Antioch Agrees to Allocate $500k for Outside Police Assistance

On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council agreed in a 4-0 vote to allocate $500k on a violence reduction initiative for the City of Antioch.

The approval did not come without controversy as councilwoman Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker took issue with the funds paying double-time wages to Antioch Police officers.

Under the proposal:

1. Authorizing the payment of double-time for Antioch Police Officer’s Association Members for working extra shifts in designated areas of the City to reduce violence as directed by the Chief of Police or his/her designee
2. Authorizing the City Manager to enter into agreements, approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office, to pay regional municipalities $200 per hour to send officers to work shifts in designated areas to reduce violence
3. Allocating up to $500,000 to fund this violence reduction initiative.

Torres-Walker explained the Antioch Police Department already have officers working overtime and now to incentivize them to come in on their days off its double-time.

“I was just thinking to myself, in recovery, we always talk about this thing called HALT. Working my program we always think hungry, angry, lonely and tired. You can’t get to be any one of those things because you can slip into old behavior, loose yourself, hurt yourself or hurt others,” explained Torres-Walker.

She explained she was worried about overworked and tired officers while was worried about new recruits still going through training. They also need to be aware they are asking people to give their free time to come back to work.

Torres-Walker did not agree with the paying double-time, but did agree with the outside resources coming in. She also took issue with calling it the violence reduction initiative versus working on violence prevention where it would increase police to preventable issues if the city had invested.

“I want to point out, it says violence reduction initiative, it doesn’t say violence prevention initiative,” stated Torres-Walker. “What this really is, is increases police presence in communities where it’s needed the most. Often when violence occurs in communities our most reactionary response is a visible police presence to very preventable issues had we invested upfront in the prevention of violence we wouldn’t need to respond in a way that we are using police powers where we don’t even know where the money is coming from.”

Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson asked Captain Joe Vigil on whether city would push heavy on overtime or focus on outside agencies.

Vigil replied it would be a balanced approach with a “a little bit of both” and depends on who the outside agencies are and what their resources available are. He explained the whole point of this was to see if officers (Antioch or outside agencies) would give up their day off to come in and work.

Wilson suggested they may not have anyone interested.

Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe interjected said they have one already interested and two more interested—until there is an agreement, they are not going to share who the agencies were.

Councilmember Lori Ogorchock asked if they had to offer double-time to Antioch Police Department officers prior to going to outside agencies for assistance. Vigil confirmed, yes.

Torres-Walker took issue with the policy having to offer the over-time to Antioch Police officers first prior to going to an outside agencies.

“Our officers are already working forced overtime,” said Torres-Walker. “This would be an additional incentive should people want to come in on their days off to work.”

Hernandez-Thorpe clarified stating Vigil’s answer created confusion saying the policy does not require Antioch Police officers having to be offered the over-time first.

Vigil apologized for the confusion noting a schedule would be created and then filled based on availability.

“The primary purpose of this is outside agencies,” stated Hernandez-Thorpe. “I know its both, but the primary purpose, what the chief has been working on is outside agencies to assist us in our efforts.”

Torres-Walker suggested based on that statement, they do not need to discuss the over-time for Antioch Police and could remove it from the vote.

Hernandez-Thorpe said the goal for he and the police chief is outside agencies to come in and assist.

Torres-Walker said she would support outside agencies coming in and supporting patrol, but not calling in police who are already overworked to come in on their days off.

“I don’t support the double overtime, but do support incentivizing outside agencies,” said Torres-Walker.

Hernandez-Thorpe said this was a special circumstance because they were not getting people to volunteer to come in on their day off to work the Sycamore Corridor.  He shared the point was when Antioch had their officers working, they just pay them double-time.

“While we may get outside agencies that doesn’t mean we are always going to have an agency every single day or weekend and agency, so we still have to maintain that level and presence,” said Hernandez-Thorpe.

With some heckling from the audience, Hernandez-Thorpe called it a “temporary” and “not a forever thing” which does not just include Sycamore Corridor, but other parts of the city as well.

Torres-Walker suggested the over-time of Antioch Police officers is simply “recycling people” and not additional resources.

According to the staff report, the proposed violence reduction initiative would require an allocation of up to $500,000 from the City’s general fund or other available funding sources. This amount will cover the cost of paying double-time wages to Antioch Police Officer’s Association Members working extra shifts and the $200 per hour payment to officers from regional municipalities.

The council ultimately voted to include “up to $200” per hour for outside agencies and did not include over-time for Antioch Police. It was approved in a 4-0 vote.

Under the proposal:

1. Authorizing the payment of double-time for Antioch Police Officer’s Association Members for working extra shifts in designated areas of the City to reduce violence as directed by the Chief of Police or his/her designee
2. Authorizing the City Manager to enter into agreements, approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office, to pay regional municipalities $200 per hour to send officers to work shifts in designated areas to reduce violence
3. Allocating up to $500,000 to fund this violence reduction initiative.

The move is in response to more than 15 shootings in the past 30-days and overall violence in the city. So far in 2024 (Jan – Aug):

• Murder – 10
• Robbery – 149
• Aggravated Assault – 326
• Burglary – 381 (likely underreported)
• Larceny – 1,205 (likely underreported)
• Vehicle Theft – 1,146

  Other Council Actions:

• Approved: AMENDMENT OF EMPLOYEE REFERRAL AND RECRUITMENT SIGNING BONUS AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR PEACE OFFICERS, ADDITION OF INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR DISPATCHERS. Introducing a $10,000 signing bonus for newly hired Police Dispatchers to be paid in two increments: $5,000 upon successful completion of the Dispatch Training Program and $5,000 upon successful completion of two (2) years of employment with the City of Antioch Police Department Dispatch Center; and Authorizing the necessary budget through June 30, 2025, of up to $350,000.These financial incentives are distributed in five (5) separate increments over five (5) years for both lateral and entry-level Peace Officers, with the bulk of the payment ($15,000) paid upfront
• Postponed:  CITY COUNCIL REQUESTED DISCUSSION ITEM – DISCUSSION ON REVISIONS TO OVERNIGHT/CAMPING ORDINANCE — Mayor Hernandez-Thorpe shared this proposal would now include city trails and waterways.
•  Approved: EXPANSION OF SHOTSPOTTER TECHNOLOGY: accept a federal award, in the amount of $740,000, for expanding the City of Antioch’s ShotSpotter coverage areas.
• Approved: AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT AND INCREASING THE AGREEMENT AMOUNT BY $2.1 MILLION WITH FELTON INSTITUTE FOR THE CITY OF ANTIOCH’S ANGELO QUINTO COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM PROGRAM (AQCRT)

Full Agenda – click here

Previous Stories:

• Sept 25, 2024 – Antioch Mayor Says “All Options” on the Table to Reduce Violence
• Sept. 28, 2023 – Antioch Police Pressed on if Aid from CHP or Sheriff is Needed
• Oct 25, 2023 – Senator Glazer Requests CHP Help for City of Antioch
• Aug 6, 2023 – Barbanica Calls on CHP and Sheriff to Assist Antioch Police