Watchdog: Questions about City of Antioch’s mailer touting Measure C funding of police gains

Watchdog-LogoBy Barbara Zivica

This week I received an unexpected mailer from City Manager Steve Duran and Police Chief Allan Cantando, printed on expensive stock. It was entitled City of Antioch 2014-2015 Measure C Status Report.

The 2013 Measure C ballot measure clearly stated that Measure C revenues would go into the General Fund and could be used to fund all essential city services including increased police staffing. Revenues from Measure O, also passed by voters in November 2014 , were also deposited into the General Fund, available for any lawful purpose.

Measure C Mailer 2The Measure C Status Report lists “Facts At A Glance” and “What Has Been Done With the Money So Far” along with personal messages from both the City Manger and Police Chief. Let’s look at some of the statements:

“Collection of Measure C funds started on April 1, 2014” and “Sunsets in 2021.”

The funds are “Expected to generate $5.7 million in General Fund revenue annually” but “Collections have exceeded expectations in fiscal year 2014/15,” with the City receiving “$1.093M more than budgeted.”

The “Facts At A Glance” states 100% of the money “has been allocated by the City Council to Police and Code Enforcement.”

Back in June 2013, the police department had 87 full-time sworn officers, although they were authorized to hire 102. Mayor Wade Harper, who assumed the role of Mayor on December 6, 2012, promised voters to increase the force by 22 sworn officers.

Measure C Mailer 1That’s why I have difficulty comprehending why, with 102 authorized sworn positions, we still only have 88 positions filled with two per diem Command Staff, although several Police Academy recruits are expected to join the department soon. That’s only three more sworn officers than the City had in 1998.

According to the Police Chief, since November 2011, 28 sworn police officers have been hired but 12 officers retired, six resigned, and four were terminated, leaving a gain of only six officers.

Measure C funds have also been used to purchase equipment for Police and Code Enforcement. The city recently used General Fund reserves to amend the Police Department budget in order to purchase, install, program, maintain and train on the necessary hardware, software and radio equipment in order to participate in the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority (EBRCSA).

Regrettably, although each agency using the system can choose whether to install an encryption key, our city council chose to do so making current police scanners obsolete which has considerably irritated a number of residents.


the attachments to this post:


Measure C Mailer 1


Measure C Mailer 2


5 Comments to “Watchdog: Questions about City of Antioch’s mailer touting Measure C funding of police gains”

  1. Nancy Fernandez says:

    I would like to know how many of those mailers were sent out. The west side of town didn’t get them that I can tell and only one of my friends all over town received it.

    What are the police hiding? Very few departments use the encryption that I can find in research and many flatly state it is a bad thing.

  2. Reginald Jamal Brown says:

    fully staffing the police would make it unsafe and ruin the wonderful quality of life for the thugs, drug dealers, criminals and child molesters in Antioch. That is not the agenda for this city. Can you imagine what would happen if we got rid of section 8 and all the troubles it brings? Our property values would rise and the those types of people would not be able to afford to live here. Again, not the agenda for the city.

  3. Concerned Antioch Resident says:

    Speaking of Measure O, who is collecting the fees? Has there been anyone hired to do this yet?

  4. Victim of the Antioch Police says:

    In Oct of 2014 a Person under the influence hit m vehicle parked in front of my house. There was 2 eye witnesses that talked to the lady driving the vehicle and they both said that she was intoxicated but left the scene. She had to be reminded that she had left her 2 year old baby in the abandon vehicle by the witnesses so that she would take the baby from the car. The driver did not have insurance on her car, left the scene, left her purse with ID inside the car and according to the Antioch Police Department at the time had a trunk full of Marijuana in her car.

    It took over 11 months to obtain a copy of the police report from the Antioch Police Department and the report contained none of the information related to the incident, speeding, hit-and-run, child endangerment, driving with no insurance on her vehicle possession of an illegal substance, or even DUI.

    More information can be found on a postage stamp than was in the police report.

    There is not even enough information in the report so that I can take her to small claims court.

    I wonder who exactly is it that the Antioch police are protecting

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