Rohnert Park Public Safety, the city’s combined fire and police services, is currently undergoing some changes in an effort to improve operations and better serve the community. According to The Press Democrat, the department recently hired an outside consultant (The Center for Public Safety Management) to do an independent review of the department, and they recommend more than 70 changes. 

The biggest challenge for the department remains staffing, according to Commander Aaron Johnson, who has been with Rohnert Park Public Safety for 21 years. “Our recruiting efforts are very successful as we usually have 50-plus candidates for our testing processes,” he said. “The difficult task is getting candidates through a polygraph and background because of some of their life choices.”

The department’s structure of having personnel trained in both fire and police duties does not seem to be a major issue in finding qualified staff. The Press Democrat reports that the consultant called the structure “highly suitable” for Rohnert Park due to the fact that the city has low rates of fire and crime. However, the department does have issues with staffing, and all the officers are required to work mandatory overtime fire shifts. 

“Any mandatory overtime can become a burden on staff, however we have staff in training as well as in the academy,” Johnson said. “Upon their successful completion, we will be fully staffed and the overtime will be reduced drastically. Also, understand the difference between mandatory overtime and volunteered overtime. Some staff sign up for a lot of hours on their own, and others wait until they get mandated to work.” 

Some ways the consulting firm is helping retain qualified staff, according to The Press Democrat, is to create more specialty positions within the department, such as K-9 units. They also suggest creating more supervisor positions in dispatch, limiting the length of shifts, upgrading technology, and implementing incentive programs such as housing stipends to attract officers from out of the area. Whether or not these incentives will be extended to existing employees is unclear. 

The STAR recently reported on the development of a new downtown center for Rohnert Park, which would draw community members to come out more often, but Johnson is not worried about that creating more work for the department. “Anytime you add more people and business, you have an opportunity for more crime,” he said. “however, I firmly believe the downtown will bring a much anticipated positive energy to our community.” 

Another of the recent changes includes the selection of interim Director of Public Safety Jeffery D. Weaver, who will be on until February, when the department plans to bring on a permanent director. Weaver came on after the former Director of Public Safety Brain Masterson retired. According to KQED, Masterson retired “amid questions over seized marijuana and cash.” Two other officers, Sgt. Jacy Tatum and his partner Joseph Huffaker, were placed on leave during an investigation into a “suspicious traffic stop” last December, with Tatum no longer employed by the department in June, reports KQED. 

However, there is no direct evidence that Masterson’s decision to retire was related to the investigation. According to KQED he said that he wanted to spend more time with his family. “I do miss Chief Masterson as we too had a great relationship and he acted as a mentor and friend to me for the 8-plus years he was here,” Johnson said. 

According to The Press Democrat, Rohnert Park Public Safety could spend up to $5 million on the suggested changes, and they will take place over a number of years.