income of only $24,000. And Mendota’s crime rate is
among the highest in Fresno County.
“We have everything every city has, except per capita more
of it,” Galvin says of Mendota’s crime rate.
Concern about crime was one of the reasons Mendota
city leaders voted to cancel its contract with the sheriff ’s
department – a contract that was costing the city $618,000
a year for 110 hours a week of deputy patrol hours.
Now, with an annual operational budget of $950,000,
Mendota has nine full-time officers, a police chief, seven
reserve officers and two civilian support staff. Grants, as
well as revenue from traffic tickets, DUI arrests and other
sources, brought in $337,000 the first year, offsetting
operational costs, Galvin said.
Officer turnover may become an issue, since they make
only $40,000 a year, Galvin says. So far, however, the city
is getting much more bang for its buck, with the crime
rate dropping 11 percent in 2010 and 12 percent this year,
through August.
To help make the numbers work, Galvin decided to pay
himself only $58,000 a year when he could command, for a
city of Mendota’s size, about $85,000.
Police agencies, he says, need to be creative and cut
costs when times are tough. To save money, for example,
Mendota contracts dispatching services with the f?&V&Vv????6RFW'F?V?B?f?"Cc??V"?F?R6?W&?fb( ?0?FW'F?V?Bv?V?B?fR6?&vVB&WGvVV?CS??@?CsR??f?"F?R6?R6W'f?6R??R6?2???BF?R?V?F?F??6RFW'F?V?B&V?G276R????v??r'V??F??rf?"&V?F?fV???FW7BC2?W"???F?????&?6???V?v???R?v27v?&???2fV??( ?2??6R6??V`???&??#gFW"7V?F??r??&RF??Gv?FV6FW2v?F??F?R???~( ?26?V?G?6?W&?fb( ?2FW'F?V?B??B?V&??FV6FRv?F?F?R??f?&B??6RFW'F?V?B?Rv2?W&VB&6?F?6W'f?6RgFW"F?&VR???F?2?`?&WF?&V?V?B( 2?BF?RFW6?&RF?VV??6??6W&?2??F?R6?G??`???#&?WBv?w2?B&?6??r7&??R??( ?N( ?2???'GV??G?f?"?RF?F?6??WF???r7V6??f? ?F?R6???V??G??( ?6?2??&?6??SR?v???fW2???V&'????f?&B?fV??6??Vb?6???&?6??F?R6?G??2???rC"???????V"f?"?G2?Wr??6P?FW'F?V?B?6??&VBF?F?RC?sR???????V??F??6??G&7Bv?F?F?R6?V?G??'WBfV????r?2F?&VR??&P??ff?6W'2F???BW6VBF?( Bf?"F?F??bb( B??FF?F???F??Gv?6?f???V????VW2?B??R&W6W'fRFWWG???F?RW?G&gV?G2f?"F?R7F'B?W?b?G2?v???6P?FW'F?V?BvW&Rg&??6?G?&W6W'fRgV?G2???FF?F????F?P?6?G?7V?BCS?F?&V??FV??V?W6VB??7?F?f?"?G0??Wr??6RFW'F?V?B( 2FV6?6???W?V7FVBF?6fR???W??F?v?F?R??R????&?6???G?6?VBF?R76?7F?B6??Vb?'W7G?7F?fW'2???BfVV?2fW'?f?'GV?FRF??fRF?&VR6W&vV?G2v??V6???fR??&RF??#?V'2?bW?W&?V?6R???FF?F????F?P?FW'F?V?B?2&VVfVBWG&??2??B?ff?6W'2&RF???r?&?7F?fR&?6?F?&GF??rv?w2?BG'Vw2??( ?&W6?FV?G2&R?V6VBv?F?F?RGFV?F???F?W?&RvWGF??r0?vV??2??&R&?B&W7??6R?( ?( ???&?6?6?2?( ?v^( ?&RfW'??V?W&vWF?2f?&6R?F??2F?W6?( ?BfVV???R7F'B?WFW'F?V?B?( ??(
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