Antioch approves paying outside officers $200 an hour to help patrol city streets

ANTIOCH — The Antioch City Council has allocated up to $500,000 for its gun violence reduction initiative to fund long-term assistance from outside law enforcement agencies, whose officers would earn $200 an hour.

Still, the city remains mum on revealing which agency or agencies it will partner with “until the deal is sealed.” Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe said he is being cautious about identifying the agencies, but he will do so as soon as possible.

“I learned my lesson in the past. So let’s get it signed, sealed and delivered first because you never know who might come out and attack (the plan),” he said when contacted.

Hernandez-Thorpe said details on the parameters of services provided by the agencies are still being ironed out, adding that some agencies may only be able to handle specific calls, while others may only provide a patrolling presence.

So far this year, there have been 22 shootings in the Sycamore area, including 15 in September, police said. The surge of September violence began with the killing of 21-year-old Elijah Scales, who was shot on Peppertree Way on Sept. 2.

At the City Council meeting on Tuesday night, residents and councilmembers expressed concerns about having Antioch police officers worked beyond mandatory overtime shifts or paying them for double time shifts, especially in areas of the city experiencing spikes in violent crime.

Resident Chantelle Owens said asking overworked officers to pick up extra shifts was not a solution.

“I ask that there be support until we have time to hire and train our officers. Doing anything less will be putting a band-aid on an infection,” she said.

Another resident, Damien Owens, said he was concerned about the newly recruited APD officers, who have not had enough training to handle crisis calls.

“I’ve been there at Sycamore Square and Peppertree Way. It is a very toxic environment … and all you need is an officer who was maybe on his 16th or 18th hour, who dealt with a situation on the other side of the city, or dealt with a problem, and it could lead to some other problems,” he said.

Over the past year, the APD has faced a staffing shortage first due to a number of officers being put on leave and then the termination or departure of several officers either charged or indicated with a crime related to a widespread police misconduct investigation or for participating in racist, homophobic, and sexist text messages sent among officers. As of August, the APD had 73 out of 115 authorized officers’ position but is working on increasing its staffing level.

Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker said while she is not against getting outside help, she is not in favor of requesting APD officers work double time when they already work overtime. She also would like to see other measures taken to prevent violence in the community other than increasing the police presence.

“Have we invested upfront in preventing violence?” she asked.

Mayor Pro-Tem Monica Wilson questioned whether the APD would heavily rely on its officers’ double time or seek help from outside agencies. Police Capt. Joseph Vigil responded that the APD would take a “balanced approach” and it would depend on the availability of outside agencies.

“Our officers are already working the mandatory overtime,” Vigil said. “The whole point of this was (to see) if there was a way to incentivize (officers) giving up a day off or in the middle of their weekend to come to work and help out.”

Vigil also explained that there is a sign-up sheet that is vetted by the watch commander and the bureau captain to ensure that no officer is working longer than they should.

“It’s not a last-minute thing where we’re trying to force people who’ve already worked a full-day,” Vigil said.

Hernandez-Thorpe said the primary purpose of the funding is to pay outside agencies to assist the city in reducing violence, without taking away from patrols of other areas of the city.

The council voted 4-0 to approve the funding, with Councilmember Mike Barbanica absent from the vote. According to the staff report, the initiative would last for 12 months.