HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 324-08TO:
City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT :POLICE
DATE:
SUBJECT:
AUGUST 4, 2008 CMR:324:08
LIST OF POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY OUTREACH
ACTIVITIES
This is an informational report and no action is required by the City Council.
DISCUSSION
At the Human Relations Cormnission (HRC) meeting of June 12, 2008, the Police Department
presented a list of community outreach activities that have been conducted with emphasis on the last
five years. Vice Mayor Drelcmeier, the Council liaison to the HRC, requested that the information be
provided to the City Council.
The attached list provides information on the various programs and activities that the Police
Department has initiated and implemented in efforts to increase public trust and cooperation.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The majority of these activities are done as collateral duties by Department personnel. It should be
noted that a few of these programs are conducted by officers and Department persolmel on their own
time.
ATTACHMENTS
List of Outreach activities
CMR:324:08 Page I of 2
PREPARED BY:L3ame Jolmson, Police Chief
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
L~I~E JOHNSON
Police Chief
STEVE EMSLIE and_..I~LL:Y 1VXSRARIU
Deputy City Managers
CMR:324:08 Page 2 of 2
UPDATE ON COMMUNITY RELATIONS ACTIVITIES
*Started since 2003
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Demographic Data Collection and Publication: The Police Department
continues to be one of the few law enforcement agencies that collects and
publishes demographic data on drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Under
a year’s trial period, actual numbers will be posted on a quarterly basis
and placed on the Department’s Webpage and a written report will be
presented to the Human Relations Commission (HRC) and the City
Council on an annual basis.
*Tools for Tolerance: Through a grant the Police Department sent all of its
employees to the Tools for Tolerance program through the Simon
Wiesenthal Center.
*Traffic Stop Audit: The City Auditor and Police Department conducted a
random audit of people who had received citations/warnings from police
officers. The report was shared with the City Council and Human
Relations Commission. The Police Department will request that the new
City Auditor completes another survey.
Acceptance and investigation of Email Complaints: anonymous or leave a
name.
*POST Racial Profiling Class: Attended by all officers.
*New Policy Manual: Complete revision of policy manual in accordance
with best practices, statutes and case law. The Policy Manual is updated
annually relative to new legislation, case law and/or best practices and
training on the key policies such as use of force, pursuits, etc. is provided
annually.
Supervisor/Officer Ratio: Lower than most agencies.
Supervisor/Officer Schedule: 4/11 schedule allows the same supervisor to
work exact same days as officers.
*Racial/Bias Based Profiling: Policy-trained all officers.
Trained all dispatchers/officers on accepting/dispatching/response to
suspicious persons calls for service. Specific information on the person is
requested to ensure that the reporting party is just not reporting a person
of a different ethnicity is in their neighborhood. Reporting parties are
notified to let them know the person had a right and legitimate reason for
being in the neighborhood.
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*Muslim/Sikh Cultural diversity training has been provided to all officers.
Camp Anytown: Sent officers to this weekend camp of high school
students that focuses on diversity.
*Stanford University Policing Racial Bias and Implementation: Fast
Friends Project. Worked with sociologist professors on this project that
demonstrated that when members of the public and the Police Department
were able to get to know each other, levels of trust, understanding and
respect increased.
*Student Academy: Have completed two student academies and have
initiated a Police Cadet Program.
Citizens Academy: Continues to be a very popular program that provides
detailed information and training to members of the public on what it takes
to be a police officer as well as training, policies and procedures of the
Department.
*FTO Audit: Completed a Field Training Officer Program audit that has
resulted in an improved program that emphasizes training and focuses on
teaching strategies that are applicable to younger officers. FTO program
modified to include customer service and strategic plan.
*Strategic Plan: Completed two years of the Strategic Plan and based
upon citizen input, have amended the plan to make it more applicable to
the needs of the community.
Community Involvement in Department Promotional Process: Continue to
have members of the HRC and other community members participate in
promotional panels.
*Mobile AudioNideo (MAV): Cameras have been installed in police
vehicles.
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*Mobile AudioNideo (MAV) - Motors: In progress. Will be the first
department in the state to have the cameras installed on traffic officer
motorcycles.
*Police Auditor: Have worked cooperatively and closely with Police
Auditors to ensure objective investigations of citizen complaints.
*Re-vamp Internal Affairs Procedure to have improved training for the
team of investigators. Currently we are finalizing agreement with San
Jose Police Department to investigate criminal allegations against our
officers.
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*FTO program modified to include customer service and strategic plan.
*Early Warning System: Implemented the Early Warning System that
tracks the number of complaints, disciplinary issues, etc. by individual
officers to ensure intervention at the earliest opportunity before personnel
issues become very big.
*Website Design with Spanish Language
*TASER with Cameras: One of the first departments in the area to
purchase tasers with cameras attached. Additionally, the Department
provided significantly more training than any other agency in the use of
tasers. The several times the tasers have actually been activated, the
incidents were according to policy.
*Teambuilding Workshop for Management Team: Conducted the first
teambuilding workshop for the Department’s management team in over 15
years.
*Baseball Cards: Printed and distributed to youth and community
members baseball cards of Department employees.
*New Supervisor Training Program: Implemented a formal "new
supervisor" training program for employees who are promoted to a
supervisory level. Training includes topic monitoring, conducting objective
evaluations, disciplinary issues, etc.
*Revised Use of Force Investigations: Defensive Tactics and
Rangemasters review all incidents of use of force to ensure that
appropriate tactics were used prior to the use of force.
*Community Alerting and Notification System (CANS): After significant
input from the community, implemented the new CANS System that has
been very well received.
*Expansion of PIO Group/Press Releases: Community Relations Position:
Identified a community relations position that serves as the focal point for
media and community contact. Have also expanded the PIO program.
*Have attended an average of four HRC meetings a year in the last five
years.
*Have hired 49 officers since 2003, 16% of which are people of color.
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*Have had Department staff members attend Tongan/Samoan Community
meetings.
Conducted a barbecue for youth in an area that has experienced
increased gang activities.
*Parenting Project: Provided in Spanish and English. This program is
intended to assist parents with out-of-control children has received rave
reviews by attendees. Assistance from PAUSD has been instrumental in
the success of the program. As a result of Pato Alto’s program, a
Countywide initiative under the auspicious of the District Attorney’s Office
will implement the program in almost every city in the County. This fall, a
class will be provided in Palo Alto for Spanish speaking parents.
Continue to provide annual diversity training to officers.
Special Olympics: Participation in Tip-a-Cop fundraiser. Department
personnel raise funds through the Tip-a-Cop program at a local restaurant
twice a year that go to the Special Olympics. Officers also actually assist
at the Special Olympics event itself.
*Farmer’s Market: Police officers have been attending California Avenue
and the Downtown Farmer’s Market to interact with citizens and conduct
fingerprinting services for children.
*Operation Safe Neighborhoods: Originally initiated to help stem an
increase in residential and automobile burglaries, the Department gets
assistance from residents and other City employees to act as "eyes. and
ears" when crime trends are identified in neighborhoods.
Community Access Line: An anonymous tip line was set up to make it
easier for people to express concerns about police activity and behavior.
If warranted, complaint investigations are investigated.
NiteSafe: Together with Agents from the State Alcohol Beverage and
Control Department, Police staff provide training to bartenders and
restaurant managers on the consequences of over-serving patrons and
other issues related to the consumption of alcohol.
*Reinstated National Night Out: In 2005, the Department reinstated annual
activities associated with National Night Out in efforts to get community
members more engaged in crime prevention efforts.
Adopt-a-School Program: Patrol officers adopt elementary schools in the
City and, usually on a weekly basis, spend time at the schools interacting
with students in an informal setting.
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