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Sheriff to help Vallejo police patrol parts of city
The Solano County Sheriff's Office is helping Vallejo police patrol parts of the city.
VALLEJO, Calif. - Help is arriving for the Vallejo Police Department as Solano County sheriff’s deputies begin assisting with patrols in the city.
What we know:
Starting Wednesday, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office will deploy a dedicated unit to patrol within Vallejo city limits to help address ongoing staffing shortages.
Sheriff Brad DeWall said his deputies were in Vallejo one thousand times for service last year. This new deployment allows them to focus on reducing 911 call response times.
"We were in the city doing our calls for service, or we have a civil division down there doing civil papers, we have a sheriff enforcement team doing efforts throughout the city, we have a homeless intervention team," said Sheriff DeWall.
The sheriff’s office will assign a team consisting of one lieutenant, one sergeant and six deputies. Deputies will respond to calls for service every Wednesday through Saturday, from 2 p.m. to midnight. They will wear standard sheriff’s deputy uniforms and use marked patrol vehicles, and will be dispatched through the normal 911 system.
While sheriff’s deputies will handle general calls for service, the Vallejo Police Department will continue to take the lead on traffic collisions, priority incidents and major crime investigations.
Sheriff’s deputies typically patrol unincorporated areas of Solano County. Their expanded role inside Vallejo is made possible by Senate Bill 1379, which became law in 2024. The legislation lifts the 960-hour annual work limit for retired deputies through 2026, allowing agencies to provide temporary assistance while recruiting and training new officers.
"It allows us to put retired deputies into our courts as bailiffs, and then we take our full-time staff and deploy them," said Sheriff DeWall.
Big picture view:
Staffing shortages at the Vallejo Police Department have been a long-standing issue. The city declared a state of emergency in 2023 due to officer shortages, and the Vallejo Police Officers Association has warned about staffing concerns since 2020.
Residents in the community we spoke to said safety is their number one priority, and they are happy to see this partnership.
Rosemary, a Vallejo resident said, "it's a good idea and safety is number one sometimes she (her daughter) is taking the bus or waking to school and I’m worried."
Jessika said, "oh that’s good, that’s what they should do, more police would be better."
City Manager Andrew Murray said the city appreciates the support from the sheriff’s office and county partners, calling the collaboration a way to strengthen public safety while the police department continues long-term recruitment and staffing efforts.
The assistance from the sheriff’s office is temporary and is scheduled to run through Dec. 31. City officials say that timeframe is intended to allow the department time to recruit and train new officers. A basic California police academy typically takes about six months to complete.
Sheriff DeWall said the initial plan was to provide service seven days a week. This is a scaled back version. If resources permit, the Sheriff said he is open to expanding the patrol area and increasing to seven days a week.