Where they really cleanup is overtime. And on the last year on the job, they work ridiculous hours, perhaps sleeping at a desk a lot of the time. Pensions in California are based on the last year of pay.

Yes, they do put their lives at risk and for that I am appreciative. But I'd appreciate it a lot more if they were a lot more responsive to the citizens who pay them.

Police departments in other East Bay cities pay higher wages and are lower-risk. Police departments can be brain-drained too.

Highway patrol, too: http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/osalary.html

Keep in mind they may get 100K+ in exchange of putting their lives in danger occasionally.