Belvedere to weigh policing options as cops stretched thin

After five years of operating with the minimum police staffing — as long as all officers remain healthy and don’t need time off — Belvedere Police Chief Jason Wu is asking the city for help filling a sixth position that’s been held open indefinitely due to budget constraints.

Wu made his pitch Feb. 13 at the City Council’s annual retreat, a daylong strategic-planning and goal-setting discussion at the Belvedere Community Center that also tackled long-term budgeting, infrastructure goals and implementation of the city’s overdue housing element to provide at least 160 new units.

While staff and the council quickly made clear the city still doesn’t have the money for another full-time cop, they’ve agreed to form a working group to explore another solution, which could mean contracting with other jurisdictions or hiring a reserve officer, technological solutions to free up existing officers’ time or even charging fees for some of the department’s concierge services, like vacation checks of homes.

“Something’s gotta give, and I think we have to find more creative ways to solve these problems financially,” Councilmember Kevin Burke said.

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