direction to staff regarding any changes or policies that may be necessary to implement the recommendations in the Report.
BACKGROUND:
An assessment of the operational needs of the Watsonville Police Department has not been conducted in over 20 years. As part of the Public Safety Sales Tax Measure (Measure Y) requirements and at the recommendation of the 2021 City of Watsonville’s AD Hoc Committee on Policing and Social Equity’s Final Report, the City of Watsonville commissioned a professional consultant to assess the police department to ensure management of operations are efficient and services are meeting community needs.
DISCUSSION:
On February 14th, 2024, the City of Watsonville commissioned the Matrix Consulting Group, which has extensive experience in conducting similar assessments for over 400 police departments nationwide, to complete a comprehensive analysis of police operations to determine appropriate and optimum staffing levels while ensuring efficient management of operations.
Matrix Consulting Group began its assessment on March 1st, 2024. During this time, it has interviewed various stakeholders, including City Staff and Watsonville Police Department (WPD) staff, conducted
2 employee surveys, and gathered data from City GIS, City Community Development, and Santa Cruz Regional 911 as part of its research.
Matrix Consulting Group has now completed its assessment the Watsonville Police Department. The assessment is to be used to update the Watsonville Police Department’s short and long-term operational needs. Matrix Consulting Group’s overall evaluation of the Watsonville Police Department includes assessing current enforcement operations, response capabilities, staffing, and other resources necessary for delivering services to the City of Watsonville. They are now ready to share their findings and recommendations with the Council.
Staff recommends that the Council receive and accept the Watsonville Police Department Study Report.
Additionally, on pages 3-6 of the Report, Matrix Consulting Group lists a summary of recommendations.
Staff is seeking direction from the Council on any changes or policies that may be necessary to address the recommendations in the Report in order to best serve the Watsonville Community.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) DETERMINATION:
This action is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), in that adopting a Resolution approving a Strategic Plan does not meet CEQA's definition of a “project,” because the action does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and if a “project,” is exempt under the “common sense” exception (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15061(b)(3)) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this action may have a significant effect on the environment.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This report relates to Strategic Plan goals:
5-Community Engagement & Well-Being
6-Public Safety
7-Efficient and High Performing Government
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There are no current financial impacts. Any future impacts will be based on the City Council's direction and implementation of operational changes.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
No reasonable alternatives are known at this time.
ATTACHMENTS AND/OR REFERENCES (IF ANY):
1 1) Watsonville Police Department Study Report
2) Watsonville Police Department Power Point Presentation By Matrix
Police Department Staffing Study
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA
FINAL REPORT
April 22, 2025
Table of Contents
Introduction and Executive Summary 1
Community Services Division 6
Field Operations Division 30
Professional Standards Division 61
Special Operations Division 72
Organizational Structure and Management 90
Analysis of Projected Service and Staffing Needs 96
Appendix: Results of the Employee Survey 108
Final Report on the Police Department Staffing Study Watsonville, CA Matrix Consulting Group 1
1. Introduction and Executive Summary
The City of Watsonville retained the Matrix Consulting Group to conduct a comprehensive analysis of police operations to determine appropriate and optimum staffing levels while ensuring efficient operation management. This document provides the analysis and findings of that effort.
Matrix Consulting Group, founded over 22 years ago, has extensive experience conducting similar assessments for more than 400 police departments in California and across the country, including Canada. Our firm has helped police departments enhance workload balance, management, and operations while achieving 21st-century policing goals.
1. Scope of Work
The scope of this study included assessing current enforcement operations, response capabilities, staffing, and other resources necessary for delivering services to the City. A review of services and the delivery of those services should be conducted periodically to ensure that needs are being met. This project focused on the delivery of the emergency services system, which included:
• Proactivity
• Resource allocations
• Current staffing
• Management of resources
• Alternative service delivery
• Responsiveness to the public
This document provides an assessment of current staffing needs and long-term staffing requirements.
2. Approaches Utilized in the Study
Data utilized in this study was developed based on the work conducted by the project team, including.
• Interviews were conducted with staff.
• Collection and analysis of workload and service data. • A review of operational documents and reports, budget data, organizational structure, and key practices.
Final Report on the Police Department Staffing Study Watsonville, CA Matrix Consulting Group 2
3. Strategic Improvement Opportunities
The following table provides a summary of short-term recommendations established in this report. The report should be reviewed to understand the factual basis behind each recommendation and the analysis leading to each recommendation. It is also important to note that several operations management recommendations were made in this staffing analysis to ensure the effective utilization of staff.
Summary of Recommendations
Community Services Division
Unit/Area Recommendation
Community
Services Uniformed
Unit
Explore transferring administrative duties related to fleet management, such as coordinating vehicle maintenance and warranty work, researching new vehicle prices, and working with department budget personnel to the City of Watsonville fleet management personnel.
CARE Program When the Police Officer position is staffed, ensure the CARE program is evaluated to determine its effectiveness in impacting calls for service related to those in mental health crisis.
School Resource
Officer
Track School Resource Officer performance measures such as student mentoring/conferences, law-related education, and mediation to analyze position productivity.
Homeless Outreach
Pilot Program
Once implemented, develop metrics to evaluate the Homeless Outreach pilot program to determine its effectiveness in impacting calls for service related to the homeless population.
Police Service
Specialist
Reassign the three Police Service Specialists to Field Operations under the direct supervision of a Field Operations Sergeant.
Multi-Disciplinary
Team for Trauma
Informed Care
To assist in transforming the department’s policing model into a traumainformed, community-centered, restorative model, ensure the field training program and in-service training philosophies are centered on problembased learning to develop a problem-solving mentality in employees.
Community
Engagement
Programs
Reclassify the Administrative Analyst position to a Senior Administrative Analyst to align with current assigned tasks and to assume first-line supervisory responsibilities of the new Police Planner (or similar position).
Police Activities
League
Ensure established Police Activities League (PAL) performance measures are tracked to perform future staffing analysis and program assessment.
Final Report on the Police Department Staffing Study Watsonville, CA Matrix Consulting Group 3
Unit/Area Recommendation
Traffic Unit Increase the Traffic Unit staffing by 4 Officers and 1 Traffic Crash Investigator, for a total of 1 Sergeant, and 6 Officers and 1 Traffic Crash Investigator. 2 new Officers should be assigned full-time DUI enforcement duties.
Explore transferring Parking Control Officer management and responsibilities to another city department.
Increase the Traffic Unit by 1 non-sworn Parking Control Supervisor position to assume first-line supervisory responsibilities of Parking Control Officers.
Division
Realignment
Transfer Community Services uniformed positions and Traffic Unit personnel from the Community Services Division to the Field Operations Division.
Replace the existing Community Services Division Captain position with a new non-sworn management position that holds the same authority and responsibilities as a Captain.
Field Operations Division
Unit/Area Recommendation
Patrol Through negotiation with the Police Officers’ Association, alter shift start hours in Patrol to address severe deficiencies in staffing at certain times of the day
Add 1 authorized officer position to patrol, for a total of 31 authorized officer positions in that role.
Police Service
Specialist
Expand the role of Police Service Specialist positions in responding to low priority calls for service that do not require an officer.
Increase staffing of Police Service Specialist positions by 2, for a total of 4 FTEs assigned to the Patrol Division.
Professional Standards Division
Unit Recommendation
Internal Affairs Re-assign the PSD Administrative Sergeant to internal affairs investigations on a full-time basis.
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Unit Recommendation
Training Create one (1) FTE Training Officer position within the Professional Standards Division.
Records Unit Identify opportunities to transition paper forms and processes to digital forms, processes, and documents.
Evidence Unit Increase Evidence Technician staffing in the event of a significant workload increase by converting the PT Evidence Technician to an FT Evidence Technician.
Division
Realignment
Upon implementation of the new non-sworn support mid-management position, align the Records Unit and Evidence Unit so both report to the new Mid-management position.
Special Operations Division
Unit Recommendation
Investigations
Bureau
Increase staffing by 1 detective for a total of 1 sergeant and 7 detectives assigned to the Investigations Bureau.
Organizational Structure and Management
Recommendation
Organization Reduce the number of Captain positions from 4 to 2.
Add a non-sworn mid-management position to the department.
Add 4 Lieutenant positions to the department.
Reorganize the department’s functional organization to better align functions and create consistent management spans of control and responsibilities.
Projected Service and Staffing Needs
Recommendation
Projected Services
and Staffing Needs
By 2034, increase staffing by an additional 10 sworn positions and 4.5 civilian positions in order to provide the same level of service that is recommended now as service needs grow due to continued growth and development. Projects are provided in the following table.
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Summary of Staffing Projections (Sworn)
Division Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 +/-10YR
Command Staff 6 8 8 8 0
Office of the Chief 0 0 0 0 0
Community Services Division 6.5 11.5 13.5 13.5 2
Patrol Division 48 49 52 54 5
Professional Standards Division 1 1 1 1 0
Special Operations Division 13 15 18 18 3
Total 74.5 84.5 92.5 94.5 10
Summary of Staffing Projections (Civilian)
Division Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 +/-10YR
Command Staff 0 1 1 1 0
Office of the Chief 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 0
Community Services Division 15 17.5 20.5 20.5 3
Patrol Division 0 0 0 0 0
Professional Standards Division 9.5 9.5 11 11 1.5
Special Operations Division 1 1 1 1 0
Total 30 33.5 38 38 4.5
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2. Community Services Division
A Captain manages the Community Services Division, which includes Community Services, Community Engagement Programs, the Police Activities League, and the Traffic Unit. The Captain’s work hours are Monday to Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1. Community Services
A Sergeant supervises Community Services and works from Tuesday to Friday, 7 am to 5 pm. The unit includes a CARE Police Officer (currently vacant), two School Resource Officers (one full-time and one part-time; the full-time position is also vacant), and four Police Service Specialists (one of whom is assigned to the Homeless Outreach Pilot Program).
(1) Community Services Sergeant Position
In addition to primary supervisory duties, the Community Services Sergeant position also involves various administrative tasks related to fleet management, coordinating special events, and overseeing the ride-along program. The following sections detail the responsibilities associated with each of these roles.
Fleet Management
The Sergeant is responsible for managing the department’s vehicle fleet. Currently, the department has 59 vehicles, comprising 27 marked and 32 unmarked. Responsibilities for overseeing the program include coordinating vehicle maintenance with city mechanics and dealerships for warranty service, researching prices for new vehicles and equipment, ensuring that new vehicles are equipped with the appropriate tools, and collaborating with departmental budget personnel.
Although the completion time of the workload is not tracked, it is estimated that approximately 50% of the Sergeant’s work week is spent on tasks related to fleet management.
Special Events Coordination
The Sergeant works with the City of Watsonville Special Events Team. Their responsibilities include reviewing event applications, assessing the number of officers needed for specific events, scheduling officers for these events, creating operational plans, and debriefing after events. In 2023, 12 special events were coordinated.
The processing time for special event applications varies based on several factors, including the number of attendees, the complexity of the event, and the event type.
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Currently, the time taken to complete this work is not tracked. For workload calculations, an average of 20 hours is allocated for each special event. The following table shows the estimated workload time for 2023:
Calculation of Special Event Workload Hours
Total Events 12
Multiplied by 20 Hours x 20
Total Workload Hours = 240 hours
As indicated above, coordinating special events in 2023 required an estimated 240 hours of work.
Ride-Along Program Coordination
The Sergeant manages the department’s ride-along program. His responsibilities include conducting criminal background checks on applicants and coordinating schedules with officers. In 2023, 107 ride-along applications were processed.
Although the workload completion time is not tracked, each ride-along application is estimated to take about 10 minutes to finish.
Calculation of Ride-Along Workload Hours
Total Ride-Along Applications 107
Multiplied by 10 Minutes x 10
Total Workload Hours = 1,070 minutes (18 hours)
As indicated above, in 2023, it is estimated that 18 hours were required to complete tasks related to processing ride-along applications.
(2) Calculation of Administrative Tasks Workload Time
In 2023, the Community Services Sergeant devoted approximately 938 hours to various administrative tasks, excluding those related to fleet management, which is estimated to represent about 50% of the workweek.
The standard number of hours in an employee’s work year is 2,080. After accounting for vacation, sick leave, training, and other absences, a more realistic figure is typically around 1,720 hours. Based on 1,720 hours, the Community Engagement Unit Sergeant devoted about 55% of the work year to administrative tasks not usually associated with first-line supervisory duties. The table below illustrates this calculation process:
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Calculation of Sergeant Workload
Special Event Coordination 240
Ride-Along Coordination + 18
= 258
Net Hours Available Hours ÷ 1,720
= .15
The City of Watsonville fleet management team more effectively manages the various duties related to fleet management, including coordinating vehicle maintenance and warranty work, researching new vehicle prices, and collaborating with department budget staff.
Recommendations:
Explore transferring administrative duties related to fleet management, such as coordinating vehicle maintenance and warranty work, researching new vehicle prices, and working with department budget personnel to the City of Watsonville fleet management personnel.
2. CARE Program
The CARE Police Officer position, currently vacant, works alongside a Santa Cruz Mental Health Liaison to respond to calls for mental health support and crisis intervention. Once filled, the Police Officer will be scheduled from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm., while the Santa Cruz Mental Health Liaison will be on duty from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Since the position is unstaffed, the Santa Cruz Mental Health Liaison collaborates with various Police Officers when responding to service calls. Programs like CARE are essential for police operations and community outreach; therefore, this position should be filled as soon as staffing permits.
Performance measures, such as the number of contacts made and resource referrals provided, are essential for analyzing productivity. Once the police officer position is filled, the department should monitor these measures.
Evaluating a program's effectiveness is crucial. While community satisfaction is one measure, it should be backed by reliable impact evaluations to assess program effectiveness. Essential process and assessment data must be collected and analyzed to evaluate the impact of service calls related to individuals experiencing mental health crises.
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Recommendation:
When the Police Officer position is staffed, ensure the CARE program is evaluated to determine its effectiveness in impacting calls for service related to those in mental health crisis.
3. School Resource Officer
The School Resource Officer works Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is assigned to Watsonville High School (the position is currently vacant). Recently, the department hired a second School Resource Officer who works part-time and is assigned to Pajaro High School.
(1) Workload and Ability to Meet Unit Objectives
The School Resource Officer position was established through an agreement between the City of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. The school district finances this position to maintain a safe campus environment and surrounding areas, conduct law enforcement-related prevention activities, help lower truancy rates, and investigate crimes involving students and on campus.
The table below presents the ten most common incident categories managed by the School Resources Officer in 2023:
School Resource Officer: Most Common Incident Types
Incident Type # Incidents Avg. HT
OUT SELF INITIATED 11 46.6
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 7 33.0
PHYSICAL FIGHT 6 41.5
TRAFFIC COMPLAINT 5 42.9
BATTERY 4 17.4
DISTURBING THE PEACE 4 19.5
TRAFFIC STOP 4 83.7
JUVENILE 3 20.7
SUBJECT W/ KNIFE 2 14.4
ASSIST OUTSIDE DEPT 2 115.2
All Other Types 28 74.6
Total 76 53.9
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In 2023, the School Resources Officer responded to 76 incidents recorded in the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. The most common type of incident was selfinitiated, totaling 11, with an average handling time of 46.6 minutes each.
Performance measures such as student mentoring, conferences, law-related education, and mediation are also important for assessing productivity. Currently, this information is not being tracked.
(2) School Resource Officer Staffing
The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) suggests that every school should have at least one carefully selected and specially trained school resource officer (SRO) for every 1,000 students. Previously, the recommendation was 1 SRO per 1,000 students. Factors such as campus size, school climate, location, and the number of non-sworn safety team members on campus should also be considered.
The table below shows the current student population at Watsonville High School:
Student Population
School Student Population
Watsonville High School 2,244
Pajaro High School 1,400
Total 3,644
The table below shows the current SRO/school ratio and the number of SROs required to meet the earlier recommendations from the National Association of School Resource Officers
School Resource Officer Staffing Recommendations
Student Population 3,644
Recommended 1 SRO per 1,000 Students ÷ 1,000
Total SROs Needed = 3.6
As previously mentioned, Watsonville High School is served by one School Resource Officer. The department has also recently hired a part-time School Resource Officer to cover Pajaro High School. Based on a staffing recommendation of one officer per 1,000 students, four School Resource Officers are required. The Pajaro Valley Unified School District currently funds the School Resource Officer position. Considerations regarding workload should be taken into account for this role.
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Recommendation:
Track School Resource Officer performance measures such as student mentoring/conferences, law-related education, and mediation to analyze position productivity.
4. Homeless Outreach Pilot Program
The Homeless Outreach Pilot is a new initiative that pairs a Police Services Support Specialist with an employee from the Homeless Services division of the Santa Cruz County Community Action Board (CAB). This program aims to proactively engage with the homeless community and connect them to various resources, including housing, substance abuse support, and job placement assistance. When fully staffed, the work hours are expected to be Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm.
Since this program has not yet begun, no analysis has been conducted. Performance measures, such as the number of contacts made and resource referrals provided, are crucial for evaluating productivity. Once the program becomes operational, these measures should be monitored. It is also vital to assess the effectiveness of the program.
While community satisfaction is one metric, it should be combined with reliable impact evaluations to thoroughly establish the program's effectiveness. Important process and assessment data must be collected and analyzed to evaluate the impact of service calls related to the homeless population.
Recommendation:
Once implemented, develop an approach to evaluate the Homeless Outreach pilot program to determine its effectiveness in impacting calls for service related to the homeless population.
5. Field Operations Police Service Specialist
The department currently employs three Police Services Specialists (PSS) assigned to field operations. They handle tasks such as traffic control, crime scene investigation, nonemergency report-taking, and abandoned vehicle abatement. One PSS works Sunday through Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. (assigned to patrol), another works Wednesday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. (also assigned to patrol), and the last PSS works Tuesday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. (assigned to abandoned vehicle abatement).
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Workload and Ability to Meet Unit Objectives
The table below outlines the ten most common incident categories addressed by Police Services specialists in 2023:
Police Service Specialists: Most Common Incident Types
Incident Type # Incidents Avg. HT
MISSING PERSON 23 80.0
THEFT 23 54.3
TICKET SIGN OFF 22 26.7
ABANDONED VEHICLE 400 29.5
BURGLARY 20 90.7
STOLEN VEHICLE 17 109.2
VANDALISM 17 56.8
TRAFFIC COMPLAINT 16 46.4
TRAFFIC
CONTROL/TRANSLATION/180’S 16 64.6
OUT SELF INITIATED 14 33.0
All Other Types 123 57.5
Total 691 57.4
In 2023, Police Services Specialists responded to 691 calls for service, which were logged in the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. The most frequent type of incident was abandoned vehicles, totaling 400. When dispatched to a vehicle accident call, a PSS assists Police Officers with tasks such as traffic control, Spanish translation, and completing tow forms. On average, a Police Services Specialist handles abandoned vehicle abatement by tagging 400 vehicles each year, which breaks down to 100 each quarter.
The three Police Services Specialists spend most of their workdays in the field.
Reassigning them to Field Operations under the direct supervision of a Field Operations Sergeant would improve oversight, efficiency, and communication.
Recommendation:
Reassign the three Police Services Specialists to Field Operations under the direct supervision of a Field Operations Sergeant.
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6. Community Engagement Programs
A Program Coordinator and an Administrative Analyst staff the Community Engagement Programs. The Program Coordinator oversees the Multi-Disciplinary Team for TraumaInformed Care (MDT), the neighborhood watch program, and the volunteer program, working Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. The Administrative Analyst manages and coordinates various community engagement initiatives, the cadet program, and the Post-Incident Team (PIT), also working Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.
7. Multi-disciplinary Team for Trauma Informed Care (MDT) The Multi-Disciplinary Team for Trauma-Informed Care is a pilot program designed to transform the department’s policing model into a trauma-informed, community-centered, restorative approach. The co-response team assists community members during and after traumatic events. This initiative involves a partnership among the department, various criminal justice entities, Santa Cruz County partners, and local non-profit providers.
The program aims to ensure that the system and community response to traumatic events centers on the community, is socially and racially equitable, and focuses on prevention, linkage, and treatment. The following data points were collected from March 2022 to August 2023:
• 92 MDT personnel were cross-trained in suicide prevention, domestic violence and services, and mindfulness-based stress management.
• 921 MDT brochures were distributed.
• 173 individuals were referred to MDT.
• 345 attempts were made to contact individuals referred to MDT (successful and unsuccessful).
• 48 (28%) of the referrals to MDT received services from community partners.
Implementing restorative justice as a trauma-informed approach to crime is a relatively new area of study. Restorative justice has the potential to share, understand, and address the full impact of crime—both in the short and long term—through active engagement from citizens. Defining crime in more holistic terms means that the police and government are not left alone to tackle the issue. Community participation and interaction are essential for the program’s success.
Police officers trained in problem-solving methods and community policing gain essential skills and insights for restorative justice. A problem-solving mindset provides
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officers with a deeper understanding of issues through thorough analysis and assists them in developing tailored collaborative response strategies. Therefore, the department should ensure that its field training program and in-service training philosophies emphasize problem-based learning, which requires a creative and adaptable way of thinking.
Recommendations:
To assist in transforming the department’s policing model into a trauma-informed, community-centered, restorative model, ensure the field training program and in-service training philosophies are centered on problem-based learning to develop a problemsolving mentality in employees.
8. Community Engagement Programs
The table below illustrates the community engagement programs of the department:
Community Engagement Programs
Program Description
Agua con la Chota Educational program aimed at engaging local farm workers to speak about topics that matter to them.
Guest Speaker Program Coordination of requests from the public for police officer presentations to Neighborhood Watch meetings, Business Watch meetings, Club meetings, Church meetings and Schools.
Youth Academy A weeklong summer program that allows local teens to gain insights into the work of law enforcement, the various roles and responsibilities of police officers, and a deeper understanding of community policing while exploring diverse career options.
Police Cadet Program Provides young people with the opportunity to explore the law enforcement field as a possible career choice.
Coffee with a Cop Provides an opportunity for officers and community members to come together to create relationships and foster existing ones.
Post Incident Team (PIT) Launched in collaboration with the Neighborhood Services Division to help suppress violence in Watsonville Neighborhoods.
PIT is a group of community members and police officers who are brought together soon after a serious incident has occurred.
Pink Patch Project Campaign Raises funds to help local families who cannot afford breast cancer treatment/services while also increasing awareness of the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
The following table illustrates various community engagement programs’ performance measures for 2023:
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2023 Community Engagement Unit Performance Measures
Program Performance Measure
Agua con la Chota • 3 sessions held in 2023.
• Approximately 27 farm workers and 15 department employees attended each session.
Guest Speaker Program • 37 speaker requests filled.
• 22 presentations.
• 2 small scale events.
• 9 community outreach events.
• 4 K9 demonstrations.
• Approximately 6,000 community members reached.
Youth Academy • 40 youth accepted to program.
• 16 committee members.
• 22 instructors from WPD and other agencies.
Police Cadet Program • 44 meetings held.
• 79 requests received/75 requests filled.
• 3,778 hours volunteered.
Post Incident Team (PIT) • 4 deployments in 2023.
• 1 informational meeting.
Pink Patch Project • 10 pop ups.
• 9 Sponsor visits.
• 1 mobile mammogram screening event.
• Approximately 68 hours dedicated.
In 2023, the Administrative Analyst organized 18 different community engagement events.
(1) Calculation of Workload Time
Coordinating community engagement events requires significant effort, and the duration varies based on several factors, such as the number of attendees, complexity, and type of event. This makes workload analysis more difficult. At present, the time required to complete this work is not being tracked. For workload analysis purposes, an average completion time of 8 to 16 hours is used.
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Calculation of Community Engagement Completion Time
Total Events 18
8 hour completion time x 8
Total completion time = 144 hours
Total Events 18
16 hour completion time x 16
Total completion time = 288 hours
As illustrated above, completing an 8-hour project results in 144 hours of workload, while completing a 16-hour project leads to 288 hours of workload. The Administrative Analyst also attends each event. In 2023, community engagement events totaled 65.25 hours in duration.
The standard number of hours in an employee’s work year is 2,184. After accounting for vacation, sick leave, and other absences, a more appropriate figure is typically 1,720 hours. Assuming a 16-hour completion time and an additional 65.25 hours required for attending events, approximately 1,366 hours remain to finish other projects and tasks.
The table below illustrates this calculation process:
Calculation of Workload
Coordination Workload 288
Event Attendance + 65.25
= 353.25
Net Hours Available Hours - 1,720
= 1,366.75 Hours
Although the workload calculation mentioned above is an estimate, one position is adequate given the current demands. If workload requirements increase significantly, department leadership suggests reducing weekly cadet meetings to bi-weekly to help with program management.
9. Police Activities League
The Police Activities League (PAL) is managed by a recreation supervisor, supported by a recreation coordinator (currently vacant), along with ten part-time staff members out of a total of eleven authorized positions. These staff members have various titles, including supervisor, leader, instructor, and assistant. Both the director and recreation coordinator are full-time employees who work Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Part-time employees are restricted to a maximum of 29 hours per week.
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The Police Activities League (PAL) works with department members and the City of Watsonville to implement a youth crime prevention program. This initiative focuses on educational, athletic, and other activities that strengthen the bond between police officers, recreational leaders, youth, and their parents. PAL is a non-profit organization supported by community members and grants. Its mission is to provide youth with opportunities for personal growth and to foster positive influences within the Watsonville community.
Analyzing performance metrics like the total number of participating children, the count of police officer volunteers, participant outcomes, and other established indicators helps assess the program's viability. The project team did not receive these performance metrics. Evaluating the effectiveness of such a program is also essential. While community satisfaction is one metric, it should be combined with reliable impact evaluations to determine the program's effectiveness. Important process and evaluation data must be collected and analyzed to evaluate the impact of criminal activity among youth.
Recommendations:
Ensure established Police Activities League (PAL) performance measures are tracked to perform future staffing analysis and program assessment.
10. Traffic Unit
The Traffic Unit is supervised by a Sergeant (currently vacant) and is staffed by one Police Officer (two authorized) and one Parking Control Officer. While the Sergeant position is unfilled, the Community Services Captain manages day-to-day operations, a Patrol Sergeant approves collision reports, and the Community Services Unit Sergeant oversees the Parking Control Officers.
The police officers work from Wednesday to Saturday or from Sunday to Wednesday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The parking control officer works from Monday to Thursday, from 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Police traffic units should be adequately staffed to address various factors that ensure public safety, enforce traffic laws, and respond to community concerns. Staffing is usually influenced by factors such as traffic volume and road conditions, crash rates and other traffic-related incidents, community complaints and concerns, strategic and policy considerations of the department, event-driven needs, and budgetary factors. The following sections analyze the current workload of the Traffic Unit and crash data to assess staffing needs.
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(1) City of Watsonville Traffic Crash Data
Traffic crashes are among the leading causes of death in the United States, and most of these incidents are preventable. When determining appropriate staffing levels for a Traffic Unit, it is essential to consider relevant traffic crash data. The table below shows the total number of traffic crashes and their severity in the City of Watsonville from 2021 to 2023:
Watsonville Traffic Crash Data
2021 2022 2023 +/-%
Non-Injury 372 363 355 -4.6%
Injury 140 138 126 -10.0%
Fatal 4 3 3 -25.0%
Total 516 504 484 -6.2%
As shown above, total traffic crashes fell by 6.2% from 2021 to 2023. The chart below visually illustrates the total reported traffic crashes:
Traffic Crashes 2021 - 2023
The table below shows the average traffic crashes for 202 2023 Traffic Crash Averages
Total Monthly Avg. Weekly Avg. Daily Avg.
Traffic Crash 484 40.3 9.3 1.3
As shown above, about 1 traffic accident occurred daily in the City of Watsonville in 2023.
That year, 102 hit-and-run traffic accidents were reported in Watsonville. The table below shows the averages of various hit-and-run traffic accidents in 2023:
Hit and Run Traffic Crash Averages 2023
2023 Monthly Average Weekly Average Daily Average
Hit & Run Crash 102 8.5 1.96 .28
516
504
484
2021 2022 2023
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As shown above, the City of Watsonville reported an average of approximately 2 hit-andrun vehicle accidents each week in 2023.
High-visibility enforcement is a comprehensive traffic safety strategy designed to deter and change unlawful driving behaviors. It combines proactive law enforcement with a strong emphasis on specific traffic safety issues. Police initiatives should include visibility components alongside a public strategy aimed at educating citizens and encouraging voluntary compliance with traffic laws.
The City of Watsonville established a Vision Zero Task Force several years ago to enhance its efforts. Vision Zero is a global initiative aimed at eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while ensuring safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for everyone. The mission is to reduce traffic-related deaths and serious injuries through community collaboration, data analysis, policies, systems, and infrastructure. (2) Traffic Unit Workload Analysis
The table below illustrates the total number of calls for service handled by the Traffic Unit for each hour and day of the week in 2023:
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Traffic Unit: Incidents by Hour and Weekday
Hour Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total
12 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 AM 0 0 3 2 0 3 0 8
7 AM 0 7 6 7 6 2 1 29
8 AM 1 7 9 12 9 9 0 47
9 AM 1 14 21 13 12 12 0 73
10 AM 0 10 18 14 13 18 2 75
11 AM 1 6 18 12 12 9 3 61
12 PM 4 11 15 10 7 20 0 67
1 PM 1 21 13 21 15 16 3 90
2 PM 1 16 13 19 14 13 3 79
3 PM 0 9 12 17 9 16 4 67
4 PM 1 11 17 12 15 13 0 69
5 PM 0 1 13 9 7 8 1 39
6 PM 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 4
7 PM 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 7
8 PM 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 6
9 PM 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
10 PM 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3
11 PM 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Total 10 113 158 150 123 149 23 726
The Traffic Unit handled 726 community-generated calls for service and self-initiated activities. Most incidents occurred from Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The table below shows the ten most common incident categories addressed by the Traffic Unit in 2023:
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Traffic Unit: Most Common Incident Types
_Incident Type # CFS HT 12a 4a 8a 12p 4p 8p
ACC W/ INJ 136 58.5
TRAFFIC STOP 110 47.4
DISTURB PEACE 61 47.1
HIT & RUN NO INJ 38 44.6
OUT SELF INIT 37 77.0
TRAFFIC COMPL 34 51.5
TICKET SIGNOFF 24 22.5
FOLLOW UP 21 64.6
SUSP ACTIVITY 18 64.3
STOLEN VEHICLE 16 115.2
All Other Types 231 67.5
Total 726 59.0
In 2023, the Traffic Unit handled 726 calls for service and self-initiated activities, which were entered into the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. The most common incident type was an accident with injury, with the highest number occurring between 7 a.m. and 5 pm.
Focusing traffic enforcement on areas with a high number of crashes allows for a more effective use of law enforcement resources. Instead of conducting random patrols, officers can concentrate on locations where their presence is most needed and likely to yield the best results. The following maps compare Traffic Unit vehicle stops with traffic crash locations in 2023:
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As illustrated above, the Traffic Unit conducted most traffic stops in areas with high crash rates. As previously mentioned, the Traffic Unit is supervised by a Sergeant (currently vacant) and staffed by one Police Officer. Adding two more Officers will improve highvisibility enforcement, deter violations, and change unlawful traffic behaviors. (3) Impaired Driving Enforcement
According to the United States Department of Transportation, approximately 32 people die each day in alcohol-related traffic crashes across the country. Nationwide, more than half of the drivers who lose their lives in vehicle crashes had been drinking. Research from the United States Department of Justice reveals that the average DUI offender commits this offense around eighty times a year. In California, about 30% of all traffic crash fatalities involve alcohol-impaired driving, underscoring the need for consistent DUIfocused enforcement throughout the state. The following table displays the total number of DUI and drug-related traffic crashes in Watsonville from 2021 to 2023 Watsonville DUI/Drug Crash Data
2021 2022 2023 +/-%
DUI Alcohol Crash 92 93 115 +25.0%
DUI Drug Crash 2 7 4 +100%
Total 94 100 119 +26.6%
As shown above, DUI and drug-related traffic crashes rose by 26.6% from 2021 to 2023.
The chart below visually presents the total reported traffic crashes:
The table below presents the averages for DUI and drug-related traffic crashes in 2023:
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2023 DUI/Drug Traffic Crash Averages
Total Monthly Avg. Weekly Avg. Daily Avg.
DUI-Drug Related Crash 119 9.92 2.29 .33
As shown above, an average of approximately 10 DUI drug-related traffic crashes took place each month in 2023.
Currently, the Department lacks dedicated full-time Officers specifically assigned to impaired driving enforcement. The Traffic Unit and Patrol Officers handle this responsibility on an “as available" basis. Assigning full-time Officers will enhance the analysis of the local impaired driving issue, improve the Department’s capability to identify impaired drivers, collect crucial evidence, and take appropriate action when necessary.
Full-time officers will also raise awareness among impaired drivers that they will be stopped and investigated while enhancing community outreach and education efforts.
Investigations into impaired driving are complex and time-consuming, often requiring patrol officers to be out of service for extended periods. Full-time officers can assist in completing investigations and making arrests, allowing patrol officers to stay available for priority calls and engage in community outreach and problem-solving activities. To help reduce the approximately 10 DUI drug-related traffic crashes each month, it is crucial to add two more police officers to the traffic unit.
(4) Fatal and Near-Fatal Traffic Crash Investigations
Investigating fatal and near-fatal traffic crashes is one of the most complex and timeconsuming tasks. These cases typically involve various investigative techniques and significant amounts of evidence that must be processed. Moreover, due to their complexity, a team of investigators usually manages them, and additional resources are often allocated. The following table illustrates a breakdown of the approximate caseload hours for a fatal or critical injury crash investigation:
Task Processes Involved Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
Crash Scene Respond to crash scene and contain
crash scene
2 hours 100%
Document Crash
Scene
Conduct laser scan, and or measure
and photograph crash location.
4 hours 100%
Evidence Secure and take to property/evidence
to property room.
2 hours 100%
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Task Processes Involved Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
Blood Evidence Write warrant for blood draw or other
chemical analysis and obtain sample.
4 hours 100%
Warrants/
Subpoenas
Write warrants and/or subpoenas for
vehicle(s), cell phones, medical
records and other electronic evidence
or physical locations.
16 hours 100%
Video Review of video recovered from scene
and BWC
8 hours 100%
Cell Phones Cell Phone Downloads (after warrant),
with some taking longer than others.
4 hours 100%
Vehicle Search
and Data
Recovery
Search of vehicle and recover of
evidence once warrant is secured.
12 hours 100%
Accident
Reconstruction
Conduct analysis, complete diagrams
and documents and report writing.
10 hours 100%
Postmortem
Exam or medical
records review
Review medical records or medical
examiner report (after warrant or
subpoena)
6 hours 100%
Victim / Witness
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 4 hours 100%
Suspect
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 4 hours 50%
Jail Call
Monitoring
Listen to calls, write reports. 4 Hours 25%
Consult with DA Conduct follow up, write additional
reports.
4 hours 100%
Total 84 hours- If all
tasks completed
On Average 79 hours
This list is not exhaustive and does not encompass all elements. Not every fatal crash will involve the same amount of evidence or interviews. These hours assume that investigators will perform RMS searches and social media investigations, check association files, gather informant information, and utilize other investigative techniques (such as trackers and cell tower data) if available.
It is also assumed that investigators work as a team and that not all investigative hours will be conducted by a single detective (these hours are designated for a lead investigator only). Many cases will not require the number of hours specified, but some cases may necessitate significantly more.
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By using the case time estimates and the percentage of time completed for each subtask, this translates to approximately 79 hours allocated for each case.
Furthermore, on average, most departments assign a team of investigators to assist in the early stages of a fatal crash investigation, with each assigned investigator typically putting in around 20 hours.
The table below displays the total number of fatal and near-fatal traffic crashes in the City of Watsonville from 2021 to 2023:
Fatal and Near Fatal Traffic Crashes 2021 - 2023
2021 2022 2023 3 Year Avg.
Fatal Crash 4 3 3 3.33
Near-Fatal Crash 9 14 4 9
Total 13 17 7 12.33
As shown above, an average of 12 fatal and near-fatal traffic crashes occurred each year from 2021 to 2023. The table below outlines the workload hours needed to investigate fatal and critical injury traffic crashes in 2023:
Fatal and Near-Fatal Traffic Collision Workload
Fatal and Critical Injury Crashes 12
Multiplied by average caseload hours x 79
Total caseload hours = 948
In 2023, the total number of caseload hours was 948. The standard number of hours in an employee’s work year is 2,080. After considering vacation, sick leave, and other absences, a more appropriate figure is 1,720 hours. Based on this 1,720-hour figure, one full-time investigator is needed. The following table illustrates this calculation process:
Calculation of Investigator Staffing Needs
Total Caseload Hours 948
Divided by total net available hours for 1 Investigator ÷ 1,720 Number of Investigators Needed = .55
Although the current workload requires one part-time employee, the nature of the position and the necessary training indicate that one full-time position would be more suitable.
This role could also manage follow-up investigations for hit-and-run traffic incidents.
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11. Parking Control Officers
Parking Control Officers enforce parking regulations and assist citizens by providing directions and addressing parking complaints.
Parking Control Officers Workload Analysis
The table below presents the total number of service calls handled by Parking Control Officers by hour and day of the week in 2023:
Parking Control: Incidents by Hour and Weekday
Hour Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total
12 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 AM 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
4 AM 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
5 AM 0 2 1 5 2 0 0 10
6 AM 0 5 8 8 3 2 1 27
7 AM 0 10 14 12 13 8 3 60
8 AM 1 23 17 30 19 23 11 124
9 AM 0 36 31 37 32 22 11 169
10 AM 0 30 41 39 43 19 19 191
11 AM 1 25 30 24 31 21 7 139
12 PM 1 15 19 23 15 21 10 104
1 PM 0 37 28 31 28 27 7 158
2 PM 1 21 23 24 25 23 11 128
3 PM 0 7 7 11 10 18 11 64
4 PM 4 3 0 2 0 10 4 23
5 PM 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 3
6 PM 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 5
7 PM 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
8 PM 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
9 PM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 PM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 PM 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Total 11 215 220 249 223 197 96 1,211
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Parking Control Officers handled 1,211 calls for service generated by both the community and self-initiated activities. The majority of incidents occurred between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Monday through Saturday.
The table below shows the ten most common incident categories handled by Parking Control Officers in 2023:
Parking Control: Most Common Incident Types
_Incident Type # CFS HT 12a 4a 8a 12p 4p 8p
TRAFFIC COMPL 361 37.7
OUT SELF INIT 215 48.2
ACCIDENT W INJ 88 52.5
VEH BLK DRVWY 85 36.2
TICKET SIGNOFF 82 21.9
ABANDONED VEH 81 36.7
FOLLOW UP 39 44.3
STOLEN VEHICLE 29 78.7
TRAFFIC STOP 22 69.5
THEFT 18 43.2
Other Types 191 50.9
Total 1,211 43.3
In 2023, Parking Control Officers responded to 1,211 calls for service and self-initiated activities, all of which were recorded in the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
Traffic complaints are the most common type of incident, with the highest frequency occurring between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Duties related to parking enforcement are typically not viewed as criminal. While these responsibilities hold significance, they are better suited outside of police departments.
Many cities throughout the United States have formed parking enforcement units within other city departments instead of the police. Building trust with communities is essential for effective policing. Police departments should concentrate on enhancing community
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interactions, improving communication, and fostering shared responsibilities to tackle crime and disorder. Transferring non-criminal enforcement duties to other city departments will help diversify workforce skills, boost efficiency, promote better community relations, and support police legitimacy.
12. Traffic Unit Supervisory Span of Control
The span of control ratios between officers and supervisors significantly impact the performance of first-line supervisors and their ability to execute their duties effectively.
Factors such as job functions, available technology, and the skills of both supervisors and staff can affect this ratio. In proactive units like the Traffic Unit, it is recommended that a supervisory span of control ratio should not exceed seven employees per Sergeant. The table below illustrates the current supervisory span of control in the Traffic Unit (based on authorized staffing). It also shows the span of control with the proposed addition of four Officers and one Traffic Crash Investigator in the unit (if Parking Control Officers are not reassigned to another city department):
Supervisory Span of Control
Ratio
Sergeant 5:1
Sergeant (with staffing increase) 10:1
As illustrated above, the supervisory span of control remains within the recommended ratio of seven employees to one Sergeant at authorized staffing levels. However, due to an increase of five positions, this span exceeds the recommended ratio. A non-sworn Parking Control Supervisor should be added to assume first-line supervisory responsibilities for the Traffic Unit Sergeant.
Recommendations:
Increase the Traffic Unit staffing by 4 Officers and 1 Traffic Crash Investigator, for a total of 1 Sergeant, 6 Officers, and 1 Traffic Crash Investigator. 2 new Officers should be assigned full-time DUI enforcement duties.
Explore transferring Parking Control Officer management and responsibilities to another city department.
Increase the Traffic Unit by 1 non-sworn Parking Control Supervisor position to assume first-line supervisory responsibilities of Parking Control Officers.
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13. Organizational Realignment
The Community Services Division includes Community Services, Community Engagement Programs, the Police Activities League, and the Traffic Unit. The uniformed roles within Community Services and the Traffic Unit address various aspects of police operations and provide direct support to field operations. To ensure continuity, these roles should be organizationally shifted to the Field Operations Division.
Community Engagement Programs and the Police Activities League are fully staffed by non-sworn personnel. Both functions also have non-sworn first-line supervisors.
Managing these units and functions does not require a sworn police officer. It is suggested that the Community Services Division's captain position be replaced with a new non-sworn management position with the same authority and responsibilities as the Captain.
Recommendations:
Transfer Community Services uniformed positions and Traffic Unit personnel from the Community Services Division to the Field Operations Division.
Replace the existing Community Services Division Captain role with a new non-sworn management position that holds the same authority and responsibilities as a Captain.
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3. Field Operations Division
1. Patrol Workload Analysis
The following sections provide an analysis of patrol workload and other issues relating to the effectiveness of field services.
(1) CAD Analysis Methodology
Our project team has calculated the community-generated workload of the department by analyzing incident records in the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) database, covering the entirety of the calendar year 2023.
For incidents to be identified as community-generated calls for service and included in our analysis of patrol, each of the following conditions must be met:
• The incident must have been unique.
• The incident must have been first created in calendar year 2023. • The incident must have involved at least one officer assigned to patrol, as identified by the individual unit codes of each response to the call.
Unit codes W17, W27, and W37, which represent Traffic Unit officers, were excluded. Likewise, unit codes corresponding to Sheriff’s Office deputies, sergeants, SROs, PSS units, etc., are not included.
• The source or origin of the call must have been community-generated unless the incident type corresponded to a community member flagging down an officer or other similar interaction.
– The project team received no data fields for call origin/source were included in the CAD/RMS data received by the project team. However, the data was split into two files – one for community-generated and the other for field-initiated activities.
– This division functions as a source column; however, additional measures were taken to stratify certain incident types.
• The incident type of the event must have sufficiently corresponded to a community-generated event. Incident types that are identified with a high level of certainty as being self-initiated (e.g., traffic stops) or administrative in nature (e.g., meal breaks) are not counted as community-generated calls for service.
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– Incidents listed as ‘community-generated’ with incident types that correspond to self-initiated activity with a high degree of certainty were counted as if the events were listed as having a self-initiated source. This includes traffic stops, area checks, and foot patrols, among other miscellaneous categories.
– Likewise, an event listed as ‘self-initiated’ with the incident type “CITIZEN HAIL” was automatically counted as if it had a community-generated source.
• There must have been no major irregularities or issues with the data recorded for the incident that would prevent sufficient analysis, such as having no unit code or a lack of any time stamps.
After filtering through the data using the methodology outlined above, the remaining incidents represent the community-generated calls for service handled by WPD patrol units.
(2) Calls for Service by Hour and Weekday
The following table displays the total number of calls for service handled by patrol units by each hour and day of the week:
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Calls for Service by Hour and Weekday
Hour Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total
12 AM 189 98 89 95 72 109 139 791
1 AM 128 80 67 72 69 79 99 594
2 AM 87 61 55 50 54 62 67 436
3 AM 75 67 48 47 58 51 74 420
4 AM 57 56 46 42 52 47 60 360
5 AM 53 49 47 58 66 50 42 365
6 AM 64 55 67 59 65 66 42 418
7 AM 58 121 95 98 103 86 71 632
8 AM 92 133 137 140 138 134 97 871
9 AM 137 183 178 156 180 169 135 1,138
10 AM 147 204 173 171 203 216 143 1,257
11 AM 147 187 192 180 188 208 166 1,268
12 PM 143 185 180 195 217 208 188 1,316
1 PM 175 211 190 193 188 223 171 1,351
2 PM 150 198 206 193 187 219 172 1,325
3 PM 155 224 234 205 208 244 190 1,460
4 PM 177 242 232 219 226 220 186 1,502
5 PM 169 198 216 192 203 187 187 1,352
6 PM 173 180 191 199 201 194 186 1,324
7 PM 207 215 168 187 175 200 189 1,341
8 PM 184 176 174 163 153 210 230 1,290
9 PM 187 172 181 183 178 196 236 1,333
10 PM 177 144 142 160 157 176 317 1,273
11 PM 154 105 130 122 140 155 219 1,025
Total 3,285 3,544 3,438 3,379 3,481 3,709 3,606 24,442
In total, WPD patrol officers responded to 24,442 calls for service in 2023. Activity is highly concentrated around the late morning through the late evening, dropping off sharply on all days except for Saturday night.
This is highly visible when viewed on an hourly basis:
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Call for Service Activity by Hour
The significant gap between the highest and lowest-activity hours (highlighted in blue) presents key implications for deployment needs during these times. (3) Calls for Service by Month
The following table displays calls for service totals by month, showing seasonal variation as a percentage difference from the quarterly average:
Calls for Service by Month
Month # of CFS Seasonal +/-
Jan 2,136
Feb 1,839 -1.2%
Mar 2,065
Apr 1,950
May 2,121 -1.1%
Jun 1,975
Jul 2,026
Aug 2,296 +4.7%
Sep 2,075
Oct 2,076
Nov 1,982 -2.5%
Dec 1,901
Total 24,442
Seasonal variation is relatively light, with a less than 5% increased average number of calls during the summer. Winter, by contrast, only drops as low as -1.2% to -2.5% below the average.
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(4) Most Common Types of Calls for Service
The following table provides the ten most common incident categories of calls for service handled by patrol units over the last year, as well as the average call handling time (HT)1 for each:
Most Common Call for Service Categories
Incident Type # CFS 12a 4a 8a 12p 4p 8p
DISTURB THE PEACE 3,067
FIRE-MEDICAL 2,559
SUSP ACTIVITY 1,655
WELFARE CHECK 1,523
ALARM 1,435
ACCIDENT W/ INJURY 715
THEFT 484, 487 711
NOISE/MUSIC 657
ASSIST CITIZEN 633
TRESPASSING 602 619
All Other Types 10,868
Total 24,442
Disturbances have a relatively moderate lead over many of the most common incident types, representing around 13% of all calls handled by the department.
Other than alarms and noise complaints, which occur predominantly at night, the frequency patterns for the most common call types match that of call activity overall, peaking from around the early afternoon to the late afternoon. 1 Handling time is defined as the total time in which a patrol unit was assigned to an incident. It is calculated as the difference between the recorded time stamps the unit being dispatched and cleared from the incident.
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2. Analysis of Patrol Resource Needs
Analysis of the community-generated workload handled by patrol units is at the core of analyzing field staffing needs. Developing an understanding of where, when, and what types of calls are received provides a detailed account of the service needs of the community, and by measuring the time used in responding and handling these calls, the staffing requirements for meeting the community’s service needs can then be determined.
To provide a high level of service, it is not enough for patrol units to function as call responders. Instead, officers must have sufficient time outside of community-driven workload to proactively address public safety issues, conduct problem-oriented policing, and perform other self-directed engagement activities within the service environment. As a result, patrol staffing needs are calculated not only from a standpoint of the capacity of current resources to handle workloads, but also their ability to provide a certain level of service beyond responding to calls.
With this focus in mind, the following sections examine the process used by the project team to determine the patrol resource needs of the Watsonville Police Department based on current workloads, staff availability, and service level objectives. (1) Overview of the Resource Needs Analysis
An objective and accurate assessment of patrol staffing requires analysis of the following three factors:
i. The number of community-generated workload hours handled by patrol.
ii. The total number of hours that patrol is on-duty and able to handle those workloads, based on current staffing numbers and net availability factors (e.g., leave, administrative time, etc.). iii. The remaining amount of time that patrol has to be proactive, which can also be referred to as “uncommitted” time.
This study defines the result of this process as patrol proactivity, or the percentage of patrol officers’ time in which they are available and on-duty that is not spent responding to community-generated calls for service. This calculation can also be expressed visually as an equation:
Total Net Available Hours – Total CFS Workload Hours
Total Net Available Hours
= % Proactivity
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The result of this equation is the overall level of proactivity in patrol, which in turn provides a model for the ability of patrol units to be proactive given current resources and community-generated workloads. There are some qualifications to this, which include the following:
• Optimal proactivity levels are a generalized target; a single percentage should be applied to every agency. The actual needs of an individual department vary based on several factors, including:
– Other resources the department has to proactively engage with the community and address issues, such as a dedicated proactive unit. – Community expectations and ability to support a certain level of service. – Whether fluctuations in the workload levels throughout the day require additional or fewer resources to be staffed to provide adequate coverage. • Sufficient proactivity at an overall level does not guarantee, based on workload patterns and deployment schedules, that resources are sufficient throughout all times of the day and week.
Overall, the Watsonville Police Department % should generally target an overall proactivity level of at least 45% as an effective benchmark of patrol coverage. Any community engagement, proactive policing, and downtime in between calls would take place within the target range of proactive time. Should proactive time be less than those levels, however, it would come at the expense of each of these activities. (2) Patrol Unit Staffing and Net Availability
The Watsonville Police Department follows a 10-hour shift configuration that assigns personnel to one of three shifts, each divided into two sides of the week on a fixed basis.
The following table outlines this schedule, showing the number of positions assigned to each shift team (including those on long-term and injury leave but excluding vacancies).
Workdays are shown with darker-shaded cells , while off days are shown as lightershaded cells :
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Patrol Shift Configuration (Current Field Staffing Levels)2 Shift Start End S M T W Th F Sa Sgt. Cpl. Ofc.
Day (Gold) 0600 1600 X X X X1 1 3
Day (Blue) 0600 1600 X X X X1 1 4
Swing (Gold) 1500 0100 X X X X1 0 5
Swing (Blue) 1500 0100 X X X X1 1 5
Graveyard (Gold) 2000 0600 X X X X1 1 3
Graveyard (Blue) 2000 0600 X X X X1 1 3
Patrol is also led by 1 captain, who is not assigned to a particular shift.
Although the table provides the scheduled staffing levels, it does not reflect the numbers that are actually on-duty and available to work on at any given time. Out of the 2,080 hours per year that each officer or corporal is scheduled to work in a year (excluding overtime), a large percentage is not actually spent on-duty and available in the field.
As a result, it is critical to understand the amount of time that officers are on leave – including vacation, sick, injury, military, or any other type of leave – as well as any hours dedicated to on-duty court or training time, and all time spent on administrative tasks such as attending shift briefings. The impact of each of these factors is determined through a combination of calculations made from WPD data and estimates based on the experience of the project team, which are then subtracted from the base number of annual work hours per position. The result represents the total net available hours of patrol officers, or the time in which they are on-duty and available to complete workloads and other activities in the field:
The table below outlines the calculation process in detail, outlining how each contributing factor is calculated:
2 Figures displayed in the table also include those in injury and long-term leave but exclude permanent vacancies in which the position slot is actually open.
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Factors Used to Calculate Patrol Net Availability
Work Hours Per Year
The total number of scheduled work hours for patrol officers, without factoring in leave, training, or anything else that takes officers away from normal on-duty work. This factor forms the base number from which other availability factors are subtracted from.
Base number: 2,080 scheduled work hours per year
Total Leave Hours (subtracted from total work hours per year) Includes all types of leave, as well as injuries and military leave – anything that would cause officers that are normally scheduled to work on a specific day to instead not be on duty. As a result, this category excludes on-duty training, administrative time, and on-duty court time.
Calculated from WPD data: 264 hours of leave per year
On-Duty Court Time (subtracted from total work hours per year) The total number of hours that each officer spends per year attending court while on duty, including transit time. Court attendance while on overtime is not included in the figure.
Without any data recording on-duty court time specifically for patrol officers, the number of hours is estimated based on the experience of the project team.
Estimated: 20 hours of on-duty court time per year
On-Duty Training Time (subtracted from total work hours per year) The total number of hours spent per year in training that are completed while on-duty and not on overtime. An average was developed from personnel assigned as patrol officers.
Estimated: 120 hours of on-duty training time per year
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Administrative Time (subtracted from total work hours per year) The total number of hours per year spent completing administrative tasks while onduty, including briefing, meal breaks, and various other activities.
The number is calculated as an estimate by multiplying 90 minutes of time per shift times the number of shifts that are worked by officers in a year after factoring out the shifts that are not worked as a result of leave being taken.
Estimated: 272 hours of administrative time per year
Total Net Available Hours
After subtracting the previous factors from the total work hours per year, the remaining hours comprise the total net available hours for officers – the time in which they are available to work after accounting for all leave, on-duty training, court, and administrative time. Net availability can also be expressed as a percentage of the base number of work hours per year.
Calculated by subtracting the previously listed factors from the base number:
1,404 net available hours per officer
These figures are provided for patrol officers. For corporals, it must also be factored in that in the absence of a sergeant, they function as first-line supervisors, and thus are not available to handle workload in the role that a patrol officer serves. As a result, corporal net availability must deduct the hours in which they would be expected to serve as supervisors. This is calculated at the rate of net available hours (plus administrative time) as a percentage of available work hours (1,404 net available hours plus 272 hours, divided by 2,080 hours). Thus, at a corporal net availability rate that is around 80% that of patrol officers, each corporal FTE would contribute 1,127 net available hours per year.
The following table summarizes this calculation process, displaying how each net availability factor contributes to the overall net availability of patrol officers:
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Calculation of Patrol Unit Net Availability
Officer Corporal
Base Annual Work Hours 2,080 2,080
Total Leave Hours − 264 263
On-Duty Training Hours − 120 120
On-Duty Court Time Hours − 20 20
Administrative Hours − 272 272
% of Time Not Serving as Supervisor − 100% 80%
Net Available Hours Per Officer = 1,404 1,123
Number of Officer Positions × 23 5
Total Net Available Hours = 32,286 5,636
Please note that all figures included in the table are calculated with decimals, and if the figures shown in the table are added or multiplied as they appear (i.e., in rounded form), the result may not match exactly.
Overall, the 23 officer positions (not including 2 K9s) and 5 corporals combine for a total of 37,922 net available hours per year, representing the time in which they are on duty and able to respond to community-generated incidents and be proactive. (3) Overview of Call for Service Workload Factors
The previous chapter of the report examined various trends in patrol workload, including variations by time of day and of week, common incident types, as well as several other methods. This section advances this analysis, detailing the full extent of the resource demands that these incidents create for responding patrol personnel.
Each call for service represents a certain amount of workload, much of which is not captured within the handling time of the primary unit. Some of these factors can be calculated directly from data provided by the department, while others must be estimated due to limitations in their measurability.
The following table outlines the factors that must be considered to capture the full scope of community-generated workload, and provides an explanation of the process used to calculate each factor:
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Factors Used to Calculate Total Patrol Workload
Number of Community-Generated Calls for Service
Data obtained from an export of CAD data covering a period of an entire year that has been analyzed and filtered in order to determine the number and characteristics of all communitygenerated activity handled by patrol officers.
The calculation process used to develop this number has been summarized in previous sections.
Calculated from WPD data: 24,442 community-generated calls for service Primary Unit Handling Time
The time used by the primary unit to handle a community-generated call for service, including time spent traveling to the scene of the incident and the duration of on-scene time.
For each incident, this number is calculated as the difference between ‘call cleared’ time stamp and the ‘unit dispatched’ time stamp.
In the experience of the project team, the average handling time is typically between 30 and 42 minutes.
The CAD data received by the project team only included time stamps for when each incident was created in the CAD/RMS system and when the incident was closed – no time stamps were available for unit dispatch time. As a result, handling time could not be calculated.
If handling time were calculated as the difference between call close and call creation, WPD CAD data showed an average of 39.7 minutes per call for service. However, this duration includes the time from call creation to unit dispatch. Since units are not actually assigned to the call during this time, it cannot be calculated as patrol workload.
In the experience of the project team, the amount of time from call creation to dispatch can vary greatly from agency to agency and can be as high as 40-60% of total incident duration.
Still, given that the typical range for handling time is between 30 and 42 minutes, removing an estimated 40-60% of the 39.7 minutes would be too severe of a correction. As a result, a more conservative reduction is used, and it is assumed that 34 minutes is spent per unit in respond to community-generated calls for service.
Estimated: 34.0 minutes of handling time per call for service
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Number of Backup Unit Responses
The total number of backup unit responses to community-generated calls for service. This number often varies based on the severity of the call, as well as the geographical density of the area being served.
This number can also be expressed as the rate of backup unit responses to calls for service and is inclusive of any additional backup units beyond the first.
Calculated from WPD data: 0.80 backup units per call for service Backup Unit Handling Time (multiplied by the rate)
The handling time for backup units responding to calls for service is calculated using the same process that was used for primary units, representing the time from the unit being dispatched to the unit clearing the call.
When CAD data lists unique time stamps for each unit on a call (rather than only for the first unit or overall for the call), the handling time calculated individually. In this case, the CAD data only displayed time stamps for the incident in general, and only for the timestamps for call creation and call closing, as discussed previously.
As a result, handling time for backup units in this case is estimated at estimated at 75% of the primary unit handling time factor.
Estimated: 25.5 minutes of handling time per backup unit Number of Reports Written
The total number of reports and other assignments relating to calls for service that have been completed by patrol units, estimated at one report written for every three calls for service. This includes any supporting work completed by backup units.
In this case, the number has been calculated from WPD data that identifies 4,954 incident reports, which equates to 0.20 reports per call for service.
Estimated/calculated from WPD data: 0.20 reports written per call for service
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Report Writing Time (multiplied by the report writing rate) The average amount of time it takes to complete a report or other assignment in relation to a call for service. Without any data detailing this specifically, report writing time must be estimated based on the experience of the project team. It is assumed that 45 minutes are spent per written report, including the time spent by backup units on supporting work assignments.
Estimated: 45 minutes per report
Total Workload Per Call for Service
The total time involved in handling a community-generated call for service, including the factors calculated for primary and backup unit handling time, reporting writing time, and jail transport/booking time.
The product of multiplying this value by the calls for service total at each hour and day of the week is the number of hours of community-generated workload handled by patrol units – equating to approximately 25,850 total hours in 2023.
Calculated from previously listed factors: 63.5 total minutes of workload per call for service
Each of the factors summarized in this section contributes to the overall picture of patrol workload – the total number of hours required for patrol units to handle communitygenerated calls for service, including primary and backup unit handling times, report writing time, and jail transport time.
These factors are summarized in the following table:
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Summary of CFS Workload Factors
Total Calls for Service 24,442 54% Avg. Primary Unit Handling Time 34.0 min.
Backup Units Per CFS 0.80 32% Avg. Backup Unit Handling Time 25.5 min.
Reports Written Per CFS 0.20 14% Time Per Report 45.0 min.
Avg. Workload Per Call 63.5 min.
Total Workload 25,850 hrs.
Overall, each call represents an average workload of 63.5 minutes, including all time spent by the primary unit handling the call, the time spent by any backup units attached to the call, and any reports or other assignments completed in relation to the incident. (4) Calculation of Overall Patrol Proactivity
Using the results of the analysis of both patrol workloads and staff availability, it is now possible to determine the remaining time in which patrol units can function proactively.
The result can then function as a barometer from which to gauge the capacity of current resources to handle call workload demands, given objectives for meeting a certain service level.
The following table shows the calculation process used by the project team to determine overall proactivity levels, representing the percentage of time that patrol officers have available outside of handling community-generated workloads:
Calculation of Overall Patrol Proactivity
Total Patrol Net Available Hours 37,922
Total Patrol Workload Hours – 25,850
Resulting # of Uncommitted Hours = 12,072
Divided by Total Net Available Hours ÷ 33,895
Overall Proactive Time Level = 31.8%
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The following chart shows this analysis at a more detailed level, providing proactivity levels in four-hour blocks throughout the week:
Proactivity by Hour and Weekday
Proactive time is below the targeted level of 45% overall, and on an hourly basis, it is significantly lower than that for many hours of the day. During the late morning to early afternoon hours on all weekdays except for Wednesday, proactive time decreases to extraordinarily low levels, reaching double-digit negatives.
While the overall issue of inadequate filled staffing levels remains, two largely controllable factors are driving the severity of the problem on an hourly basis:
1. Shared Overlap Day: The significant disparity between Wednesday and other days of the week points to an inefficient aspect of the current shift configuration, which creates an overlap day (Wednesday) in which all personnel are scheduled to work. While this may make it easier to schedule training, the adverse effects this has on service levels – particularly for agencies that are already short-staffed – are far more impactful. With finite resources, any hours or days in which above-average staff are deployed consequently result in the other hours/days having below-average staff deployed.
2. Shift Overlaps: WPD uses a 10-hour shift schedule. Because three 10-hour shifts do not divide evenly into a 24-hour day, this results in six hours of overlap between shifts.
Some departments spread these overlap hours across each shift transition, while others strategically align the overlap hours to occur during the highest-workload hours in order to deploy extra capacity during those times. Under the current schedule, five of six of the
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overlap hours are from 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM, which are far from being the highest-workload hours. As a result, the ‘extra’ capacity is not deployed during times when it is needed most to retain adequate service levels.
Consider the following chart, which shows the number of officers scheduled to work each hour (shown as gray columns) with patrol workload levels (shown as red lines). Thus, the red bars between the two represent the degree to which there is a deficiency in staffing at each hour:
Scheduled Patrol Staffing vs Workload
While redeployment does not solve the overall issue of staffing level adequacy, it can mitigate the severity of issues. Addressing the two principal causes can achieve significant effects:
1. Staggered Workdays: Instead of creating a single shared overlap workday for all officers, individual work schedules for officers can be staggered. For instance, one officer would work Wed-Sat, while the next works Thu-Sun, and so forth. While this does prevent officers from working with the same sergeant every workday, in a situation where the deficiencies are as severe as they are currently, the cost is far outweighed by the benefit from improved service levels.
2. Overlaps During Strategic Times: Rather than establish a five-hour overlap period late at night, the overlap should be centered during higher-activity hours. To accomplish this, the Swing shift start time can be pushed earlier in the day, while Day and Graveyard shifts can be moved slightly later, as follows:
Recommended Change in Shift Work Hours
Current Alternative
Day Shift 0600 - 1500 0700 - 1700
Swing Shift 1500 - 0100 1300 - 2300
Graveyard Shift 2000 - 0600 2200 - 0800
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These changes would center the periods in which two shifts are active on higher workload periods, creating a match between capacity and demand that, in turn, improves the service levels provided to the public.
Recommendation:
Through negotiation with the Police Officers’ Association, alter shift start hours in Patrol to address severe deficiencies in staffing at certain times of the day. (5) Patrol Staffing Levels Required to Meet Service Level Objectives To determine staffing needs, it is also important to consider the number of vacancies that currently exist, as well as the rate of turnover. An agency will never be fully staffed, as there will always be vacancies occurring as a result of retirement, termination, and other factors. When these events occur, it takes a significant amount of time to recruit a new position, complete the hiring process, run an academy, and complete the FTO program before the individual becomes an on-duty officer. Given this consideration, agencies must always hire above the number needed to provide a targeted level of service.
The amount of ‘buffer’ that an agency requires should be based on the historical rate of attrition within patrol. Attrition can take many forms – if it is assumed that the majority of vacancies are carried in patrol staffing, a vacancy at the officer level in any other area of the organization would consequently remove one officer from regular patrol duties.
Likewise, promotions would have the same effect, in that they create an open position slot in patrol. Not included, however, are positions that become vacant while the individual is still in the academy or FTO program, and they are not counted in our analysis as being part of ‘actual’ patrol staffing.
Given these considerations, an additional 5% authorized (budgeted) positions should be added on top of the actual number of currently filled (actual) positions to account for turnover while maintaining the ability to meet the targeted proactivity level. The resulting figure can then be rounded to the nearest whole number, assuming that positions cannot be added fractionally. It is worth noting that the number of officers needed without turnover is fractional, as it is an intermediate step in the calculation process.
These calculations are shown in the following table:
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Calculation of Patrol Unit Staffing Needs
Total Workload Hours 25,850
Proactive Time Target 45%
Staffed Hours Needed = 47,000
Deduct Corporal NA Hours - 6,763
Resulting Staffed Hours Needed = 40,237
Net Available Hours Per Officer ÷ 1,404
Turnover Factor + 5%
Patrol Corporal FTEs Needed = 6
Patrol Officer FTEs Needed = 31
Note: There are currently six corporals authorized in patrol, of which one is currently vacant.
For calculating authorized staffing needs, the number of authorized corporal positions is used, rather than the number currently filled.
Based on workload, availability, and proactive time targets – and after accounting for the impact of turnover on staffing needs, WPD should allocate at least 6 corporals and 31 officer positions to regular patrol roles (not including the 2 K9s). Currently, there are only 23 officer positions filled (including 2 on long-term leave) and 5 of 6 corporal positions filled.
As a result, authorized staffing is one below the number needed to meet target service levels. However, the 7 current vacancies below authorized staffing are mostly at fault for current service level deficiencies.
It is also important to note that the effect of cumulative vacancies cannot be solved by authorized staffing alone. The turnover factor is designed to provide a balance against the rate of attrition, assuming new recruits can complete the academy and FTO program each year. If unfilled positions are lost at a rate greater than they are replaced over a several-year timespan, then adding more authorized positions is unlikely to solve that problem. The current scenario reflects this issue.
Recommendation:
Add 1 authorized officer position to patrol, for a total of 31 authorized officer positions in that role.
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(6) Additional Conclusions Regarding Patrol Proactivity and Resource Needs The overall patrol proactivity level should function as a barometer of potential resource capacity to handle workloads and be proactive, and different levels have varying implications for the effectiveness of an agency in being proactive at addressing public safety issues and engaging with the community. These considerations can be summarized as follows:
• As proactive time reaches severely low levels (20% and below), calls are frequently queueing, and response times are measurably becoming much higher, particularly for lower priority calls for service. At these levels, proactive time is more a measure of how diminished the service level becomes, rather than one of the qualities of proactive efforts.
• In agencies that are severely understaffed in patrol functions and consequently have very little proactive time (under 35% overall), calls will frequently be held in queues as resources cannot handle the incoming workload. Proactivity also falls behind, as officers in such agencies would have little to no time to be proactive.
When gaps do occur, the high rate of workload relative to available time can have a limiting factor on self-initiated generation, as officers avoid being tied up on a proactive activity such as a traffic stop in case priority calls for service occur. • As proactivity increases (around 35-45% overall), the generation of self-initiated activity rapidly increases, as officers can deal with already-identified opportunities to proactively address issues in the community, some of which are prioritized and project-oriented engagements.
• Beyond those levels (at least 45-50% overall), depending on scheduling and deployment efficiency, the time available for proactive policing increases further, and opportunities to engage in self-initiated activity expand. However, the number of priority needs for self-initiated activity (e.g., addressing narcotics activity) also decreases. Despite this, no limitations exist on the time that can be spent on activities such as saturation/directed patrols and community engagement activities.
The findings from this analysis are particularly notable given that as the proactivity level increases, the number of officers needed to raise it further grows exponentially. Whereas at low proactivity levels, adding several more officers would have a significant effect on overall proactivity, doing so at high proactivity levels (>60%) would have very little effect.
The following chart provides a visualization of this issue, showing the diminishing returns of adding additional officers on patrol proactivity and service levels:
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Importantly, Watsonville is still at a point where adding staff – or at the very least, filling positions – yields noticeable gains in proactive time, as well as the productive usage of additional proactive time.
3. Self-Initiated Activity
The analysis to this point has focused exclusively on the reactive portion of patrol workload, consisting of community-generated calls for service and related work. In the remaining available time, which is referred to in this report as proactive time, officers are able to proactively address public safety issues through targeted enforcement, saturation patrol, community engagement, problem-oriented policing projects, and other activity.
Equally critical to the question of how much proactive time is available is how and whether it is used in this manner.
There are some limitations on how the use of proactive time is measured, however. Not all proactive policing efforts are tracked in CAD data, such as some informal area checks, saturation patrol, miscellaneous field contacts, and other types of activity. However, many categories of officer-initiated activity are nonetheless recorded, such as traffic stops, predictive policing efforts, and follow-up investigations.
Nonetheless, CAD data does provide for a significant portion of officer-initiated activity to be analyzed to examine how utilized uncommitted time is for proactive policing.
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(1) Self-Initiated Activity by Hour and Weekday
Self-initiated activity displays different hourly trends compared to community-generated calls for service, as illustrated in the following table:
Self-Initiated Activity by Hour and Weekday
Hour Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total
12 AM 30 39 62 36 43 32 35 277
1 AM 32 33 31 37 33 39 28 233
2 AM 15 28 28 37 33 23 27 191
3 AM 15 20 26 40 12 17 19 149
4 AM 7 11 30 19 21 15 9 112
5 AM 6 5 4 10 7 3 8 43
6 AM 6 10 10 7 4 8 4 49
7 AM 12 27 38 27 28 20 11 163
8 AM 25 48 37 57 57 31 26 281
9 AM 29 75 54 74 58 42 40 372
10 AM 34 73 73 64 75 47 44 410
11 AM 39 59 65 66 73 38 42 382
12 PM 40 50 54 43 49 44 40 320
1 PM 31 57 55 52 54 41 37 327
2 PM 34 60 48 48 44 47 32 313
3 PM 28 52 60 62 44 44 36 326
4 PM 81 105 87 96 85 90 68 612
5 PM 85 105 89 74 75 90 64 582
6 PM 64 81 79 78 68 76 51 497
7 PM 67 58 80 55 55 57 39 411
8 PM 70 70 83 93 45 72 64 497
9 PM 90 120 114 107 91 136 87 745
10 PM 114 118 78 89 99 113 77 688
11 PM 89 74 61 56 52 84 43 459
Total 1,043 1,378 1,346 1,327 1,205 1,209 931 8,439
Self-initiated activity is concentrated at the highest levels in the late afternoon and late evening, beginning with a sharp uptick at 4:00 PM – an hour after the Swing shift arrives on duty.
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Overall, about 1 self-initiated incident is generated for every 3 community-generated calls for service. This is a relatively low rate and speaks to a lack of proactive time available to conduct self-initiated activity.
(2) Self-Initiated Activity by Category
Unlike community-generated calls for service, self-initiated activity is typically more concentrated over a few call types:
Most Common Categories of Self-Initiated Activity
Incident Type # CFS HT 12a 4a 8a 12p 4p 8p
TRAFFIC STOP 3,024 22.4
FOLLOW UP 2,032 46.3
OUT SELF INIT 1,280 33.3
AREA CHECK 559 12.0
EXTRA CHECKS 271 18.8
LAW INFO 200 59.7
BOLO 186 47.0
BIKE STOP 119 27.6
FOOT PATROL 108 20.5
TRAFFIC COMPL 68 26.3
All Other Types 592 51.0
Total 8,439 32.5
Interestingly, the time periods for when the most common categories of self-initiated activity are predominantly conducted are relatively defined. Area checks, extra checks, law info, and foot patrols are conducted almost exclusively at night when activity is quieter. Traffic stops, unusually, are also heavily concentrated in the late afternoon and evening hours. This coincides exactly with the Swing shift arriving on duty.
Furthermore, the heightened proactive time during the nighttime also reflects the overlap between Swing and Graveyard shifts from 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM.
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(3) Traffic Enforcement Efficiency
Patrol officers play a significant role in traffic enforcement, conducting around 93% of all traffic stops. The following pair of maps highlights the concentrated areas of traffic stops versus where traffic accidents occur:
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The activity lines up incredibly well. Areas where there are more accidents are also targeted far more heavily for traffic enforcement, which is emblematic of a data-centric approach to reducing traffic fatalities. This is a best practice, and WPD should continue to take such an approach in utilizing its proactive time.
4. Feasibility of Implementing Alternative Response Strategies The following sections examine opportunities to divert calls for service from sworn patrol response to other means, enabling service levels to be improved with limited resources, while also providing the potential for quicker responses to lower priority calls for service. (1) Overview of the Call Diversion Framework
In recent years, more and more has been asked of officers. Police have been called to function as social services in responding to issues of homelessness and mental health issues, and serve numerous other roles beyond what was expected in the past. At the same time, service level expectations have not diminished. Perhaps more than ever, police have been asked to respond to incidents that do not necessarily require a sworn response.
Although this analysis focuses on expanding the role of police service specialist (PSS) positions to handle low priority calls for service, it is critical to stress that this is part of a greater picture of call diversion. Reducing police workload involves using not only civilian field responders but also emphasizing and expanding phone and online reporting, as well as specialized teams to handle calls revolving around homelessness and mental health issues.
The following pair of diagrams provide an illustrative model for how call diversion can reduce the involvement of police in handling certain types of workloads, handling those calls through other means instead:
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Before Implementing Call Diversion Approaches
After Implementing Call Diversion Approaches
Reducing patrol workload through an array of different approaches can free patrol officers’ time to focus on the types of activities that most benefit from their skill sets, such as proactive policing, responding to emergency calls for service, and engaging with the community.
(2) Building a Call Diversion Program Based on the Experience of Other Agencies Before the scope of an expanded call diversion program can be determined, it is critical to first examine the experience of other agencies. To inform the call diversion analysis, the project team used comparative data from other agencies that deploy civilian call responders to handle calls for service in the field. In each of these agencies, CAD data has been analyzed using the same methodology to provide for a more level analysis.
While agencies can have vastly different approaches to categorizing calls, many of the
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types of calls relevant to this analysis are similarly defined between agencies, with differences mainly relating to severity if the call category has subtypes (e.g., minor and major injury accidents). To further provide for a level analysis, agencies were selected from the same state, given that call categories may be closely tied to penal/criminal code numbering systems.
Nonetheless, some aggregation of call types is needed to group calls under the same broad categories. For instance, a CAD database may have a call type for “Missing Juvenile” but not “Runaway Juvenile”, while others have distinct call types for both.
The following table summarizes the results of this comparative analysis, showing the percentage of calls that were diverted to CSOs (equivalent to PSSs) in each agency by type of call:
% of Calls Handled by CSOs During Their On-Duty Hours
Type Fremont
Rancho
Cordova Roseville
Mountain
View
West
Sacramento Avg. Max
Traffic Hazard 50% 11% 50% 37% 50%
Theft 25% 41% 39% 35% 53% 39% 53%
Accident (Non-Inj.) 20% 22% 14% 42% 25% 42%
Theft From Vehicle 65% 41% 56% 46% 66% 55% 66%
Auto Theft 66% 45% 42% 55% 62% 54% 66%
Recovered Stolen 65% 44% 35% 58% 21% 45% 65%
Lost/Found Property 70% 18% 47% 67% 50% 50% 70%
Graffiti 56% 80% 50% 62% 80%
Vandalism 15% 20% 37% 47% 49% 34% 49%
Runaway/Missing 50% 25% 40% 48% 37% 40% 50%
Burglary-Residential 60% 38% 39% 52% 50% 48% 60%
Burglary-Comm. 74% 60% 39% 60% 50% 57% 74%
Fraud 15% 33% 49% 63% 40% 63%
Parking Complaint 82% 27% 70% 60% 82%
Grand Theft 21% 31% 30% 59% 35% 59%
Accident (Min. Inj.) 16% 15% 12% 47% 23% 47%
Property Pickup 12% 93% 53% 93%
Diversion Rate 20% 11% 10% 29% 12% 16% 29%
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This includes many calls involving the report of crimes, such as burglaries (past tense/’cold’ only), fraud, and theft incidents; as well as a number of process-oriented workloads, such as events involving lost/found property or recovered stolen property.
The common traits among the selected call types principally include the following:
• Lack of on scene suspects/perpetrators; consequently, low risk involved. • Lack of two conflicting parties (such as in a domestic incident). • Arrests do not need to be made in responding to the call.
Given this analysis, there are prevailing practices and significant precedents for a wide range of calls to be handled by civilian responders as an alternative. This also aligns well with what WPD’s police service specialists already handle, albeit a limited portion of the activity:
Police Service Specialists: Current Incident Types
Incident Type # Incidents Avg. HT
Missing Person 23 80.0
Theft 23 54.3
Ticket Sign Off 22 26.7
Abandoned Vehicle 20 29.5
Burglary 20 90.7
Stolen Vehicle 17 109.2
Vandalism 17 56.8
Traffic Complaint 16 46.4
Accident W/ Injury 16 64.6
Out Self-Initiated 14 33.0
All Other Types 123 57.5
Total 311 57.4
In examining how the program can be expanded, the maximum values for the percentage of diverted calls from the comparative research are most relevant, as it shows the upper potential for call diversion. Lower values could be caused by insufficient PSSs on duty and are not necessarily a result of their eligibility to handle the call.
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(3) Analysis of Call Diversion Potential
Based on the comparative analysis of other agencies that deploy PSSs (often termed CSOs in other agencies) to respond to lower priority calls for service, the project team analyzed the feasibility of expanding the scope of WPD’s call division capabilities.
WPD call types were mapped against the categories used in the comparative analysis, with percentages assigned that reflect rounded values from the upper potential (max) values of the comparative agencies. Translating the categories into the call type categorization WPD uses, the relevant calls are highly similar to those used in the comparative context. The following table categorizes them into broader groups, and lists their matching diversion percentage based on the comparative data:
Call Types Identified for Diversion
Type Incident Type # CFS Avg. HT % Divertible
Cold Reports Theft 484, 487 692 53.0 50%
Vandalism 594 362 54.9 50%
Burglary 459 214 64.5 60%
10851 Stolen Vehicle 173 80.4 65%
Fraud 470, 476, 477 181 64.4 60%
Miscellaneous Missing Person 216 79.6 60%
Ticket Sign Off 114 22.5 60%
Property Found Property 91 56.1 90%
Lost Property 83 38.9 70%
Traffic/Parking Traffic Complaint 705 40.3 50%
Veh Blocking Driveway 240 42.7 80%
Accident W/ Injury 477 60.6 40%
Abandoned Vehicle 100 42.4 90%
Often, agencies will also allow for many of these call types to be reported online, such as non-injury accidents, thefts, thefts from vehicles, and property damage. Allowing for a spectrum of different approaches – rather than relying on one method – can increase the effectiveness of diversion.
Nonetheless, as noted earlier, these percentages represent the maximum potential for diversion rather than what is likely to occur based on staffing, deployment, and other factors.
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Using these percentages, WPD CAD data (covering the same period used for the patrol analysis) can be used to identify how this potential translates into workload being diverted from patrol officers. The following table presents the results of this analysis:
Estimated Potential for WPD Non-Emergency Call Diversion Type Incident Type % Divertible # Diverted Workload Diverted3 Cold Reports Theft 484, 487 50% 346 366
Vandalism 594 50% 181 191
Burglary 459 60% 128 135
10851 Stolen Vehicle 65% 112 118
Fraud 470, 476, 477 60% 109 115
Miscellaneous Missing Person 60% 130 137
Ticket Sign Off 60% 68 72
Property Found Property 90% 82 87
Lost Property 70% 58 61
Traffic/Parking Traffic Complaint 50% 353 373
Veh Blocking Driveway 80% 192 203
Accident W/ Injury 40% 191 202
Abandoned Vehicle 90% 90 95
Total – 2,040 2,158
This analysis demonstrates that, based on the experience of other agencies, up to 2,040 calls for service could be diverted to civilian response. This represents approximately
8.3% of all calls handled by patrol.
The identified calls represent 2,158 workload hours based on each call type’s average handling time. Reducing patrol officer workload at this level of magnitude would markedly increase their ability to be proactive and engage with the community, as well as work towards addressing service level inadequacies and inequities across all patrol areas. In isolation – without considering the effect of other recommendations, such as staffing level changes – diverting 8.3% of all calls for service would increase patrol proactive time from 32% to 39%, significantly mitigating service level deficiencies. 3 Total hours of workload diverted, including handling time and report writing time.
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The following table outlines the staffing calculations for civilian call responders based on a two-shift configuration, assuming a utilization rate of 75%:
Civilian Call Responder Staffing Calculations
Workload Hours to Divert 2,158
% Utilization Rate 75%
Staffed Hours Needed 2,877
Net Available Hours/FTE 1,474
PSS FTEs Required 2
In total, an additional 2 PSS positions are needed to expand the practice of using civilians to handle low-priority calls for service in the field.
Recommendation:
Expand the role of Police Service Specialist positions in responding to low-priority calls for service that do not require an officer.
Increase staffing of Police Service Specialist positions by 2, for a total of 4 FTEs assigned to the Patrol Division.
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4. Professional Standards Division
The Watsonville Police Department’s Professional Standards Division (PSD) is comprised of sworn and non-sworn personnel responsible for a variety of support tasks. The Division is led by the Professional Standards Division Captain, who an Administrative Sergeant and an Administrative Analyst assist. PSD has several core functional areas where the Division focuses its operations, including:
• Internal Affairs
• Recruitment and Hiring
• Training Section (Range, Training Committee, Continuing Professional Training) • Records Unit
• Property & Evidence Unit
• Facilities
The Administrative Sergeant assigned to the Professional Standards Division is responsible for supporting the PSD Captain with several tasks related to sworn recruiting and hiring, in-service training, internal affairs investigations, and facilities. The Sergeant currently assigned to PSD is also a Firearms Instructor and the Team Leader assigned to the Special Response Team, which requires approximately ten hours of monthly training.
This does not include time for callouts, surveillance, and planning.
The Administrative Analyst is tasked with scheduling within the Intime software platform, permit processing, including traveling merchants, taxi drivers, security companies, and CCS, purchasing, and equipment management. Tasks also include scheduling training, booking training and hotels, processing training, monitoring training hours and required training.
1. Internal Affairs
Internal affairs investigations within the Watsonville Police Department are primarily conducted by the Captain of the Professional Standards Division. Certain sensitive or complex internal investigations may be handled by a third-party investigator. As time goes on, more investigations will be carried out by the Administrative Sergeant. (1) Internal Affairs Workload
As previously outlined, the Professional Standards Division Captain and Administrative Sergeant are responsible for conducting internal affairs investigations. The following table outlines the investigations by type over the last three years.
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Internal Affairs Caseload by Investigation Type
Investigation Type 2021 2022 2023 % Change
Administrative Investigations 14 14 15 7.1%
Confidential 0 2 10 400%
Total 14 16 25 56.3%
In the table above, the number of administrative investigations has roughly held steady over the last three years. However, the number of confidential investigations, which are not classified as either administrative or criminal, has risen dramatically. From 2021 to 2023, the internal affairs investigative caseload rose by 78.6% - due to the increase in investigations classified as confidential. The chart below illustrates the same information visually.
Internal Affairs Investigations (2021 – 2023)
(2) Internal Affairs Workload Analysis
In reviewing internal affairs investigative units, average investigative case hours are used.
It is important to understand that every case is different, and some cases are very complex and require significantly more hours to investigate and some cases are relatively simple and do not require more than a few hours to investigate and document. The average hours are used as a performance metric designed to establish approximate work hours for a typical internal affairs case.
Case Time Estimates for Administrative IA Investigations Common Tasks Processes Avg. Time % of Cases
Complaint
Review
Determine if allegation is a policy
violation. Time figure includes
reviewing complaint.
2 hours 100%
Find relevant CAD entry,
police report, video, or other
Determine subject(s) of allegation.
Time figure includes CAD enquiry
and report(s) review.
4 hours 100%
14 14 15
0 2
10 2021 2022 2023
Administrative Investigations Criminal Investigations Confidential
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Common Tasks Processes Avg. Time % of Cases
documentation relevant to
the complaint
Review Body Worn Camera
or other Video / Audio
Evidence
Document evidence to sustain
or exonerate department
member.
8 hours 100%
Interview Complainant Determine all complaint allegations (including writing summary / notes)
3 hours 100%
Write Complaint and
Allegation(s)
Determine which policy or policies
could have been violated. Includes
review and report writing time.
4 hours 100%
Schedule subject officer
Interview
Includes sending written notice
within proper timelines.
1 hour 100%
Write Interview Questions N/A 1 hour 100%
Conduct witness interviews (Includes Scheduling) - Some cases only have officer or complainant as
witnesses
6 hours 100%
Conduct subject interviews Interviews are recorded, and the time estimated includes report
writing.
4 hours 100%
Write Investigative Finding Includes report writing. 16 hours 100% Total On average 49 hours
This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all steps that may be taken. Some cases may have several witnesses, for example.
(3) Calculation of Workload and Staffing Needs
Using the case time estimates provided above, we can calculate the total caseload hours based on the 2023 data. Investigations currently categorized are considered formal investigations. The table below outlines the associated work hours:
Internal Affairs Workload Metrics
Number Investigative Hours Total Hours
Admin. Investigations 25 49 1,225
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As outlined above, the total number of workload hours in 2023 is 1,225. The base number of hours in an employee’s work year is 2,080. After accounting for vacation, sick leave, training, and other absences, a figure of 1,720 hours is typically more appropriate. The table below outlines the staffing needs calculation.
Calculation of Investigator Staffing Needs
Total caseload hours 1,225
Divided by total net available hours for 1 Investigator ÷ 1,720 Total Number of Investigators Needed = .71
The above staffing calculation indicates the need for a single FTE to investigate internal affairs. These responsibilities should be assigned to a sworn supervisor, specifically the PSD Administrative Sergeant, not the Professional Standards Division Captain. This allocation of investigative responsibilities allows the PSD Captain to maintain oversight of the entire Division. The other workload elements of the Administrative Sergeant will be analyzed below, with staffing recommendations summarized at the end.
Recommendation:
Re-assign the PSD Administrative Sergeant to internal affairs investigations on a fulltime basis.
2. Recruitment and Hiring
The Personnel Section of the Watsonville Police Department works to recruit and retain high-quality public safety personnel. The PSD Administrative Sergeant leads the recruiting team within the Department and is primarily tasked with attending events that may attract individuals interested in sworn and professional staff positions. Department leaders have found that attending recruiting events has not been a successful means of recruiting new personnel. Attending recruiting-specific events is not minimal and is not an emphasis of the Department’s hiring strategy.
A critical component of hiring in law enforcement agencies is conducting background investigations on candidates for sworn and professional staff positions. Currently, the Watsonville Police Department employs a third-party background investigation firm to carry out these investigations, with occasional support from the Administrative Sergeant.
The PSD Captain and the Administrative Sergeant share the responsibilities of hiring and recruiting. The Administrative Sergeant completes these tasks for sworn candidates, while the PSD Captain does so for professional staff members.
No further data was provided regarding backgrounds and hiring to enable additional analysis.
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3. Training
The workload of the Department’s training function was determined based on the number of training hours delivered by Department instructors during the previous calendar year (2023). Calculating the training workload is essential for deciding the number of personnel that may be assigned to support the Department’s training program. Currently, the Administrative Sergeant is responsible for coordinating and facilitating departmental training with substantial support from the Administrative Analyst. The Analyst assists with approximately 100 external trainings annually, which involve tasks such as planning, coordination, processing, and reimbursement. Additionally, the Administrative Analyst monitors compliance with CA POST required training (PSP and CPT). Training and instruction are primarily delivered by Department personnel who serve as instructors in a secondary capacity.
A law enforcement agency’s training team is an especially important functional area for developing a comprehensive understanding of workload and performance. This workload includes various administrative duties associated with the department’s training program management, training course curriculum development, training unit instructor hours, and other administrative tasks.
(1) Training Workload
The following table illustrates the total number of hours of instruction by the training team in 2023.
2023 In-Service Instructor Hour
2023 Instructor Hours
210
According to the Chapman Alliance report on instructor-led training, research in instructional design has consistently shown that developing one hour of instructor-led training requires approximately 22 to 25 hours of preparation. The in-house training staff at the Watsonville Police Department delivered 210 hours of training.
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(2) Calculation of Workload and Staffing Needs
Training Workload Calculation
Total Course Hours 210
Multiplied by development time per each hour x 22
Total workload hours = 4,620
÷ 1,720
Required Training Person = 2.7
The above calculation serves as a basis for understanding the need for dedicated personnel to support the Department’s training program. However, assigning three employees to training on a full-time basis would not be efficient due to the tempo of the training schedule, as in-house training is not conducted at all times.
To efficiently allocate personnel to meet training needs, the project team recommends assigning one (1) FTE sworn officer as the Department’s Training Officer. Law enforcement agencies with full-time training officer roles integrate curriculum development, instructor support, and other instruction-related tasks within a single position. This position primarily functions as a program manager, with instruction-related tasks as appropriate. Establishing a Training Officer position enables the training supervisor, in Watsonville’s case, the Administrative Sergeant, to oversee the Department’s training program with a broader perspective focused on the program's strategic goals. This structure maintains the Administrative Analyst’s role in handling support-related training tasks, such as travel coordination and documentation.
Recommendation:
Create one (1) FTE Training Officer position within the Professional Standards Division.
4. Records Unit
The Records Unit is responsible for maintaining accurate law enforcement records and data. It currently consists of five non-sworn professional staff members, including a Records Supervisor and four Police Clerks. There are three classifications within the Police Clerk position: Police Clerk III, Police Clerk II, and Police Clerk I. Due to budget constraints, one Police Clerk position remains unfilled.
The Records Unit does not track its workload extensively. The table below represents the 2023 workload metrics obtained by the MCG project team.
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Records Unit Workload Metrics
2023 Records Workload Metrics
Incident/Crime Reports Processed 4,501
Reports Scanned 3,804
Report Requests Fulfilled 1,062
(1) Records Supervisor Calculation of Workload and Staffing Needs The Records Supervisor tracked the supervisory workload at the request of the MCG project team over a ten-day period. The table below outlines the tasks completed by the Records Supervisor and the time spent on each task.
Supervisory Workload Tracking
Task Task Hours (Over a Two-Week Period)
General Administrative Tasks 10.5
Phone and Email Correspondence 8
Report Issue Resolution 1
Cash Management .25
Records Personnel Evaluations 2.25
Reporting 1
IT-Related Tasks 5.75
Subpoena Response 2.5
DOJ Validation Assignments 1
Research 5.25
NIBRS Report Review 7.75
RMS Tasks 8.25
Vehicle Release Coordination 2.5
Total Task Hours 56
The Records Supervisor documented 56 hours of supervisory-specific work tasks over a ten-workday period. The remaining tasks completed by the Supervisor during this time were non-supervisory in nature. To further evaluate the supervisory workload, this workload was annualized, followed by the application of a net annual work hour calculation.
Calculation of Supervisor Staffing Needs
Total Workload Hours 1,456
Divided by total net available hours for 1 Supervisor ÷ 1,720 Total Number of Supervisors Needed = .85
The calculation above indicates that the Records Supervisor position is sufficiently staffed, considering the workload associated with supervisory tasks.
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(2) Records Clerks Calculation of Workload and Staffing Needs The table below illustrates the workload related to the Department’s Records function.
Police Clerk Workload by Activit
Activity Number
Minutes Per
Activity Total Minutes
Conversion to
Hours
Incident/Crime
Reports Processed 4,501 10 45,010 750
Reports Scanned 3,804 10 38,040 634
Calls Handled 20,000 5 100,000 1,667
Report Requests
Fulfilled 1,062 30 31,860 531
Towed Vehicle
Hearings 24 15 360 6
Towed Vehicle
Paperwork (No
Hearing)
1,230 10 12,300 205
Reports Submitted to
Prosecutor 1,896 20 37,920 632
Reports Submitted
Juvenile Court 138 20 2,760 46
Total 25,155 - 230,750 4,471
As the table indicates, the approximate workload for the Records Unit is 4,471 hours. By using the average net annual work hour value of 1,720 hours for non-sworn personnel, an analysis of staffing needs can be conducted.
Police Clerk Staffing Calculation
Total Workload Hours 4,471
Divided by total net available
hours for 1 employee (1,720) ÷ 1,720
Number of Positions Needed = 2.6
As the table indicates the number of staff needed to perform records-related tasks is 3 clerks and there are a total of 4 staff assigned, excluding the Supervisor. There are no reported backlogs. Given the lack of reported workload backlogs and the calculation of required personnel, the Records Unit is adequately staffed at this time and has sufficient capacity to adapt to task increases and workload fluctuations. (3) Paperless Transition Best Practice
Police agencies have worked extensively to reduce the use of paper in law enforcement processes. While paper may sometimes be necessary over a digital record, the Records Unit should seek to reduce the use of paper in its operations where possible. Staff
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interviews indicated multiple opportunities to reduce paper use in the Department’s operations.
Recommendation:
Identify opportunities to transition paper forms and processes to digital forms, processes, and documents.
5. Evidence Unit
The Evidence Unit consists of four non-sworn professional staff members: one Evidence Supervisor, one full-time Evidence Technician II, one full-time Evidence Technician III, and one part-time Evidence Technician I.
(1) Workload
The table below displays a snapshot of the individual items managed by the Evidence Unit.
Current Evidence Unit Inventory
Current Property & Evidence Inventory
Physical Evidence 54,596
Digital Evidence 31,991
Total 86,587
The table below shows the number of items received by the Evidence Unit in the previous calendar year.
2023 Purged or Released Items
Total Monthly Avg. Weekly Avg. Daily Avg.
2023 Items Purged or
Released
10,794 899.5 207.6 29.6
Property and evidence functions within law enforcement agencies frequently store large amounts of items for significant periods, which increases space demands. 2023 Items Stored
Total Monthly Avg. Weekly Avg. Daily Avg.
2023 Items Stored 2,425 202.1 46.6 6.6
The above table further illustrates this trend. The Watsonville Evidence Unit frequently receives and retains items, yet it can only return or destroy a much smaller percentage of them.
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(2) Calculation of Workload and Staffing Needs
Evidence Technicians are non-sworn, line-level professional staff responsible for maintaining evidence and property held in the custody of the Watsonville Police Department. Within the Technician role, there are three classifications: Technician I, Technician II, and Technician III. While there is significant overlap among all three categories, each has distinct responsibilities as well.
In 2023, the Evidence Unit stored approximately 10,794 items and purged or released 2,425 items. Based on the experience of the MCG project team, the average time to perform all intake-related tasks is 15 minutes per item. Intake involves proper packaging, bar tagging, entering the item into databases, and placing it in the correct storage area.
Releasing or purging an item takes approximately 25 minutes, although items are often purged in batches. Purging an item requires several steps: the associated case must be checked for adjudication status, the item must be inventoried to ensure it can be released (i.e., it is not contraband), and the rightful owner must be identified and contacted. The chart below indicates the time involved in performing common Evidence Unit tasks.
Summary of Evidence Unit Workload Elements
2023 Activity Number Minutes Per Item Total Minutes Total Hours Items Released or
Purged 2,425 15 36,375 606.25
Items Stored 10,794 25 269,850 4,497.5
Total 13,219 306,225 5,103.75
The chart indicates that performing the property room tasks requires approximately 5,103.75 hours. This figure does not include other functions such as administrative tasks, phone and email correspondence, walk-in assistance, or transferring items for analysis or court.
Using the average professional staff net availability of 1,720 work hours (available hours minus vacation, training, medical leave, and other types of leave), we can estimate the approximate number of positions.
Calculation of Technician Staffing Needs
Total Workload Hours 5,103.75
Divided by total net available hours for 1 Technician ÷ 1,720 Total Number of Investigators Needed = 2.9
The current staffing level for Evidence includes one Supervisor and 2.5 Technicians, which is adequate considering the Supervisor's existing workload and the personnel needed to support the Unit’s operations. If the regulatory landscape changes and raises
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demands on the Unit, or if another factor significantly escalates the workload, the Department should evaluate the conversion of the PT Technician role to a FT Technician position.
Recommendation:
Increase Evidence Technician staffing in the event of a significant workload increase by converting the PT Evidence Technician to an FT Evidence Technician.
6. Non-Sworn Mid-Management Position
As discussed in the Organizational Management Structure of the report, several support functions of the Department are assigned to sworn mid-level management positions for supervision and management. These functions, particularly the Records and Evidence functions, are subject to significant regulatory requirements surrounding their operations.
To better align support functions so that sworn management personnel can concentrate on activities that require a high level of law enforcement knowledge and experience, a Support Services Manager position should be established.
The creation of the Support Services Manager position will move two existing units out of the reporting structure currently associated with the Professional Standards Division Captain and the Administrative Sergeant. The Records Unit and Evidence Unit are presently managed in their daily operations by non-sworn professional staff supervisors.
Appointing a Support Services Manager to oversee both the Evidence and Records Units, as well as the Community Engagement Programs Unit and Police Activities League, offers several positive benefits to the Department. This position enables sworn leaders to concentrate on law enforcement-related managerial tasks that professional staff cannot complete, fosters support services-specific knowledge and expertise through the onboarding or promotion of a manager designated for support tasks, and establishes a career pathway for professional staff within the Department to promote and progress within the organization.
Recommendation:
Upon implementation of the new non-sworn support mid-management position, align the Records Unit and Evidence Unit so both report to the new Mid-management position.
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5. Special Operations Division
The Special Operations Division is led by a Captain and consists of the Investigations Bureau, Special Investigations Unit, Special Response Unit, SCCACT, SCARE, Crime Scene Investigations, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Crime Analyst, and the Special Response Unit (which includes the special response team and crisis negotiation team).
Unmanned Aerial Systems and the Special Response Unit are collateral duties for assigned members.
1. Captain
The captain is in overall charge of the special operations division. The captain has a total of 5 direct reports, including collateral duty unit sergeants over the special response team, crisis negotiation team, and the unmanned aerial systems unit. The captain also has collateral duties of handling public records requests, body-worn camera video redaction, marijuana liaison, and liaison with the planning commission and city IT. There are also special projects assigned to the captain. There are no specific performance metrics tracked for this position.
The position's span of control is reasonable, with 5 direct reports. The captain has other assigned tasks, including processing public records requests and redacting body-worn camera redaction. The captain can complete the work assigned, but there is limited capacity for the captain to take on additional tasks. Current staffing for this position is adequate to meet the workload demand.
2. Crime Analyst
The crime analyst produces statistical reports and also provides investigative support through case workups, and cell phone downloads. There is no performance metrics tracked for the analyst position and there is no reported backlog for the analyst. The analyst provides significant help to the detectives while also providing other crime analytics for the department.
There is a growing trend in police departments of using analysts to assist with investigative tasks that are complex, time-consuming, or don’t require law enforcement credentials. Tasks that are being performed by analysts include recovering and reviewing videos, database checks, digital data extractions, developing case leads, and preparing case files. Performing these tasks can free up detectives’ time so they can concentrate on interviews, reports, warrant writing, surveillance, and apprehension.
Performance measures for this position should be tracked so that the position can be analyzed so that future staffing assessments and workloads can be determined.
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3. Investigations Bureau
Investigations consist of 1 sergeant and 6 detectives (1 vacancy). To conduct the workload analysis, net available work hours for detectives, caseloads, and average hours per investigation type are utilized.
(1) Caseload Data
WPD provided the project team with a spreadsheet from their records management system (RMS) database for tracking detective caseloads for 2023. The most recent complete caseload year is the most reflective of current service demand. (2) Calculation of Detective Net Availability
Before determining availability and staffing needs, it is important to first review the number of net available hours detectives are available to conduct investigations. To conduct this analysis, it is critical to understand the amount of time that detectives are on leave – including vacation, sick, injury, military, or any other type of leave – as well as hours dedicated to on-duty court or training time, and time spent on administrative tasks.
The impact of each of these factors is determined through a combination of calculations made from WPD data and estimates based on the experience of the project team, which are then subtracted from the base number of annual work hours per position. The result represents the total net available hours of detectives and other positions, or the time in which they are on duty and available to complete workloads and other field activities.
Net availability for detectives is different from patrol, in part because of court and administrative responsibilities. Workloads such as case plans, search warrant execution, and so forth that do not fit directly into case investigative hours are included within an estimated administrative time figure. The table below outlines this process in detail, outlining how each contributing factor is calculated:
Factors Used to Calculate Detective Net Availability
Work Hours Per Year
The total number of scheduled work hours for detectives, without factoring in leave, training, or anything else that takes detectives away from normal on-duty work. This factor forms the base number from which other availability factors are subtracted to calculate the total net available hours.
Base number: 2,080 scheduled work hours per year
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Total Leave Hours (subtracted from total work hours per year) Includes all types of leave, including injuries and military leave, FMLA – anything that would cause detectives that are normally scheduled to work on a specific day to instead not be on duty. As a result, this category excludes on-duty training, administrative time, and on-duty court time.
From WPD Data: 264 hours of leave per year
On-Duty Training Time (subtracted from total work hours per year) The average total number of hours spent per year in training that is completed while on duty and not on overtime.
Estimated: 50 hours of on-duty training time per year
On-Duty Court Time (subtracted from total work hours per year) The total number of hours that each detective spends per year attending court while on duty, including transit time. Court attendance on overtime is not included.
Without any data recording on-duty court time specifically for detectives, the number of hours is estimated based on the experience of the project team. This equals approximately one 10-hour workday per month.
Estimated: 120 hours of on-duty court time per year
Administrative Time (subtracted from net available hours after leave, court, and training hours deducted)
The total number of hours per year spent completing administrative tasks while on duty, including staff meetings, returning phone calls, emails, search warrant preparation and planning, and various other activities including some operations that may not be directly captured in the case hours calculations.
This is calculated as an estimated 20% of net work hours after other deductions.
Estimated: 329 hours of administrative time per year
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Total Net Available Hours
After subtracting the previous factors from the total work hours per year, the remaining hours comprise the total net available hours for detectives – the time in which they are available to work after accounting for all leave, on-duty training, court, and administrative time. Net availability can also be expressed as a percentage of the base number of work hours per year.
Calculated by subtracting the previously listed factors from the base number:
1,317 net available hours per detective
The following table summarizes this calculation process, displaying how each net availability factor contributes to the overall net availability of detectives:
Calculation of Detective Net Availability
Base Annual Work Hours 2,080
Total Leave Hours – 264
On-Duty Training Hours – 50
On-Duty Court Time Hours – 120
Administrative Hours – 329
Net Available Hours Per Detective = 1,317
Overall, the detective has approximately 1,317 net available hours per year, representing the total time in which they can conduct investigations. 1,317 net available hours is low for a typical investigative unit. These hours will be used in the following sections.
4. Caseload Hours
Not all investigative cases require the same number of investigative hours, for example, a homicide investigation requires more investigative time (and resources) than a burglary. To account for this, MCG developed several case-type investigative caseload work hours. The average case hours were developed through dozens of studies and interviews with detectives working on each case type. The following case-type caseload workload hours were used to calculate staff resource needs:
(1) Homicide
Homicide cases are among the most complex and time-consuming investigations that are conducted. These cases receive a high level of scrutiny and therefore almost all investigative techniques are used. Also, because of complexity, they are typically handled
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by a group of detectives, and additional resources are often used. The table below shows a breakdown of approximate caseload hours for homicides or officer-involved shooting:
Task Processes Involved Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
DNA Evidence to Crime Lab 4 hours 100%
Crime Scene
Material
Evidence to Property / Evidence 4 hours 100%
Cell Phones Cell Phone Downloads, with some
taking longer than others.
30 hours 100%
Video Review of video recovered from
scene and BWC
60 hours 100%
Social
media/Electronic
Records/Physical
location
Warrants/Subpoenas/Review of
Evidence Obtained.
40 hours 100%
Location Data Warrants/Subpoenas/Review of
Evidence Obtained.
40 hours 100%
Surveillance Surveillance, including locating
suspects and report writing.
10 hours 100%
Postmortem
Exam
Autopsy performed by ME
(Detectives observe and consult)
6 hours 100%
Victim / Witness
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 40 hours 100%
Suspect
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 12 hours 50%
Jail Call
Monitoring
Listen to calls and write reports. 20 Hours 100%
Consult with DA Conduct follow-up and write
additional reports.
10 hours 100%
Total 276 hours- If all
tasks completed
On Average 276 hours
This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all elements and not every homicide will have the same amount of evidence or interviews conducted. Included in these hours is the assumption that detectives will be conducting RMS searches, social media searches, checking association files, receiving informant information, and other investigative techniques (trackers, cell tower data, etc.), if available.
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It also assumed that detectives work as a team and that not all investigative hours will be worked by a single detective (These are hours for the lead detective only). Many cases will not require the number of hours listed, but some cases may require significantly more.
Using the case time estimates and the percentage of the time that each subtask is completed, approximately 276 hours are allotted per case for the primary investigator.
Additionally, on average most departments assign a team of other detectives to assist during the early stages of a homicide investigation which represents approximately 40 hours per investigator assigned which is detailed under homicide investigation assist. (2) Homicide Investigation Assist
As noted above when a homicide occurs it generally requires multiple detectives to respond to assist with the investigation, including assisting with warrants, interviews, crime scene canvassing, and locating additional witnesses. The team approach can include overtime and regularly scheduled shifts with the first 72 hours requiring significant resources. To account for a team approach, it is assumed that at least 4 detectives will assist with the investigation, contributing 40 hours for the work week (not including overtime). The calculation is 40 hours times 4 detectives or 160 hours total. (3) Person Crimes
Person crimes cases are treated more seriously by the judicial system and tend to have more witnesses and evidence requiring more time in interviews and recovering and processing evidence than property crimes.
Approximate case hours were developed through numerous interviews with detectives, and are summarized in the following table:
Task Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
DNA Evidence to the crime lab includes
submission and report.
3 hours 10%
Crime Scene
Material
Evidence to property, inspection, and
report writing.
4 hours 30%
Cell Phones Cell phone downloads, with some
taking longer than others.
10 hours 50%
Video Review of video recovered from
scene and BWC, report writing.
10 hours 50%
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Task Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
Social media/
Elec. Records
Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
10 hours 20%
Location Data Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
20 hours 20%
Surveillance Surveillance, including locating
suspects and report writing.
10 hours 10%
Victim / Witness
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 100%
Suspect
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 50%
Jail Call
Monitoring
Listen to calls, and report writing. 10 hours 10%
Consult with DA Conduct follow-up and write
additional reports.
1 hour 20%
Total If all tasks are completed: 82.0 hours
On average: 22.6 hours
This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all the elements of an investigation and not every case will have the same amount of evidence or interviews conducted. Included in these hours is the assumption that detectives will be using RMS searches, checking association files, receiving informant information, and other investigative techniques (trackers, cell tower data, etc.), if available. Many cases will not require the number of hours listed, but some cases may require significantly more.
Based on the percentage of how often each subtask is completed, each solvable case equates to an average of approximately 22.6 hours.
(4) Sexual Assault
Sexual assault and crimes against children are even more complex cases that are treated more seriously by the judicial system; they tend to have fewer witnesses, thus requiring more time in interviews and recovery and processing of evidence than other person crimes. The following chart describes approximate investigative times for sex crimes:
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Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
DNA Evidence to the crime lab includes
submission and report.
2 hours 50%
Crime Scene
Material
Evidence to property, inspection, and
report writing.
2 hours 50%
Cell Phones Cell phone downloads, with some
taking longer than others.
4 hours 40%
Video Review of video recovered from
scene and BWC, report writing.
4 hours 50%
Social media/
Elec. Records
Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
10 hours 20%
Location Data Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
20 hours 40%
Surveillance Surveillance, including locating
suspects and report writing.
10 hours 20%
Sex Assault Kit Sex Assault Exam including report
writing.
6 Hours 90%
Victim / Witness
Interviews
Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 100%
Suspect Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 50% Jail Call
Monitoring
Listen to calls and report writing. 2 hours 40%
Consult with DA Review cases, and perform followup, including report writing.1 hour 20% Total If all tasks are completed: 65.0 hours
On average: 26.6 hours
This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all elements of all investigations. Not every case will have the same amount of evidence or interviews conducted. Included in these hours is the assumption that detectives will be conducting RMS searches, checking association files, receiving informant information, and other investigative techniques (trackers, cell tower data, etc.), if available. Many cases will not require the number of hours listed, but some cases may require significantly more.
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Using the above work hour estimates and the percentage of the time that each subtask is completed, this translates to approximately 26.6 hours per solvable case. (5) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)
Internet Crimes Against Children are complex investigative cases that rely heavily on digital forensic evidence that requires unique processes. These cases are treated more seriously by the judicial system; they tend to have fewer witnesses, thus requiring more time in interviews, search warrants to be written, and recovery and processing of evidence than other crimes. The chart below shows the approximate investigative time for ICAC investigations:
Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
Cell Phones Cell phone downloads, with some
taking longer than others.
4 hours 30%
Video Review of video recovered from
scene and BWC, report writing.
4 hours 30%
Social Media/
Elec. Records
Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
6 hours 20%
Location Data Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
20 hours 30%
Surveillance Surveillance, including locating
suspects and report writing.
10 hours 20%
Document /
Digital Evidence
Review
Review/ recover images, and files,
and write reports.
30 Hours 100%
Victim / Witness
Interviews
Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 50%
Suspect Suspect interview(s), including report
writing.
2 hours 50%
Jail Call
Monitoring
Listen to calls, and report writing. 4 hours 10%
Consult with DA Review cases, and perform followup, including report writing.4 hours 10% Total If all tasks are completed: 86.0 hours
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Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
On average: 44.4 hours
This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all elements and not every sex assault case will have the same amount of evidence or interviews conducted. Included in these hours is the assumption that detectives will be conducting RMS searches, checking association files, receiving informant information, and other investigative techniques (trackers, cell tower data, etc.), if available. Many cases will not require the number of hours listed, but some cases may require significantly more.
Using the above work hour estimates and the percentage of the time that each subtask is completed, this translates to approximately 44.4 hours per solvable case. (6) Burglary / Property Crime
Burglary / Property Crimes are typically less complex investigative cases than personal crimes and generally require less investigative time or resources. These cases are treated less seriously by the judicial system, and they tend to have fewer witnesses. The following chart describes approximate investigative times for Burglary / Property Crimes:
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Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
DNA Evidence to the crime lab includes
submission and report.
2 hours 20%
Crime Scene
Material
Evidence to Property / Evidence,
inspection, and report writing.
2 hours 20%
Cell Phones Cell phone downloads, with some
taking longer than others.
4 hours 50%
Video Review of video recovered from
scene and BWC, report writing.
2 hours 50%
Social media/
Elec. Records
Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
6 hours 30%
Location Data Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
20 hours 40%
Surveillance Surveillance, including locating
suspects and report writing.
10 hours 20%
Victim / Witness
Interviews
Interview(s), including report writing. 1 hour 50%
Suspect
Interview
Interview(s), including report writing. 1 hour 50%
Jail Call
Monitoring
Listen to calls, and report writing. 2 hours 10%
Consult with DA Review cases, and perform followup, including report writing.1 hour 10% Total If all tasks are completed: 51.0 hours
On average: 16.9 hours
This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all elements of all investigations. Not every case will have the same amount of evidence or interviews conducted. Included in these hours is the assumption that detectives will be conducting RMS searches, checking association files, receiving informant information, and other investigative techniques (trackers, cell tower data, etc.), if available. Many cases will not require the number of hours listed, but some cases may require significantly more.
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Using the above work hour estimates and the percentage of the time that each subtask is completed, this translates to approximately 16.9 hours per solvable case. (7) Financial Crimes
Financial crimes are difficult cases to pursue and typically take longer to investigate as much of the evidence has to be subpoenaed or obtained with a search warrant. In addition, much of the evidence belongs to financial institutions and detectives must wait to comply with legal requests for information before they can proceed which can take weeks to months depending on the type and amount of data requested. They also tend to have much lower solvability rates. These cases typically do not require a detective to respond to a scene and are often handled as follow-up after the occurrence. The following chart details processes and times associated with financial crimes:
Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
Document / Dig.
Evid. Review
Review/ recover financial data, and
files, and write reports.
12 hours 100%
Video Review of video recovered from
scene and BWC, report writing.
4 hours 10%
Social media/
Elec. Records
Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
8 hours 10%
Cell Phone/
computer evid.
Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
8 hours 50%
Location Data Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
20 hours 50%
Victim / Witness
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 100%
Suspect
Interview(s)
Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 20%
Total If all tasks are completed: 56.0 hours
On average: 29.6 hours
This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all elements of all investigations. Not every case will have the same amount of evidence or interviews conducted. Included in these hours is the assumption that detectives will be conducting RMS searches, checking association files, receiving informant information, and other investigative techniques
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(trackers, cell tower data, etc.), if available. Many cases will not require the number of hours listed, but some cases may require significantly more.
Using the above work hour estimates and the percentage of the time that each subtask is completed, this translates to approximately 29.6 hours per solvable case. (8) Domestic Assault
Domestic Assault cases generally require less investigative time because the victim and suspect are known; however, they do require some investigation for successful prosecution. The chart below describes the estimated investigative time for these cases:
Processes Involved
Approximate
Time
% of Time
Completed
DNA Evidence to the crime lab includes
submission and report.
2 hours 20%
Crime Scene
Material
Evidence to Property / Evidence,
inspection, and report writing.
2 hours 10%
Cell Phones Cell phone downloads, with some
taking longer than others.
4 hours 50%
Video Review of video recovered from
scene and BWC, report writing.
2 hours 100%
Social media/
Elec. Records
Warrants/subpoenas, including
submission and report.
4 hours 20%
Surveillance Surveillance, including locating
suspects and report writing.
2 hours 20%
Interviews Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 100% Suspect
Interview
Interview(s), including report writing. 2 hours 50%
Jail Call
Monitoring
Listen to calls, and report writing. 2 hours 10%
Consult with DA Review cases, and perform followup, including report writing.1 hour 10% Total If all tasks are completed: 21.0 hours
On average: 8.7 hours
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This list is not all-inclusive and does not contain all elements of all investigations. Not every case will have the same amount of evidence or interviews conducted. Included in these hours is the assumption that detectives will be conducting RMS searches, checking association files, receiving informant information, and other investigative techniques (trackers, cell tower data, etc.), if available. Many cases will not require the number of hours listed, but some cases may require significantly more.
Using the above work hour estimates and the percentage of the time that each subtask is completed, this translates to approximately 8.7 hours per solvable case. (9) Missing / Runaway
Missing / Runaway cases typically involve interviewing the reporting party, the last person to have seen them, checking last known locations, close friends and relatives, and entering information into teletype. Depending on leads and investigation required by law or agency policy these cases range from 2 to 4 hours with an average of about 3 hours. (10) General Crimes / Officer Assist
General crimes / Officer assists can vary greatly depending on the type of crime or assistance needed. These cases are typically lower-level crimes where some follow-up is needed or an Officer needs assistance with a case they are working on. This can include assisting with a cell phone download, social media, or open-source search, warrant preparation, or other investigative techniques. Depending on the type of crime and investigative need these cases take between 2 and 6 hours with an average of 4 hours. (11) Drug Crimes / Officer Assist
Drug crimes / Officer assistance can vary greatly depending on the type of assistance needed. These cases are typically lower-level crimes where some follow-up is needed or an Officer needs assistance with a case they are working on. This can include assisting with a cell phone download, social media, or open-source search, warrant preparation, or other investigative techniques. Depending on the type of crime and investigative need these cases take between 4 and 8 hours with an average of 6 hours. (12) Inactive / Suspended Case / Information / Referral Detectives are assigned cases that become inactive or suspended due to no additional leads, lack of victim cooperation, or no additional evidence. Though the case does not end up as a prosecutable case, it does require the detective to review the case and attempt contact with the victim(s) or witnesses. Other cases are for information only or result in a referral to another agency. Depending on the type of crime and investigative need these cases take between 1 and 3 hours with an average of 2 hours.
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5. Caseload Workload Hours Analysis
Detectives have specialties but may be assigned any type of case. To determine the caseload the project team reviewed the total number of assigned cases and then sorted the cases by case type. Using the caseload hours by case type the total caseloads for detectives were then calculated.
(1) Investigations Bureau
The investigations bureau has current authorized staffing of 1 sergeant and 6 detectives (with 1 current vacancy). It should be noted that 1 detective was on long-term leave in 2023. The department reported that more than 500 cases were referred and reviewed by investigations in 2023. The following cases were assigned in 2023:
2023 Caseload
Case Type Number Hours Per Case Total Hours
Accessory After the Fact 2 22.6 45.2
Aggravated Mayhem 2 22.6 45.2
Arson 1 22.6 22.6
Assault with a Deadly Weapon 12 22.6 271.2
Assault with Intent to Cause Mayhem 1 22.6 22.6
Attempted Burglary 1 16.9 16.9
Attempted Murder 4 22.6 90.4
Battery 7 22.6 158.2
Brandishing A Weapon 2 22.6 45.2
Burglary 22 16.9 371.8
Carry concealed Firearm 1 22.6 22.6
Child Abuse 18 26.6 478.8
Child Endangerment 8 26.6 212.8
Criminal Conspiracy 1 22.6 22.6
Criminal Threats 1 22.6 22.6
Discharge a Firearm 11 22.6 248.6
Driving with suspended License 1 4 4
Elder Crimes 2 22.6 45.2
Extortion 1 22.6 22.6
Felon in Possession of a Firearm 2 22.6 45.2
Forcible Sexual Penetration 5 26.6 133
Fraud 1 29.6 29.6
Grand theft 9 16.9 152.1
Homicide 5 276 1380
Homicide Assist* 5 160 800
Indecent Exposure 1 22.6 22.6
INFO 3 2 6
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Case Type Number Hours Per Case Total Hours
Invasion of Privacy 1 22.6 22.6
Kidnapping 2 22.6 45.2
Mental Health Disorder 1 4 4
Misc. Person Crimes 8 22.6 180.8
Missing Person 2 3 6
Obscene Sexual Material 13 44.4 577.2
Parole Violation 1 22.6 22.6
Possession for Sale controlled substance 1 6 6
Possession of Drugs 1 6 6
REGSEX 28 2 56
Resist Peace Officer 3 4 12
Robbery 7 22.6 158.2
Sex Assault 12 26.6 319.2
Simple Battery 1 22.6 22.6
Stalking 1 22.6 22.6
SUSPICIOUS 3 4 12
Theft 1 16.9 16.9
Threats 1 4 4
Trespassing 1 16.9 16.9
Vandalism 5 16.9 84.5
Total 217 6,332.9
*Not included in case total.
As the table above indicates, the caseload assigned represents approximately 6,332 hours.
(2) Summary of Workload Hours
As mentioned above, the criminal investigation division currently comprises 1 sergeant and 6 authorized detective positions with 1 current vacancy. Using the previous calculation of net available caseload hours and the total 2023 caseload, the number of detectives needed to investigate the caseload can be determined:
Calculation of Detective Staffing Needs
Total Caseload Hours 6,332
Divided by total net available
hours for 1 detective (1,317) ÷ 1,317
Number of Detectives Needed = 4.80
As the table indicates, 4.8 detectives are recommended to work the assigned caseload and there are 6 detective positions currently authorized though there is 1 vacancy. The
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assigned caseload is more than can be effectively investigated with the current staffing of 6 detectives with 1 current vacancy.
As seen from the caseload, very few property crime cases are assigned. This is due to the high number of person crimes assigned, with only 5 detectives currently working on cases. Interviews indicated that workable property crime cases are not assigned because there is an insufficient number of detectives to work them. Even if fully staffed with 6 detectives, there are likely more property crimes that could be assigned than currently are based on the fact that there are typically more property crimes committed than person crimes in most cities. Adding 1 detective to the authorized strength would allow the department to investigate more property crimes and provide additional resources to work on personal crimes should there be a spike in those crimes.
The sergeant's current span of control is 1 supervisor to 6 detectives, which is reasonable for the unit. Adding 1 detective would not dramatically change the span of control.
Recommendation:
Increase staffing by 1 detective for a total of 1 sergeant and 7 detectives assigned to the Investigations Bureau.
6. Special Investigations Unit
The Special Investigations Unit (when filled) is a proactive enforcement team that investigates long-term chronic locations and repeat offenders. The unit also assisted with surveillance and arrests as well as parking issues and community events. The unit has authorized staffing of 1 sergeant and 3 officers, though there are no personnel currently assigned. There are no performance metrics tracked for the unit since it is not staffed and therefore a workload analysis was not conducted.
The special investigations unit provided the department with proactive capabilities to address, community tips, and investigative resources to work problem locations and repeat offenders. Without the unit, proactive work must be performed by patrol units which is not as effective because they may have to respond to calls for service and can typically spend less time working on problem locations. Many problem locations and repeat offender investigations require surveillance, the use of human intelligence resources, and time. The special investigations unit should be maintained and staffed when more personnel are hired.
7. Task Forces
Two detectives are assigned to multi-agency task forces. One detective is assigned to the Santa Cruz Auto Theft Reduction and Enforcement (SCARE) task force, which focuses
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on county-wide auto theft cases within Santa Cruz County. The other detective is assigned to the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team (SCCACT), which focuses on countywide violent crime and gangs. No performance metrics are reported for the multijurisdictional units because the cases can span more than one jurisdiction.
Participation in multi-agency task forces provides the Watsonville Police Department resources to investigate complex crimes that require extensive surveillance, additional staff, and equipment. The task forces allow the department to conduct investigations that may not have been able to conduct due to expense or the number of resources needed.
The department should continue to participate in these multi-agency task forces with the two assigned personnel.
8. Crime Scene Investigators.
Crime scene investigations are a collateral duty for specially trained personnel. The CSI personnel respond to crime scenes, process the scene, and collect evidence. Currently, 3 personnel are assigned to this position as collateral duty. Crime scene performance measures are not tracked.
9. Special Response Unit (Collateral Duty)
The special response unit consists of the special response team and the crisis negotiation team. The unit responds to higher-risk incidents where special training and equipment are more likely to reduce the risk to the community. The special response team currently consists of 1 sergeant and 6 officers/detectives with 6 vacancies. The crisis negotiation team is comprised of 1 sergeant and 5 officers/detectives with 2 vacancies. These are all collateral duty assignments with 1 day of additional training per month for special response team members with 5 additional hours for snipers. The unit also held seven active shooter presentations for the community on overtime. The team responded to 5 callouts in 2023. Though there are only a few callouts per year, having a team of trained and equipped personnel to respond to higher-risk incidents helps to mitigate the danger to the community.
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6. Organizational Structure and Management
The Watsonville Police Department is led by a Chief of Police, who is the highest-ranking officer in the department and is responsible for overseeing all facets of its operations.
Duties include leadership and administration, strategic planning, personnel management, community engagement, operational oversight, and accountability.
1. Assistant Chief
The Assistant Chief supports the Chief of Police in managing department operations, providing leadership, and overseeing administration. Furthermore, the Assistant Chief is responsible for overseeing the Media and Communication Assistant, Public Records Requests, Planning Commission, and IT projects.
2. Media and Communications Assistant
The Media and Communications Assistant manages social media and develops internal and external communications. The assistant also assists with body-worn video redaction when necessary. PIO responsibilities are now a city function, although there is close coordination between the communications assistant and the PIO regarding police-related content. The department's Facebook and X accounts are highly active with content. The department's Facebook account boasts 31,000 active followers, while the X account has 2,934. This represents a significant concentration, considering the city has a population of approximately 51,525 residents.
The media and communications assistant plays a crucial role in keeping the community informed about police department news and events. This includes a recent officerinvolved shooting, during which the department posted a detailed review of the critical incident.
The position has no reported backlog, and the social media and other information sharing are current and active. The position is adequately staffed for its current responsibilities.
3. Organizational Structure
Designing a suitable organizational structure involves several factors, including the organization's complexity, the need for accountability and accessibility of key managers, its experience and history, and cost.
A proper organizational structure should ensure unity of command and a proper supervisory span of control. While this span of control may vary depending on several factors, a typical department’s span of control is three to five at the top level and often
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broader at the lower levels. An effective organizational structure should ensure that supervisors are not spread too thin across the department.
The chart below shows the organizational structure of the Watsonville Police Department:
As illustrated above, each of the four divisions is led by a Captain. While the role and responsibilities of a Captain can vary based on the size and structure of a department, it is considered an executive management position in Watsonville. Since the department does not have a Lieutenant position, Sergeants fulfill both middle management and firstline supervisory roles. This practice may be common in smaller police departments, but it is atypical for departments the size of Watsonville. The benefits of having a Lieutenant include the following:
Chief of Police
Assistant Chief
Community Services
Division
Captain
Community Services
Uniformed Unit
Community
Engagement
Programs Unit
Police Activities
League
Traffic Unit
Field Operations
Division
Captain
Patrol Blue Team
Patrol Gold Team
Professional
Standards Division
Captain
Recruitment, Hiring,
and Training
Records Unit
Property and
Evidence Unit
Special Operations
Division
Captain
Crime Analysis
Media and
Communications
Investigations
Special
Investigations Unit
Special Response
Unit
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• Lieutenants serve as mid-level managers who act as a vital link between higherranking and lower-ranking officers. They bridge the gap and ensure that directives from the top are implemented effectively.
• Lieutenants supervise sergeants to ensure that daily operations run smoothly, protocols are followed, and officers perform their duties correctly and efficiently. • Lieutenants play a vital role in making decisions regarding tactical operations and resource distribution.
• Lieutenants serve as incident commanders during major events, coordinating the response, managing resources, and ensuring that operations are conducted effectively and safely.
• Lieutenants often manage complex situations and conflicts that lower-ranking officers may not be prepared to handle. A lieutenant’s experience and authority enable them to resolve issues effectively, maintaining order and discipline within the department.
• As Patrol Watch Commanders, Lieutenants provide crucial oversight of patrol operations, ensuring that all activities are carried out efficiently and in line with department policies and procedures.
It is challenging for a Captain to effectively and efficiently execute both executive manager and middle manager tasks at the same time. Similarly, it is challenging for a Sergeant to effectively and efficiently carry out both first-line supervisor and middle manager duties concurrently. While executive management roles are essential in police departments for strategic planning and oversight, too many of them can diminish a department's efficiency and effectiveness.
Furthermore, the current organizational structure shows significant differences in spans of responsibility and control. The structure outlined below includes positions in middle management:
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As shown above, this organizational structure reduces the number of Captains and increases the number of Lieutenants. It also organizes operational, support, and administrative units into distinct structures to ensure that lines of authority and responsibility are clearly defined and as direct as possible. This structure emphasizes unity of command, assigns responsibility and authority, and facilitates coordination of efforts to work together harmoniously while accomplishing the department’s mission.
Adding Lieutenants will create a vital link between first-line supervisors and upper management. They will also ensure that the department's daily operations run smoothly, protocols are followed, and officers perform their duties correctly and efficiently. Patrol Lieutenants will provide essential oversight and allow Sergeants to focus solely on firstline supervisory responsibilities.
Chief of Police
Assistant Chief
Operations
Captain
Lieutenant
Patrol Blue Team
Traffic Unit
Lieutenant
Patrol Gold Team
Community Services
Uniformed Positions
Special Response
Unit
(collateral
assignment)
Lieutenant
Investigations Unit
Special Investigations
Unit
Crime Analysis
Support
Captain
Lieutenant
Recruitment, Hiring,
and Training
Media and
Communications
Manager
Records Unit
Property and
Evidence Unit
Community
Engagement
Programs Unit
Police Activities
League
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The project team’s scope of work included a survey to gauge the department's employees' attitudes on various topics, including communication. A majority (71%) of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement that clear communication is evident from the top of the organization. # Statement SD D A SA NO
There is clear communication from the top of
the organization. 31% 41% 24% 2% 2%
Survey respondents identified communication practices as the department's most significant opportunity for improvement. As mentioned earlier, adding Lieutenants will create an essential link between first-line supervisors and upper management, facilitating better communication throughout the organization.
The organizational chart also includes a non-sworn manager. Currently, non-sworn staff members report to sworn police officers. While much public discussion focuses on finding ways to increase the number of police officers to meet the demand for police services, it is equally important to explore alternative methods of managing that demand.
Many police departments across the United States employ non-sworn managers and supervisors to oversee non-sworn staff. Unlike their sworn counterparts, non-sworn managers and supervisors typically do not rotate positions. Many non-sworn and professional staff roles require a skill set that police officers do not acquire. The benefits of having non-sworn managers and supervisors include the following:
• Allow sworn police officers more time to accomplish crime prevention and reduction tasks, including community policing.
• Non-sworn supervisors and managers have skills that are better suited for immediate tasks.
• The expense of non-sworn personnel is lower than that of sworn personnel. • Enhance community relations and support police legitimacy.
Recommendations:
Reduce the number of Captain positions from 4 to 2.
Add a non-sworn mid-management position to the department.
Add 4 Lieutenant positions to the department.
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Reorganize the department’s organizational structure to align functions better and create consistent control and responsibilities management spans.
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7. Analysis of Projected Service and Staffing Needs
The following sections provide a plan for public safety services over a 10-year planning horizon to assess how growth and development in Watsonville will shape service need demand, and how staffing needs will evolve in turn.
(1) Introduction and Methodology
Our analysis takes into account a number of different data sources in order to provide a realistic simulation of how development activity will shape growth in the city, and how that growth will affect service needs.
The basic foundation for our analysis is the current relationship between workload and population in Watsonville. This is analyzed through:
• Analysis of police computer-aided dispatch data.
• Analysis of fire computer-aided dispatch data, including medical calls. • Calculations made from NIBRS (National Incident Based Reporting System) crime data, selecting for categories that directly translate to UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) Part I crimes (e.g., robbery, larceny, etc.) in order to provide for a level analysis.
• 2020 Census data and more recent ACS (American Community Survey) estimates for population, housing units, household size, and unit occupancy.
With the understanding of workload and population achieved through these data sources, the project team collected planning data on land use, anticipated development projects, and other relevant data. Importantly, the project team also met with community development staff to better understand individual projects, the magnitude and location of each project, and any obstacles or conditionalities remaining toward a project being completed as planned or as originally conceptualized.
(2) Overview of Development in Watsonville
(2.1) Anticipated Development
The project team was provided with necessary data and information from community development staff to learn about new development projects that are either under construction, planned, or proposed within the city and the magnitude of each in terms of the number of units (residential or commercial) each would yield.
Planned development within Watsonville centers around the plan to revitalize their downtown area. As a result, project staff utilized an analytic model that separates the
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downtown planned development from the development that is planned outside of the downtown area.
The following graphic outlines the delineation from the downtown versus non-downtown areas within Watsonville:
Downtown vs. Non-Downtown Areas – Watsonville, CA
The green line surrounds the downtown area and is surrounded by the greater area within the City of Watsonville, of which the boundary lines are portrayed in pink.
The following table lists each project known to the project team that may complete over the next 10 years, including:
• The number of units represented by each if the project is built to the fullest scope of plans, whether the project is currently permitted, preliminary, or is entirely conceptual.
• An estimated timeframe for completion of construction. • The project team’s assessment of the likelihood for the project being completed based on any obstacles or conditionalities to development, as well as the project’s timeframe (projects further out will generally have lower probability).
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• Expected value (EV) of units built, multiplying the number of units by the probability of completion. This represents an average scenario rather than a deterministic estimate.
Watsonville Anticipated and Potential Development Projects Name Zone4 # Units Year % Prob. EV
Sparrow Terrace Affordable
Housing Project
Outside
Downtown 72 2024 100% 72
36 Airport Rd Outside
Downtown 13 2030 95% 12
Evan Court Outside
Downtown 5 2030 95% 5
Hillcrest Outside
Downtown 144 2028 100% 144
Downtown Specific Plan5 Downtown 3,886 2050 60% 2,332
The expected value (EV) column represents the total number of units planned multiplied by the probability that the project is built – i.e., the ‘average’ scenario. It does not imply that for each project that does get built, the number of units will be reduced. Units that are already entitled, for instance, have a much higher probability of being built.
However, given that it is unlikely that every single potential project is built – particularly conceptual ideas such as redevelopment or undeveloped parcels for example, it would be unrealistic to assume that such a project has a 100% chance of being built in that timeframe. However, as noted in the table above, there are two projects that have been assigned a ‘100%’ probability factor by project staff, as these projects (Sparrow Terrace and Hillcrest) are definitely going to yield their planned units.
In total, 2,565 additional units are to be expected as a part of this analysis through the projections horizon. The impacts of the plans relating to the revitalization of the downtown area are incorporated through the 11-year time horizon – through calendar year 2034.
4 The four projects zoned as “Outside Downtown” are included as a result of research on development within the City. This is a result of a lack of permit data provided. 5 The ‘Downtown Specific Plan’ calculations take the EV of 2,332 units and projects them to be finished through calendar year 2050, as is according to this development plan. The analysis below accounts for these units through calendar year 2034.
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(2.2) Projection of Future Population and Service Needs Using the existing relationship of population per housing units, population can then be estimated over the projection period:
Projected Housing Units
2023 2024 2029 2034 11YR +/-
Outside Downtown 13,614 13,650 13,794 13,847 +1.7%
Downtown 941 984 1,393 1,823 +93.7%
Total 14,555 14,634 15,187 15,670 +7.7%
The addition of the development projections outlined in the previous section to the housing unit stocked are modeled against the current per capita population per housing unit each geographic area of the city. As shown above, population projects are expected to increase the number of housing units in both areas of the city, resulting in a net 7.7% increase overall in the projected 10-year period.
Using this relationship, the forecasted population is modeled each year by patrol beat over the next decade, as shown in the following table:
Projected Population
2023 2024 2029 2034 11YR +/-
Outside Downtown 49,492 49,623 50,146 50,339 +1.7%
Downtown 2,981 3,117 4,413 5,775 +93.7%
Total 52,473 52,740 54,559 56,114 +6.9%
Over the next decade, the population of Watsonville will increase by an estimated 6.9%, totaling approximately just over three thousand new residents. (2.3) Projecting the Impact of Growth on Calls for Service To calculate the most accurate depicts of the growth in calls for service for Watsonville PD over the projection horizon, project staff have geolocated all calls for service in Watsonville, with corresponding colors utilized for identifying calls for service at a commercial or residential location.
This mapping is shown below:
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Red pins identify calls for service occurring at commercial land use locations, while blue pins correspond to residential land use locations.
This practice allows project staff to more accurately project the calls for service within the growing downtown area based upon the planned zoning type. As a result, the table below incorporates this differentiation between commercial and residential crimes for the downtown area, combined with non-downtown projected service needs:
Projected Calls for Service
2023 2024 2029 2034 11YR +/-
Outside Downtown 31,339 31,422 31,753 31,875 +1.7%
Downtown - RES 1,157 1,210 1,713 2,241 +93.7%
Downtown - COMM 8,000 8,041 8,829 11,456 +43.2%
Total 40,496 40,673 42,295 45,572 +12.5%
Part I Crimes are also projected through calendar year 2034, which have also been allocated geospatially according to demand throughout all geographic areas of the city:
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Projected Crime Occurrences
2023 2024 2029 2034 11YR +/-
Outside Downtown 379 380 384 385 +1.6%
Downtown 57 60 84 110 +93.0%
Total 436 440 468 495 +13.5%
As a result of the impact of new development throughout Watsonville, call for service demand for WPD is projected to increase by an estimated 12.5% over the 10-year time horizon. Further, Part I crimes are projected to increase by an estimated 13.5% compared to current Part I crime rates over that same time period. (3) Projection of Staffing Needs
The service needs forecast provides the basis for the projection of staffing needs throughout the next decade, as the impacts of growth and development are modeled against the workload drivers of individual positions. Importantly, the staffing projections are based on needs in order to maintain the same level of service that is provided now6 as service needs evolve in the future. Consequently, without making the staffing additions and assuming the growth impacts occur as projected, service levels would otherwise diminish as a result of said growth impacts.
The staffing projections are constructed position-by-position and are based on the isolated workload factors driving their staffing needs. In order to make the analysis more replicable in the future, the staffing methodologies used for each position are grouped into a series of categories, as follows:
6 “Current” staffing levels are the levels that are commended to achieve an adequate level of service for current staffing levels. See previous sections of the current state assessment that recommend staffing to meet current staffing needs.
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Overview of Staffing Methodology Categories
Workload-Based The staffing needs of many positions are directly tied to handling a measurable workload that scales with growth and development. For instance, patrol officer staffing is driven by call for service workload, which translates to staffing needs based on proactive time targets and turnover factors.
Example: Detective positions are driven by the number of cases that are generated, which can be modeled by using UCR Part I crime occurrences as an index variable.
Ratio-Based Needs for the position form a direct relationship to another variable, whereby staffing can be expressed as a ratio.
Example: School resource officer (SRO) staffing scales directly with the number of schools that they must cover.
Fixed Coverage Staffing needs that are based on achieving a set level of deployment or coverage, as determined by a coverage
objective, scheduling, and net availability factors.
Example: School resource officer (SRO) staffing scales directly with the number of schools that they must cover.
Non-Scaling Positions that occupy a role that, within the general frame of the analysis, will not scale with growth. Many of these are unique positions, such as the chief of police, while others are driven by workloads that are not significantly impacted by growth and development.
Example: The chief of police, as well as certain administrative support positions.
Span of Control Supervisors scale based on the targeted number of direct reports for that function.
Example: Patrol sergeant staffing is based on maintaining a span of control ratio.
Descriptions for the methodology used are added for each position in the department. (3.1) Comprehensive List of Staffing Projections
The following table presents the results of the staffing projection analysis, which builds upon the service need forecast to translate anticipated needs into staffing requirements.
It should be noted that “Rec.” column refers to the staffing levels as recommended in this
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report for the year 2024, with successive projected years shown in five-year increments (through calendar year 2034).
Unit/Division Position Scaling Factors Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 Command Staff
Command Staff Chief of Police Non-scalable
Executive position. Staffing does not
scale directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Assistant Chief Non-scalable
Executive position. Staffing does not
scale directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Captain Non-scalable
Executive position. Staffing does not
scale directly with service needs.
4 2 2 2
Lieutenant NEW POSITION
Non-scalable
Executive position. Staffing does not
scale directly with service needs.
- 4 4 4
Manager NEW POSITION
Non-scalable
Executive position. Staffing does not
scale directly with service needs.
- 1 1 1
Office of the Chief
Administration Fiscal Manager Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Youth Specialist Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Community
Organizer (P/T)
Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Media &
Comms Spec.
Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Executive Asst. Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
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Unit/Division Position Scaling Factors Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 Community Services Division
Community Services Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
Officer (CARE) Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
SRO Ratio-based
Scales in relation to school student
population(s).
1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Police Svcs.
Spec.
Workload-based
Scales in relation to calls for service,
which can be used as a proxy for
associated workload.
3 4 5 5
Community
Engagement
Programs
Program Coord. Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Admin. Analyst Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 - - -
Senior Admin.
Analyst
Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
- 1 1 1
Police Activities
League (PAL)
Recreation
Supervisor
Non-scalable
Executive position. Staffing does not
scale directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Rec.
Coordinator
(FT)
Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
Rec.
Coordinator
(PT)
Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5
Traffic Unit Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
Officer (Traffic) Workload-based
Scales in relation to calls for service,
which can be used as a proxy for
associated workload.
2 6 7 7
Traffic Crash
Investigator
NEW POSITION
Scales in relation to calls for service,
which can be used as a proxy for
associated workload.
- 1 2 2
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Unit/Division Position Scaling Factors Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 Parking Enf.
Supervisor
NEW POSITION
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
- 1 2 2
Parking Enf.
Ofc.
Workload-based
Scales in relation to calls for service,
which can be used as a proxy for
associated workload.
2.5 3 4 4
Patrol Division
Admin Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
Patrol Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
6 6 6 6
Corporal Workload-based
Scales in relation to calls for service,
which can be used as a proxy for
associated workload.
6 6 7 7
Officer Workload-based
Scales in relation to calls for service,
which can be used as a proxy for
associated workload.
30 31 33 35
Officer (K9) Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing maintained as
outlined by department.
2 2 2 2
Community Services
Unit
Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
SCCACT Officer Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing maintained as
outlined by department.
1 1 1 1
SCARE Officer Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing maintained as
outlined by department.
1 1 1 1
Professional Standards Division
Professional
Standards Division
Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
Admin. Analyst Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
1 1 1 1
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Unit/Division Position Scaling Factors Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 Records Supervisor Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
Records Clerk Workload-based
Scales in relation to calls for service,
which can be used as a proxy for
associated workload.
4 4 5 5
Evidence Supervisor Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
Evid. Technician Workload-based
Scales in relation to UCR Part I crimes,
which can be used as a proxy for the
number of investigable cases.
2.5 2.5 3 3
Special Operations Division
Crime Analysis Crime Analyst Ratio-based.
Staffing scales based upon 1 analyst per
100 sworn FTE.
1 1 1 1
Investigations
Bureau
Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 2 2
Detective Workload-based
Scales in relation to UCR Part I crimes,
which can be used as a proxy for the
number of investigable cases.
6 7 8 8
Special
Investigations
Sergeant Span of Control
Based on span of control ratio of 1
position per 7 reports.
1 1 1 1
Officer Workload-based
Scales in relation to UCR Part I crimes,
which can be used as a proxy for the
number of investigable cases.
3 3 4 4
Training Officer Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing does not scale
directly with service needs.
- 1 1 1
Task Forces Detective Non-scalable
Unique role – staffing maintained as
outlined by department.
2 2 2 2
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(3.2) Summary of Staffing Projections
The projections outlined in the previous table amount to the total following staffing changes over the next decade, separated by sworn and civilian staffing categories:
Summary of Staffing Projections (Sworn)
Division Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 +/-10YR
Command Staff 6 8 8 8 0
Office of the Chief 0 0 0 0 0
Community Services Division 6.5 11.5 13.5 13.5 2
Patrol Division 48 49 52 54 5
Professional Standards Division 1 1 1 1 0
Special Operations Division 13 15 18 18 3
Total 74.5 84.5 92.5 94.5 10
Summary of Staffing Projections (Civilian)
Division Auth. Rec. 2029 2034 +/-10YR
Command Staff 0 1 1 1 0
Office of the Chief 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 0
Community Services Division 15 17.5 20.5 20.5 3
Patrol Division 0 0 0 0 0
Professional Standards Division 9.5 9.5 11 11 1.5
Special Operations Division 1 1 1 1 0
Total 30 33.5 38 38 4.5
Over the next decade, an additional 10 sworn positions and 4.5 civilian positions are needed beyond what is recommended in the current staffing analysis in order to provide the same level of service as growth and development occur in the city.
Recommendation:
By 2034, increase staffing by an additional 10 sworn positions and 4.5 civilian positions in order to provide the same level of service that is recommended now as service needs grow due to continued growth and development.
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Appendix: Results of the Police Department Employee Survey Introduction and Key Highlights
Matrix Consulting Group (MCG) was retained by the City of Watsonville (CA) to complete a Staffing Study of the Watsonville Police Department (WPD). The scope of work included a survey to gauge the attitudes of the employees of the department on various topics about the Department and serving the community. An employee survey is important in any police study today.
MCG project staff arrived at these specific questions and themes after consultation with members of the WPD administration and staff during the early stages of the project.
The initial round of invitations was distributed on July 11, 2024, and the survey was closed to responses on July 26, 2024. Of the 90 total invitations sent to WPD employees, there were a total of 52 responses (either partial or complete) received by the project team, resulting in a response rate of 58%. This rate of return provides a representative sample of all employees to reach findings on perceptions for the subjects in the survey.
Key Highlights
While many of these topics are expanded upon in the following sections, there are several key takeaways to note:
• WPD respondents expressed high levels of satisfaction relating to several key service factors, including:
o The service level that WPD provides to the community, o WPD’s emphasis on community policing, and
o WPD’s relationship with members of the Watsonville community. • Overall, mixed to somewhat negative responses were provided relating to the department’s ability to continue to provide adequate levels of service in the future. • Concerns were expressed relating to the effectiveness of internal communications.
• While patrol respondents expressed high levels of satisfaction with a variety of topics, there are several aspects of patrol operations that received high levels of dissatisfaction, including, but not limited to:
o The lack of proactive time available to address problems in the city, o The lack of adequate backup unit presence,
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o The lack of adequate response times to low-priority calls for service, and o The lack of alternative response resources to properly address issues.
General findings for all demographic, general topic, patrol-related, and open-ended responses are provided in the sections below.
1. Respondent Demographics and Background Information
Of the 52 responding employees, there were a total of 34 (65%) sworn employees compared to 18 (35%) civilian employees. Total respondents are also indicated below (n=52).
Employment Status % #
Sworn employee 65% 34
Civilian employee 35% 18
Total Respondents 100% 52
Most responding employees (n=16; 31%) have been employed by WPD for 15 years or more, followed closely by 13 respondents who have been employed by WPD for between 5 and 10 years. Employees of WPD tenured less than two years accounted for 19% of all respondents, while those employed between 2 and 5 years accounted for 12% of the respondent pool. Three respondents (6%) have served WPD between 11 and 15 years, while the remaining four respondents (8%) declined to respond to the question.
Employee Tenure % #
Less than 2 years 19% 10
Between 2 and 5 years 12% 6
Between 5 and 10 years 25% 13
Between 11 and 15 years 6% 3
15 years or more 31% 16
Prefer not to answer 8% 4
A majority of responding employees (78%) have not transferred from another law enforcement agency. The remaining 11 respondents (22%) have worked for another law enforcement agency in the past.
Employee Lateral Transfer Status % #
Yes 22% 11
No 78% 40
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A majority of respondents (n=33, 65%) indicated being of Hispanic or Latino descent.
Another 10 respondents (20%) identify as White, followed by 1 respondent who identifies as Asian7. The remaining 7 respondents (14%) declined to respond to this question.
Employee Race/Ethnicity % #
White 20% 10
Black or African American 0% 0
Native American 0% 0
Asian 2% 1
Hispanic or Latino 65% 33
Pacific Islander 0% 0
Other race 0% 0
Prefer not to answer 14% 7
A majority of responding employees (48%) were currently assigned to the Field Operations Division within WPD. This is followed by 23% of respondents (n=12) currently assigned to the Professional Standards Division, and 13% (n=7) who are currently assigned to the Community Services Division. The remaining respondents are currently assigned to the Office of the Chief or Special Operations Division.
Employee Current Assignment % #
Office of the Chief1 4% 2
Community Services Division 13% 7
Field Operations Division 48% 25
Professional Standards Division 23% 12
Special Operations Division 12% 6
A majority of respondents (n=18, 36%) indicated that they were non-supervisory, sworn personnel throughout the organization, followed by 30% (n=15) of whom were supervisory (Sergeant and above), sworn personnel. Non-supervisory, civilian personnel accounted for 24% of the respondent pool while the remaining 10% of the respondent pool (n=5) consisted of supervisory civilian personnel. 7 Due to the small percentage of respondents from this response category, these respondents will be excluded from any crosstabulations across employee’s current assignment.
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Employee Current Rank % #
Civilian: Non-Supervisory 24% 12
Civilian: Supervisory 10% 5
Sworn, Non-Supervisory: Police Officer, Corporal, or Detective 36% 18 Sworn, Supervisory: Sergeant or Above 30% 15
2. Multiple Choice Questions
The following two sections report responses to questions relating to 1) General Topics of the Watsonville Police Department and 2) topics specific to the patrol and field services within the Field Operations Division. The general topics section was asked to all respondents, regardless of current assignment, while the patrol specific questions were asked to those respondents who indicated that they were currently assigned to patrolrelated assignments within the Field Operations Division.
Questions regarding these topics were asked in statement form, asking respondents to indicate their level of agree (i.e., Strongly Disagree (SD), Disagree (D), Agree (A), or Strongly Agree (SA)). Results are presented with a shading of blue in correlation with the level of agreement (or disagreement) with the statements listed.
General Questions
General topics questions were asked to all staff members. These questions cover topics such as WPD’s level of service to the community, their relationship with the community, training and technological resources, internal communication, and many others. The findings are presented in the table below: