The Monterey Police Department told he Board of Aldermen in Monday’s meeting they are looking to hire a new certified patrolman following the sudden resignation of an officer.
Police Chief John Mackie said the officer originally provided a two-week notice but contacted the department on Monday to announce he was done. Mackie said he wants to begin the application process as soon as possible to ensure the position is filled quickly.
“So I’ve come to you, I know this is not on the agenda, but I’ve come to you because one of the officers has tendered his resignation,” Mackie said. “And I just wanted to see if there was any way that we could go ahead and start the application process and get that going to try to get that filled as completely as possible.”
Mayor Alex Garcia said the town should move forward with the hiring process. Mackie said the department is specifically looking for a certified officer who has already completed academy training and is ready for immediate duty. Mackie said the hiring process requires the department to accept applications before the Civil Service Board reviews the candidates and makes a final selection.
“It’s a very strain on the department, but we’ll handle it,” Mackie said. “Lieutenant will step up and I will step up and we’ll fill the positions.”
Mackie also provided an update on the department’s reserve officer program, which he said provides significant financial relief to the town. Mackie said the program has saved Monterey more than $120,000 between 2022 and 2026 based on an average hourly pay rate of $23.93.
Mackie said the reserve officers recently provided 123 hours of coverage for the Watermelon Crawl and Fire on the Mountain events. Town Administrator Rafferty Cleary said the police department has been tracking these numbers to show the impact of volunteer participation during major community gatherings.
“This department is a very loved department,” Mackie said. “The citizens of this community and this city, you know, they’ve got our backs. They’re here for us. What better people to work for you than the ones that’s from here and the ones that could come into this place, you know.”
In other business, the board approved a new water leak relief program that will begin on November 1. A representative for the program named Ashley said customers will pay $3 per month for a $2,000 coverage limit, which allows for two claims per rolling year.
The board also voted to send a request from resident Julie Bohannon to the Street Committee regarding a paved right-of-way at 100 Crawford. Bohannon said she wants the city to remove the pavement in front of the property so she can replace it with grass to match the rest of the residential neighborhood.
