A MESSAGE FROM

THE EPOA PRESIDENT

January.2012

The Escondido Police Officers’ Association would like to announce the election of our Executive Board for 2012. On Wednesday January 11, 2012, the EPOA Board convened for its first meeting of the new year. In addition to approving a new operating budget, the Executive Board was elected as follows: Michael Garcia - President, Frank Huston - Vice President/Treasurer, and Julie Barnes - Secretary.

I am honored to assume the role of president of the Escondido Police Officers Association. I’ve been a full-member of this organization for 18 years and have served previous terms as both secretary and vice president. I would like to thank our immediate past president, Tony Masten, who set a positive example for our Association during the most difficult of times.

During my term as president, it is my goal to continue our community outreach efforts through the variety of programs we have established over the past two years. Furthermore, I intend to communicate regularly with Escondido residents about the state of their police department and the services that we provide. Just last week I served as the keynote speaker for a men’s group meeting at the First United Methodist Church on Maple and 4th Avenue. After being treated to a wonderful dinner, I spoke with about 25 church members about the Escondido Police Department’s dedication to public safety and the challenges involved. I was asked several questions pertaining to everything from our DUI checkpoints to our take-home car policy. At the end, I felt confident that I had cleared up many misconceptions about the police department and our policies. Furthermore, I was able to inform this group of citizens that the Escondido Police Department and EPOA are dedicated to providing the highest quality professional police services to our community.

In addition to our community outreach efforts, it is my goal to return stability to the ranks of the Escondido Police Department. With the onset of the recession in 2008, our members made a good faith contribution by taking a one-time stipend in lieu of a cost of living pay raise. Since then, our members have continued to contribute to the financial stability of Escondido by taking numerous reductions in salary and benefits over the last four years valued at over $3 million to the General Fund. While many promises have been made to return those benefits to our members, our elected officials and city managers have found it difficult to put politics aside in favor of a stable labor force. Unfortunately, many of our most senior and experienced officers chose to retire or leave the department for other agencies not suffering the same “slash and burn” labor policies.

Currently, the Escondido Police Department has 10 less sworn line-level officers than it should. Several more officers are preparing to leave (currently in the hiring process with other agencies) citing “under compensation” as a primary reason for their departure. They feel the city’s aggressive stance against its employees is not likely to change, and they can’t take the risk when it comes to providing for their own families. Unfortunately, the city will spend more money to hire and train new officers – to take the place of outgoing experienced officers – than they would have saved by way of extending a competitive marketplace salary and benefits. The effect on the quality and level of service to the citizens of Escondido is yet to be seen, as reduced staffing and an influx of more inexperienced officers is not necessarily a favorable combination. Regardless of the policies of our elected officials, EPOA members will do whatever it takes to live up to our motto of “Proudly Serving our Community,” and I am proud to play an integral part in that commitment.

Sincerely,
Michael Garcia
EPOA, Board President