Police struggle with hiring

Laguna Beach’s police force has grown so short-handed that the department had to drop its participation in a regional narcotics enforcement program just to cover normal shifts.

And Officer John O’Connor and senior records manager Hilda Madrid, who have a combined 59 years of experience, are on the verge of retiring but are unsure when the department will be able to fill its eight vacant positions.

O’Connor has already agreed to help cover the shortage by finishing the year as a part-time employee. Madrid is scheduled to retire at the end of this month, but is not sure if she will be asked to hang in there part-time.

Despite six months of active recruiting, Police Chief Mike Sellers said his department hasn’t been able to fill the vacancies. Four of the vacancies are for sworn officers while the rest are for civilian positions such as dispatcher and record-keepers. Assistant City Manager John Pietig said it is hard to tell exactly why the department is having a hard time filling the positions.

“The LAPD has been having a hard time, too,” he said. “Last week they started a recruitment project with TV commercials.”

The police force now has 49 sworn officer positions and 37 administrative positions.

Four police officers are also on leave due to injuries, making it even more important that positions are filled, Sellers said.

“You can’t go out and buy experience,” Sellers said. “These employees have a lot of institutional knowledge that is of great value to us.”

O’Connor, 55, joined the department in 1986 after having served in Newport Beach for 14 years.

Loyalty to Laguna was the main reason why O’Connor agreed to keep working, but he also loves the job.

O’Connor, who has patrolled his beat from a car since 2002, still misses being a motorcycle cop.

O’Connor’s self-proclaimed “35 seconds of fame” occurred in 1996 when he appeared on “America’s Most Wanted” to talk about some hit-and-run suspects.

“We never did catch them,” he said.

With a wife, daughter and four grandchildren, O’Connor said he is considering running an eBay business when his police work finally ends.

Madrid joined the department in 1981.

She is responsible for checking the accuracy of every crime report.

Madrid is occasionally called out into the field as a Spanish translator.

She is also the first female to be president of the Police Employees Assn.

“I was very shocked to be elected,” she said.

Working for her third chief, Madrid says there are only a handful in the department who have been there longer than her.

When the mother of three finally retires she plans to visit with family in Texas.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What can Laguna Beach do to attract more applicants for its police department? Write us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us at coastlinepilot@latimes.com or fax us at 494-8979. Please give your name and tell us your home address and phone number for verification purposes only.cpt.14-copjobs-BPhotoInfo3P1ST61V20060714j2bkldncCredit: Caption: (LA)Officer John O’Connor and records manager Hilda Madrid