Belvedere seeking short-term police help from Marin County

Belvedere plans to contract with the Marin County Sheriff’s Office to help cover short-term police staffing gaps as it continues hiring efforts to permanently solidify the force.

In an Aug. 11 report to the City Council, City Manager Robert Zadnik said the city plans to borrow a deputy from the Sheriff’s Office to help cover shifts in Belvedere for three to six months. The move is meant to help ease chronic understaffing that has left four officers working 12-hour shifts and overtime to maintain round-the-clock coverage.

Zadnik said Aug. 11 that a draft agreement had been sent to the county, and in an Aug. 15 interview added that he hoped to have the contract finalized — and the deputy in service — within the next couple of weeks. The deputy, who would be outfitted in a Belvedere police uniform and drive a city police vehicle, will likely work night shifts, where the department’s needs are greatest, Zadnik said. Police Chief Jason Wu will have final say on the deputy selected.

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