County official pushes to save Bay Area police department in danger of shutting down
This is the first time in 75 years the department is requesting anything from the county.
SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa says a small police department within the county is at risk of shutting down - due to staffing and financial issues.
Broadmoor and its police department are located in the center of Daly City.
On Monday morning, Canepa announced he's requesting $750,000 in Measure K funds to help the department hire more officers.
Chief Mike Connolly said there's a "crime wave" expanding south from San Francisco.
Broadmoor is considered a district and the department receives funding differently than other agencies.
"We are a special district so we get our funding from taxes and from special assessments, we don't get a sales tax. Somebody buys a car here- we don't get that revenue," Connolly said.
Connolly said money will not just benefit Broadmoor, but the municipalities along the Peninsula stretched thin as well.
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"Colma has two big malls, their agency isn't much larger than we are and they are inundated by crime," Connolly said.
Connolly said right now his department has five full-time patrol officers, and four reserve officers who are volunteers.
"Because of our fiscal stuff, I have stepped down into a part-time paid role. Working full-time, part-time paid," Connolly said.
Connolly said officers work in 12 hour shifts and they're doing everything they can to reduce overtime.
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The police chief said this money would go towards helping current staff and hiring reserve officers.
"Most of the reserves we look at are academy graduates. So they've already gone through that training. We don't have to pay for that. But there is in-house training that we have to do," Connolly said.
This is the first time in 75 years the department is requesting anything from the county.
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Supervisor Canepa said his biggest concern is there will be a "donut hole" of no police service in Daly City if they do not secure the funds.
"The Sheriff's Office has been very clear about this, they don't want the Broadmoor Police Department. And they've made it very clear, that the police services that they would render- and if you could imagine this--- I wish I had a map with me. They're going to go all the way from Millbrae without traffic and as you know Highway 101 is lots of traffic- it takes twelve minutes," Canepa said.
The Broadmoor Police Chief says the department covers 1.8 square miles and a population of around 7,200 residents.
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