CAMPBELL POLICE Population drop concerns chief
The mayor says a charter guideline on police hiring was used to fight nepotism and wasteful spending, but it's outdated.
By PAUL WHEATLEY
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- Police Chief Gus Sarigianopoulos is worried that 2000 census figures showing a decline in population here will lead to a reduction in force in his department.
The latest census figures show Campbell's population has dipped to 9,460, a drop of about 600 from the 10,038 people counted in the 1990 census.
Allowed in charter: The city's charter allows the police department one officer, including the chief, for every 650 people. With Sarigianopoulos, the city has 15 officers on staff -- one for about every 600. The charter calls for one officer to be cut.
"It would definitely hurt us," said Sarigianopoulos, who says he needs three officers per shift; two of them on the road under the union contract.
Mayor John Dill said tight finances keeps the department from hiring dispatchers, so one officer must answer calls on each shift.
Minimum required: With 63 shifts and 504 hours to staff each week, Sarigianopoulos said he needs a minimum of 14 officers to operate the department. That's without a detective, juvenile, traffic or drug officer.
Dill said Campbell also has the added burden of being one of only three area cities with a housing project.
The chief said that despite the decline in people, calls to police have increased.
Dill said the charter guidelines were initiated when Campbell was a thriving steel town and there were 26 or 27 officers on staff.
"The people who wrote the charter at the time did the right thing," said Dill, pointing to the days of wasteful spending and nepotism.
A charter change would have to go before city council and residents.
Canfield's charter: Sarigianopoulos said he'd like to see a charter more like Canfield's.
Canfield City Manager Charles Tieche said the charter there does not address police issues.
He takes recommendations from the police chief and passes them to city council, which determines staffing in that city.
Canfield has 15 officers serving its 2000 census population of 7,374 people -- a ratio of about 491 people per officer.
Dill said he hopes to have an issue on the November ballot to change the Campbell charter.