Vallejo, which declared bankruptcy in May 2008 and has cut more than a third of its police force since 2005, is struggling with a violent crime wave as it considers cutting its police force further to balance a budget that is still in deficit.
The San Francisco Bay Area city of 117,000 has suffered two murders, the beating of a city worker by a mob of teens, and the shooting of an ice cream truck driver in the past week.
The city reached an agreement with police officers last year that allowed it to cut the number of officers on the street to match its diminishing financial resources. Vallejo remains in arbitration with two labor unions as it works toward the completion of its bankruptcy restructuring.
The city was considering cutting its police force another 14% to just 89 officers to help close a $5 million budget gap before the recent crime wave.
That would leave it with far fewer police per capita than other cities in the region. Vallejo currently employs about one police officer for every 1,100 people. Nearby Oakland employs roughly one officer for every 500 people, and San Francisco employs one cop for every 400 residents.
