4-1 vote joins Anderson, SHASCOM

Tuesday evening, Jan. 17, the Anderson City Council voted 4-1 to shut down the Anderson Police Department’s (APD) dispatch center. This, despite impassioned pleas from both past and present APD employees to do the opposite.

“We need to make a choice for our city,” said Councilwoman Melissa Hunt in response to the pleas. “I also understand there’s a lot of wrinkles and that will all be taken care of.”

Prior to the vote, interim city manager John Blacklock emphasized the issue at hand “was not about the job people are doing” but that they needed to “look at this as a business decision.”

According to APD employee Christina vonHassell-Berry, she represents the face of an employee that might lose her job.

“I ask (that the council) please retain adequate staff for records,” vonHassell-Berry said from the podium.

But such decisions have yet to be made. The process for transitioning to SHASCOM will take “anywhere between a few to several months” said Blacklock early Wednesday morning.

“The governing bodies of Shasta County will have to approve this,” he added, “so there are some procedural steps ahead. But I think everyone is receptive. We’ll move as quickly as we can.”

That’s not good news for people like Teamsters Local 137 member Sarah Bennett who represents the dispatchers and community service officers employed by APD.

“We just don’t believe it’s a one-size fits all solution,” said Bennett, also on Wednesday. “They’re overlooking the fact that jobs will be lost.”

Bennett stated that she is also concerned about how warrants will now be handled.

“There’s going to be a delay of felony warrant service,” said Bennett, “and if they aren’t served in a timely manner, the warrants will be dismissed. That puts the community at risk.”

Risk was something Mayor James Yarbrough mentioned during the city council meeting, although in a different context. His concern stems from the staffing issues which, according to the background discussion presented Tuesday night, “continue to plague the dispatch center.”

“I do not want to lose anyone’s job,” said Yarbrough, “but neither would I want something to happen on our watch.”

He went on to add, “Something could happen and it could be devastating to the whole town. I feel it is in the best interest to work with SHASCOM.”

Councilman John Day was the lone dissenter in the move to join SHASCOM, a transition that will cost the city $501,000 in the first year and $476,000 in future years. Anderson now pays $496,000 per year to provide public safety.