By Sara Beth Williams–
In the wake of the dissolution of the Citrus Heights Police Department’s Traffic Unit, the Police Department is now preparing to roll out a new collateral accident investigations team to address major traffic incidents, officials say.
The Citrus Heights City Council approved changes to the Police Department’s staffing structure earlier this month in order to address employee compensation costs as part of negotiations with two unions. As part of the restructuring, the department’s Traffic Unit was dissolved, and the four employees were reassigned to patrol, the city said.
Prior to the approval by City Council members, an anonymous letter circulating in local social media groups posted by an individual who reportedly was directly impacted by the elimination of the Traffic Unit claimed the Police Department would not adequately be able to address citizen traffic complaints and fatal traffic accidents without the dedicated Traffic Unit.
In response, the Citrus Heights Police Department said in mid-July that a new investigations team, modeled after the structure of the current SWAT team, would be established to address major motor vehicle accident incidents.
“The police department is preparing to establish a collateral Major Accident Investigations Team (MAIT), modeled after our SWAT team structure,” the department said. “This team will be equipped to respond to and investigate fatal collisions as well as other major scenes where their specialized expertise is required.”
Looking ahead, the department also stated that an on-call traffic investigator will still be available for the Operations Division to utilize when needed.
According to an annual report given by the Police Department in April, there were three deaths related to vehicular collisions in 2025. There have also been at least three vehicular deaths related to collisions already in 2026.
Traffic data available in the July 8 agenda packet outlining traffic deaths, serious injuries, and property damage resulting from collisions, shows a total of 14 fatal collisions between 2020 and 2024, and 114 collisions that resulted in severe injury within the same time period.
According to the agenda report, the restructuring of the Police Department is expected to save $975,000 during the 2026-27 fiscal year and roughly $1.24 million the following year. Savings largely offset the estimated $1.11 million cost of the labor agreement compensation packages.
As part of negotiations, the city commissioned an independent compensation study comparing Citrus Heights with neighboring public agencies, with input from bargaining groups. While the study found the city remains generally competitive, officials recommend increasing employee compensation to keep salaries within 5 percent of the regional market median and to address rising health insurance costs.
“By proactively managing staffing levels through organizational restructuring and attrition,” the staff report states, “the City avoids a structural deficit, preserves financial flexibility, protects reserves, and strengthens its ability to respond to future community needs.”
The City Council voted unanimously to ratify Memorandum of Understandings agreed upon between the city and represented employees and amended salaries and health insurance compensation increases for unrepresented employees. The Citrus Heights Police Officers Association compensation contract expires June 30, 2028, while the Citrus Heights Police Employees Association contract and the unrepresented employees’ compensation plan will last through June 2030.
