Pacifica Tribune Letters to the Editor, 8/20/13. "Grand Jury report" by Bob Hutchinson
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| "Well you can always move", take a trail |
| Police solution to our "serious incident" |
"The investigation revealed that monetary savings have been significant in each city without any reduction in services." "Millbrae city officials indicate a 17% drop in crime and a 37- second decrease in response time since contracting with the sheriff.""The cities report an increase in the professionalism of their police services without changes in response times or crime frequency."
"The Millbrae City Council indicated contracting with the SO (sheriff) has helped the City deal with its finances realistically, while maintaining a viable, effective law enforcement presence. We realized $500,000 in savings. The public is very happy. I hear this at meetings I attend. Complaints have dropped substantially." "All interviewed parties agree they have received positive feedback from their current and former personnel and from the public at large."
| Bye bye... try Millbrae |
| Police officer message to us |
The entire report has nothing but positive outcomes resulting from these three cities outsourcing their PD to the sheriff. The sheriff has more resourses and better training. Yet our officials resist, stall and evade. Our police don't seem to be able to shut down drug houses which are in every area of town. We have had one in our neighborhood for years. Despite numerous calls about dealing Pacifica Police can do little. In fact this week after a serious incident an officer told myself and two other neighbors "well you can always move." You can read the whole San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report here. Or search on Google.
Note photographs and graphics: Trail, Beta Pro/Con Lists. Going away party, Zazzle Moving away Invitation. Sorry to see you go, Zazzle Moving Away Cards. House moving, Sodahead.
Submitted by Bob Hutchinson, with permission to post the entire Letter to the Editor text.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
9 comments:
They tell me the reason outsourcing doesn't make sense in our little hamlet monitarily is because unlike the other cities we have stupidly taken out a 20 million dollar bond to pay CALPERS. The other cities get their current pension payments taken over. I say that should not be factored in. We're going to have to pay that bond back either way and the sheriff would still be paying our current pension payments too.
I think that's a convenient excuse from local politicians who just don't want the uproar this much-needed change would create. Carve out the bond. They'll be another one to deal with in 2016 and lots of cities will be hit hard. There are only so many seats in the Sheriff's Department lifeboat. We're not the only city to find ourselves in this situation, but we may soon be the only one in San Mateo County without this option.
Hutch
The 20 million was to refill the bucket. In 2016 they will owe another 25% to 50% increase.
I don't think they sold all of the 20 million in bonds yet.
No the Sheriff would start at one side of town and clean up the place. I wish the sheriff would come into town. More detectives, more money, access to the crime lab, The FBI on speed dial.
We all know where the meth houses are and the pot dealers, go bust them all.
Plus we have 400 people with warrants in Pacifica and hardly ever can the PD serve them, go out and arrest them and get them off the streets. Granted most are for traffic tickets but I am sure some are for Felony's.
The savings by going county was that -- at the time -- we had a police pension obligation that would have been fulfilled in 5 years. Had the Sherriff taken over, they would have assumed that obligation. With each passing year we lose a year's worth of police pension obligation savings.
The catch always was that, after five years, we would be on the hook for whatever the Sherriff's pension obligations might be going forward, and that was/is a big unknown.
This is all my understanding based upon the outsourcing analyst presentation.
I refuse to believe that the people who run Millbrae and San Carlos are less intelligent, careful or committed than those running Pacifica. Refuse. Our city management and council shortcomings are chronic and public knowledge throughout the county and beyond. Police outsourcing has worked well in San Carlos, Millbrae and elsewhere. Find a way to make it work here, or, wait til Pacifica collapses and we end up with state mandated law enforcement through the county.
I have been a resident for about 30 yrs and lets face it if you are a victim of a crime the last thing you want is the PPD investigating it . The only time they are able to make a move that impacts this city positively is when they pull in out side agencies or if they are are being watched by them. We all see it everyday PPD supposed to be patrolling the streets but instead cars are parked outside family members or friends houses, must be nice to get paid while visiting with you dad LOLThey love their Starbucks too. When you really need help they are not helpful at all. But don't go above 25 down LM boulevard cause there will be a cop hiding behind the cal Trans fence to catch you, if your heading west I suggest you fight the ticket because at that angle it is considered entrapment :) what about that obese police officer we have, really think he passed his physical? Nope know him he and is on the force because of who his dad is. Pacifica is a corrupt little town that needs some big changes and one is getting a local law enforcement agency that can tackle our cities drug problem and not just drain our funding with little to no results. If you are tired of watching people get paid to do basically nothing and you're fustrated about the lack of police productivity I say "we'll Pacifica get out and vote!"
"Police outsourcing has worked well in San Carlos, Millbrae and elsewhere."
If police outsourcing was always so great, then every city in the county would be rushing to do it.
Conditions in San Carlos and Millbrae don't necessarily reflect conditions in Pacifica.
Millbrae probably has alot less crime then Pacifica.
San Carlos has a rowdy section around El Camino.
Millbrae is pretty quiet except for the DUI drivers on El Camino.
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