Uniformed on-duty deputies and corrections officers attended a variety of December town halls hosted by the sheriff and a Pacific County Board of Commissioners hearing.

Public records have confirmed what some suspected — Pacific County Sheriff’s Office employees attended multiple town halls and a Pacific County Commission meeting while on duty.

The information was obtained through public record requests submitted on Dec. 27, 2024, and Jan. 28 for employee time sheets. The records show that multiple deputies, clerical staff and corrections staff attended the town halls and commission meetings while working.

PCSO Chief Civil Deputy Hollie Billeci confirmed that employees attended meetings on the clock and that, under the circumstances, it was warranted to ensure that the commissioners understood their feelings on this matter.

“The events that happened on [Dec. 26, 2024] had the potential and subsequently did impact every employee who works for the Sheriff’s Office,” Billeci said. “Offering the opportunity to witness how county government works and what the impacts of your local government’s decisions are/is something that any employee should witness if a situation of this magnitude comes up.”

“We do not believe that ‘work’ and professional growth only happen at one’s desk or patrol vehicle. To be clear, no overtime was authorized for attendance, and deputies monitored calls while they were present if on duty,” Billeci added.

Meeting attendees also observed several staff members showing up in uniform while off duty. When asked about the agency’s policies regarding uniforms being worn off duty, Billeci stated that it was also warranted.

“If an employee is coming to a meeting such as this one in an official capacity as an employee of PCSO, they are more than welcome to wear their uniform to represent their employment with PCSO,” Billeci said. “If they are going off duty near the time of the meeting or during the day on the day of the meeting, continuing to wear their uniform is not a problem,” Billeci added.

The sheriff’s office has had a stance since Garcia took office that the agency is significantly understaffed, which has affected their ability to adequately patrol the county. This stance was somewhat contradicted by allowing staff to attend these meetings while on the clock.

Billeci holds that, in this instance, public safety and interest were a double-edged sword between employees of the agency speaking its voice on a matter that could affect its abilities as a whole and patrolling the roads during these meetings.

“Yes, we are understaffed and have difficulty maintaining road coverage,” Billeci said. “That does not mean that under no circumstances can our employees participate in important events such as these.”

“We weigh situations like these and decide, based on our decades of experience in the command team, what we think is best for the People, the employees, and the Office as a whole. Again, we do not believe that ‘work’ and professional growth only happen at one’s desk or patrol vehicle,” Billeci added.