Hollister police civilian workers laid off amid budget woes; officers push back

Citing financial woes, the City of Hollister laid off civilian employees of the police department on Wednesday. Meanwhile, officers are pushing back, saying the cuts will hurt public safety.

Officers held an emotional sendoff for the employees, women who worked in the records department in non-sworn positions. The workers, who processed reports and helped gather evidence to submit to court, said they were all laid off and given little to no notice.

"These are our people. This is our family. This is our home away from home. We spend more time here than we do at home with our own families sometimes," said Jenelle Hoefling, who was among those laid off.

Combined, Hoefling and Jennifer Corona have worked for Hollister PD for the past 15 years. They argue civilian staff at the department is indispensable, and the layoffs could create a public safety issue.

"We have 72 hours to get that report to the District Attorney, so that they can file with the court, that's just not going to happen. Which potentially means someone who should not be out on the streets is going to get released from jail," Corona said.

Hoefling added, "We're going to stand together. And our POA is…we're going to fight it the best we can. The POA is in full support of us."

Outside of City Hall on Wednesday, employees stood in solidarity. The city said the cuts are due to Hollister facing a severe budget deficit of roughly $2 million.

Bo Leland, president of the Hollister Police Association, said cutting civilian positions is not the answer.

"Right now, what the City Manager is proposing is that we maintain funding for seven vacant police officer positions, which accounts for about $1.99 million worth of funding," Leland told CBS News Bay Area.

The union proposed other solutions to the issue.

"Our point in this entire protest is that if you had come to us first, we could have told you to get rid of five of those positions, keep our civilian staff so we can maintain our level of service that we provide to the community. And we still would have the ability to hire two police officers," Leland added.

CBS News Bay Area reached out to City Manager Ana Cortez for comment.

As Cortez arrived at City Hall on Wednesday, she was heckled by protesters who made comments about her salary. In response, Cortez seemed to motion to the crowd as if she was dishing out money, which brought out boos from people in attendance.

Reporter Veronica Macias, who was on scene, asked Cortez if she was mocking the crowd. Cortez did not respond.

The support was appreciated by those who were impacted by the layoffs.

"When you see them rallying around us. It's very heartwarming and solidifies even more how much I love what I do. I love my job," Hoefling said.