Six months into his new job, Palo Alto Police Chief Robert Jonsen is seeking law-enforcement advice from a local group with plenty of opinions to offer: the residents themselves.
Jonsen, a former Menlo Park police chief who took over as Palo Alto chief six months ago, last week announced that the department is bringing back its traffic unit, which focuses exclusively on traffic violations. The unit, he said at a "Meet the Chiefs" event last Thursday, will focus on areas that residents identify as most in need of enforcement.
He also announced at the event that he plans to start soliciting applications this month for a new citizen advisory panel, a group that will include representatives from all major Palo Alto neighborhoods and that is similar to a group he had established in Menlo Park.
And on Monday, Jonsen re-introduced National Night Out, an annual event set for Aug. 7 in which residents are encouraged to mingle with police officers. The event, according to the department's announcement, is returning after a decadelong absence. The department will make its officers available to socialize with residents at block parties, cookouts and other community gatherings. Those interested in having an officer attend their event are asked to fill out a form and email it to police Public Affairs Manager Janine De la Vega at janine.delavega@cityofpaloalto.org.
In discussing the new advisory group, Jonsen said he is seeking to create a "direct pipeline" between the Palo Alto Police Department and the community it serves. In Menlo Park, the advisory group he formed worked with the department to develop traffic-enforcement strategies and strengthen neighborhood-watch programs, according to The Almanac, Palo Alto Online's sister newspaper.
Jonsen, who first announced his plans to form the panel at an April meeting of the Human Relations Commission meeting, said he is launching the group as part of a strategy of "having a connection to the community and asking what they want."
"We do not do that enough," Jonsen told a crowd of about 80 people at Mitchell Park Community Center. "We've historically not done that very well.
"We presume to know what you need and how to serve you based on crime statistics, but when you ask people you will find (them saying), 'This is important to us!'"
Jonsen said he plans to form the advisory group with 16 people, representing every major neighborhood. He will meet with the group regularly so that he can have "a direct pipeline with the community on how we serve."
The group will meet every other month with the chief and offer input from the respective neighborhoods, according to an announcement from the department. Candidates must be either Palo Alto residents or business owners, with an understanding of the Police Department and knowledge of their specific neighborhood, the announcement states. Anyone interested in applying is asked to email Administrative Assistant Barbara Teixeira at Barbara.Teixeira@cityofpaloalto.org.
Jonsen is applying the same crowdsourcing philosophy to traffic enforcement. Despite the department's struggles to fill the roughly 14 vacancies, Jonsen said he thought it was important to restore the traffic team based on resident feedback. Lt. Con Maloney, who heads the unit, will be directing the traffic team based in large part on resident feedback, Jonsen said.
Maloney told the crowd at the Thursday event that he believes just having higher visibility for traffic officers will be enough to get people to drive more carefully.
"Most people want to obey the rules," Maloney said, tapping his badge. "They just need this little reminder."
Comments
Professorville
on Jul 16, 2018 at 7:45 pm
on Jul 16, 2018 at 7:45 pm
Police Terminations-2017:
3-Probably retirement (18+years)
2-Maybe retirement (13-14 years)
10—Resignations/Terminations.
--4 (3-6 years)
--6 (less than 2 years)
-----2 (less than two months)
Most of those terminating carried the job title of “police officer”.
Retirements are expected and can be predicted with a little input from employees.
Transfers out, or leaving the profession may be harder to predict, but certainly, police officers in their first two years on the job might give off “vibes” about whether they are happy with the work or not. Police management should be taking a lead here working with new hires.
There have been rumors floating around for years that younger officers are not all that happy working in Palo Alto because it is a low crime city. Certainly, police management should be able to provide the residents with a clear explanation about why recruiting and retention are so difficult for younger officers in this town.
Old Palo Alto
on Jul 16, 2018 at 8:52 pm
on Jul 16, 2018 at 8:52 pm
We should hold our block parties on streets with high rates of traffic crime (speeding, red light running, etc). If we hold block parties along the length of Middlefield Road, we could see first hand how friendly the city could become without all those scowflows ruining our residential streets.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jul 16, 2018 at 9:23 pm
on Jul 16, 2018 at 9:23 pm
Mr. Martin, where can one find the statistics you quote?
Thank you!
Professorville
on Jul 16, 2018 at 10:00 pm
on Jul 16, 2018 at 10:00 pm
> where can one find the statistics you quote?
The raw data for PA employee compensation can be found on the City's web-site.
Once acquired, one would then have to use some sort of a data processing tool, like a database, or Excel, to obtain the information posted above.
One might request this information from the City via the public records request interface on the City Clerk's web-page. Since this sort of data is probably not generally published as a "public record", the City might decline to do the data reduction, or offer to do it for a fee.
Southgate
on Jul 17, 2018 at 7:59 am
on Jul 17, 2018 at 7:59 am
>>> There have been rumors floating around for years that younger officers are not all that happy working in Palo Alto because it is a low crime city.
Geeze. One would think that working in a low-crime rate city would be appealing to a new recruit/transfer.
What's the deal? Are these younger officers craving more of a big city, adrenaline-raising, bullets flying sort of experience?
Suggestion: Apply to the Baltimore PD (or any inner-city police environment).
Old Palo Alto
on Jul 17, 2018 at 9:20 am
on Jul 17, 2018 at 9:20 am
Be realistic, the main reason that younger officers don't want to join PAPD is they will never be able to own a home here. That is a major disincentive to young people with young families or that plan to start a family.
Mayfield
on Jul 17, 2018 at 9:57 am
on Jul 17, 2018 at 9:57 am
QUOTE: Be realistic, the main reason that younger officers don't want to join PAPD is they will never be able to own a home here. That is a major disincentive to young people with young families or that plan to start a family.
Don't police officers working in Beverly Hills face the same problem/issue?
Still better than working in Compton.
Downtown North
on Jul 17, 2018 at 10:19 am
on Jul 17, 2018 at 10:19 am
Since it is zoned Public Facility, we should restrict the development of the lot at Page Mill and El Camino to public safety workers housing, (police and fire, and maybe teachers, and maybe an artist in residence).
As it stands, it is essentially a give-away to the developer.
Also, I've been saying since 2009 (election) that there could be a more seamless continuum from neighborhood watch to sworn officers, maybe by recruiting Palo Alto youth (from Paly, Gunn, Casti) to aspire to pubic safety here, and by having more subsidized housing for our sworn officers.
I'm missing Dennis Burns. Large boots to fill. Good luck (and thanks in advance) Chief Jonsen.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jul 17, 2018 at 11:01 am
on Jul 17, 2018 at 11:01 am
It has to be said, but many police officers (like teachers, firefighters) do not want to live in the jurisdiction in which they work. They do not like the idea of bumping into someone they have just had to give a warning or worse to while they pick up groceries or watch their child's soccer games. I am not saying they want to live an hour's commute, but for many they prefer to live outside the local environs of their work.
another community
on Jul 17, 2018 at 2:04 pm
on Jul 17, 2018 at 2:04 pm
I’m not sure how it is in the PAPD, but in PAFD, many firefighters treat the fire department as a “stepping stone” department. Which means they leave for other fire departments that have better pay and benefits. Also, there is more room for advancement with other fire departments.
Palo Alto Fire Department was once a very desirable department to have a career with. Not any more.