Atwater residents call for more police officers at town hall meeting

A town hall meeting covered the city’s lack of recycling, needed street repairs and other topics Thursday, but it was public safety that drew the most concern from residents.

“I see my city going in a sh--hole,” Andy Krotik, an Atwater resident said. “Excuse my French, but everybody talks about public safety as No. 1. What are we doing?”

He was addressing the City Council during the town hall meeting, which is typically less formal than a regular meeting. About a dozen people attended at the Atwater Community Center.

Krotik said he was concerned about safety in the city, which has 24 officers on duty. The city has three officers on leave for varying reasons, according to police Sgt. Dick Wisdom.

Atwater’s peak of 34 officers began to dwindle during the Great Recession, Wisdom said. Cities all over the state laid off public employees, including officers and firefighters, to make up for budget shortfalls.

Mayor Jim Price said the city has at least three officers close to joining the Atwater Police Department. They have to clear background checks and other processing, he said.

“There’s stuff that’s beyond our control that has reduced the number of officers in our town,” he said.

The city has continued to look to hire more officers, he said, adding Atwater can’t afford to offer bonuses like Modesto, Fresno, San Jose and other towns.

Councilman Larry Bergman said Atwater is competing with other towns looking to hire officers, and there isn’t enough talent to go around.

“There’s a shortage of qualified individuals out there everywhere,” Bergman said.

Atwater continues to operate with a $3.6 million deficit, so handing out bonuses would be unlikely.

The city could work on what else it can offer other than dollars, according to Councilman Brian Raymond.

“A lot of cops will work in a department that has their back,” he said. “They’ll sacrifice pay for a good place to work.”

The city is on the verge of hiring a new city manager and new police chief. Raymond, a former police officer, said getting the right people in those two positions will go a long way to making the city attractive to recruits.

The meeting also covered Measure V, the November ballot measure to add a countywide sales tax in an effort to improve roads.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Atwater residents call for more police officers at town hall meeting."