Vallejo asks Solano County for help navigating police staffing crisis, contract concerns delay vote

CBS News

6 days ago

The city of Vallejo, in an urgent plea, asked the Solano County Sheriff's Office to help it address a critical police staffing shortage. As of Tuesday, the ball remains in Solano County's court to make a final decision on approval.
Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to delay the decision to next month at their regular July 22 meeting.
It comes as last week the Vallejo city council unanimously voted to approve an $11.2 million contract with the Solano County Sheriff's Office that would allow 17 full-time Solano County Sheriff's deputies and staff members to respond to about half of Vallejo's city limits from noon to midnight, seven days a week spanning the entire calendar year of 2026.
Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara said Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors' meeting that he does support helping the Vallejo Police Department navigate this crisis, but his department needs more time to make it work.
"Is this the end-all, fix-it plan? No, but for 12 months, if we can give them some breathing room and all the stars align?" the sheriff asked, saying he would want to step in if the details can be worked out.
Tuesday, his recommendation to the Board was to revisit approving the contract next month.
Chair of the Board of Supervisors Mitch Mashburn agreed.
"I want to make sure we have all our ducks in a row and our house in order, just like Vallejo did before we just say, 'Yeah, we want to do this,' " said Mashburn. "There are too many other elements that are factors in this that have to be worked out."
The goal is to help get 911 response times down in underserved parts of Vallejo that are seeing unmanageable violent crime.
Community members voiced their concern in public comments on Tuesday.
"The violence keeps rising and families like mine are left praying every single day that we are not gonna be next. That's why I'm standing here today pleading with you to allow Solano County sheriff's deputies to come in and assist. It's about saving lives, it's about survival," said Vallejo mother Marissa Serafina through tears, who says her own son has been shot twice.
In July 2023, CBS13 first reported that the city of Vallejo declared a state of emergency due to the crippling police staffing shortage.
Since then, the department says it is working to get its head back above water, but this assistance from the sheriff's office would give them the immediate help and the stability needed to try and achieve full staffing again by 2027.
Supervisor Cassandra James was the only "no" vote in Tuesday's decision to delay.
James, a Vallejo resident, criticized not taking immediate action.
"I also have to deal with the shootings every day, I live in that very community," James said." So it's really important that we do not let process get in the way."
Part of the holdup is that the Solano County Deputy Sheriff's Association (DSA), which is the Sheriff's department union, sent a letter to the Vallejo City Council last week in opposition. The DSA says 90% of its members do not support taking on the Vallejo contract.
"Prioritizing staffing for Vallejo... will reduce services for unincorporated Solano County. Reassignments from specialized bureaus or reduced patrol staffing will compromise our ability to deliver the high-quality service our citizens expect and erode community trust," the letter reads.
"I received a copy of that DSA letter. Many of the elements raised, I really believe, can be resolved," said Vallejo Mayor Andrea Sorce.
Sorce and other Vallejo city council members showed up to Tuesday's meeting to plead with the board in public comment to approve the contract.
"There should not be lines that divide protecting and serving. There is no reason in a county with such brilliance, able to think outside the box, that we cannot figure this out together to serve Vallejo," said Dr. Tonia Lediju, Vallejo city council member.
Two more issues were discussed in great detail at Tuesday's meeting that the sheriff's office needs to figure out within the next month.
First, the department needs the board's help in fast-tracking the process of getting additional police vehicles outfitted to serve the Vallejo community.
In addition, Sheriff Ferrara says he recently learned in an HR memo that his department could lose eight formerly retired deputies who came back onto the force thanks to a state law change to help address understaffing. The department has to work with CalPERS, the state's retirement and pension agency, to make sure they can keep those eight retired annuity deputy sheriffs, otherwise the deal with Vallejo might not work.
"If I lose those eight now, I have got to hire 25," Ferrara said, adding if this happens, the department will be 'dead in the water' and calling these next steps a 'heavy lift."
Ferrara promised he would do his best to find a resolution.
The supervisors could end up scheduling an emergency meeting in early July if those labor issues and contract negotiations are quickly resolved. Otherwise, the Board is expected to vote on the contract on July 22.