Sheriff’s office reduces overtime at jail by slowing response in unincorporated areas.

About three weeks ago, 18 deputies were taken away from patrolling unincorporated county areas to meet mandatory staffing requirements at Monterey County Jail, a place beset by litigation.

The reorganization has shrunk overtime costs at the jail – which have hovered around $2.5 million a year – by about 61 percent, says sheriff’s office spokesman John Thornburg.

“It has been a big help in the jail,” Thornburg says.

The change also reduced patrol throughout the county, and subsequently caused a lag in response to incidents in the county’s unincorporated areas. This has not sat well with some Monterey Peninsula residents and local officials.

One of the biggest concerns was that the change was made quietly.

Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett says Sheriff Steve Bernal did not notify his city staff about the change. It was only when Carmel Police received a call that required them to leave the city limits, and then inquired about the lack of deputies in unincorporated areas surrounding Carmel, including Pebble Beach and the Carmel Highlands, that they learned about it.

“He needs to answer to the voters who elected him, and explain to them why he made the decision to reduce public safety and not tell them about it,” Burnett says.

Some Pebble Beach residents say they are concerned their area, which has the highest property tax rate in the county, is being underserved and put at risk by this change.

“It would not make sense for us to spend taxpayers’ dollars to cover the surrounding area, that’s the sheriff’s responsibility, and I expect he will work to step up and deliver the public safety the larger community expects,” Burnett says.

Bernal has not requested nearby police departments fill in the patrol void. Bernal told Carmel-by-the-Sea Police Chief Mike Calhoun he will always respond to calls from the unincorporated areas, but that there will likely be a delay in response time.

Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tracy Brown, who oversees patrol operations, says there will be a “bit of a delay,” but hopes it will only be temporary. He says the plan is to start bringing deputies back on patrol late in November.

But before then, Bernal plans to hold a town hall meeting to address Peninsula residents’ concerns on the patrol cutback.

“[Bernal’s] issue is a staffing issue,” says County Supervisor Dave Potter, whose district includes Carmel and the surrounding areas. “And he is trying to address concerns at the jail, which has been subjected to litigation.”