Council to discuss police coverage

From Daily Republic // Sept. 8, 2005

By Ian Thompson
SUISUN CITY - What to do to improve police coverage in Suisun City will be the subject of an afternoon city council study session today.

Suisun City Police Chief Ron Forsythe is expected to ask the Suisun City Council to put money in the city budget for two more patrol officers on the street.

Forsythe has said the department is stretched to the limit with losses due to retirements, injuries and officers leaving for other jobs, and that is even with the Solano County Sheriff's Department handling early morning patrols.

The council will study both police staffing and service level concerns as well as how to deal with these in light of a general fund budget that has already seen several years of cutbacks.

There will also be a consultant on hand who will talk to police department employees before the meeting, analyze any proposals put forward during the meeting and produce a report.

The report is expected to land back in city council hands by October, when the council starts its budget hearings.

In November 2001, the city tried unsuccessfully to pass a tax to support public safety. The department also used state and federal grants to fund many of its positions, but the grants went away.

Suisun City has contracted with the Sheriff's Department for two years to have deputies patrol the city during the early mornings.

The council has also pondered whether to contract out its police services completely.

The Suisun City Council meets at 3 p.m. in the Suisun City Council chamber at 701 Civic Center Blvd.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.