AnonymousSource: Santa Barbara County Grand Jury
The citizens of Lompoc have rated public safety as their number one concern in surveys and community forums. There has been good reason for that. The Lompoc Police Department has struggled to answer calls at a time when the City has seen an “unrelenting upward trend in violent crime,” as stated in the City’s 2021-22 budget. Citizens felt their Police Department was not protecting them. In fact, the Sheriff’s Office at times filled gaps in service during high crime periods. The 2021 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury investigated how the shortfalls in City finances impacted the Lompoc Police Department and how remediation is being implemented.
The budgetary limitations have greatly handicapped the police force. Over the last six years, it has lost a third of its officers, and equipment failures have hindered immediate response. The Police Department has been underfunded for over half a decade, and the officers felt like the City balanced the budget at the cost of public safety.
A change in local political attitudes took shape in 2018. The Lompoc City Council wanted to restore the Police Department to its former strength as part of a movement to get out of the financial doldrums it had fallen into. Not only was there political will to help the police force, but there was motivation to provide the means to do so with a sales tax initiative in 2020 and new cannabis taxes in 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act also brought a source of new money to help with the revenue losses during the COVID-19 years. Under assured leadership, the City Council and the Police Department are now working together toward recovery. They are looking forward to a safer and prouder future.
The full report can be found on the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury website: www.sbcgj.org
