814 Valle Vista Ave. Vallejo, CA August 25, 2013

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1 814 Valle Vista Ave. Vallejo, CA August 25, 2013 Osby Davis, Mayor Stephanie Gomes, Vice Mayor Hermie R. Sunga, Councilmember Marti Brown, Councilmember Bob Sampayan, Councilmember Jesus "Jess" Malgapo, Councilmember Robert H. McConnell, Councilmember Vallejo City Hall 505 Santa Clara Street Vallejo, CA Dear Mayor Davis and City Council Members: I am a retired resident of Vallejo who has lived here about 10 years. Prior to retiring, I worked in a management capacity for the City of San Francisco. Over the decades I have had numerous opportunities to work with the police in my professional capacities, including a number of years on the Mayor s Criminal Justice Council in San Francisco. I hope you will view this letter as a small gift to the City and my neighbors as it is meant to perhaps improve things in a City with many favorable aspects and a fantastic potential. This letter and the attached analysis are about crime and police services in Vallejo. I am writing it after an increasing number of burglaries in the neighborhood where I live. The most recent incident involved me personally responding to a neighbor s burglar alarm and confronting the thieves outside his house with my neighbor s computer and other belongings in hand. Another neighbor unsuccessfully chased these two male intruders down the street and through back yards. In spite of several 911 calls, a single police officer responded at near midnight, 8 hours after the burglary in progress was initially reported. I am concerned because incidents like this inappropriately put unarmed residents in danger and actually serve to embolden criminals (by the lack of police response). A similar incident occurred in our block last year and the Police responded 10 hours after the call. In both instances, no fingerprints were taken by the Police. Some people in my neighborhood are voting with their feet and leaving Vallejo. If things continue along the present course, I may not be far behind them. I have spent quite a bit of time recently digging through City Council meetings, City budgets, staff reports, articles, data bases, and the like in an effort to determine the underlying problem resulting in incidents where the police are unable to respond in a timely manner to burglaries in progress and other crimes. In spite of recent efforts and high quality personnel, Vallejo has a very serious and long-standing crime problem (especially burglaries) and I cannot find a comprehensive, measured, strategic, and timeline-specific plan to effectively address crime and police funding and practices in Vallejo. I am hoping that such a plan might be developed (including increased funding and expedited hiring) to reverse the crime situation in Vallejo, redirecting funds to basic public safety services. The December 2012 report from Police Chief Kreins includes many of the components of such a plan but states his intent to return to the City Council in the next few months to provide an outline of a two year strategic plan that will specifically address the issue of needed additional staffing with the Vallejo Police Department. The burglary rate does not appear to be a priority in his December report. I cannot locate the referenced new two year plan in City Council minutes for the last 9 months. I have to wonder why such a plan is coming after so many months, and indeed years, of inadequate police coverage?

August 2013 Letter to Vallejo Mayor & City Council re. Crime and Police Page 2 I want to note that the individual police officers with whom I have had interactions have been exemplary.

2 August 2013 Letter to Vallejo Mayor & City Council re. Crime and Police Page 2 I want to note that the individual police officers with whom I have had interactions have been exemplary. I have no reason to believe that most individual Vallejo Police Officers are not very conscientious and diligent about their work. Page 1 of the following analysis is a summary of major points. It is followed by a more comprehensive description of my personal findings and what actions might help the situation. The last section contains notes, data sources, and other materials from public documents. Thank you for this opportunity to communicate with you. I sincerely hope that this analysis will be helpful in some small way. Please feel free to contact me at the above address, by (Russzellers@sbcglobal.net), or by phone [(707) ] if the need arises or should you have questions. Respectfully, Russell Zellers, MSW, MPA cc: Joseph Kreins, Police Chief Daniel E. Keen, City Manager Joanne Schivley, Past Chair, Ad Hoc Citizens Public Safety Advisory Committee VV Neighborhood Watch Vista Neighborhood Association Vallejo Gay Network Nextdoor.com for Grant Mahoney Park + Nearby Neighborhoods Times Herald Vallejo Independent Bulletin

3 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS RELATED TO VALLEJO CRIME AND POLICE SERVICES By Russell Zellers, MSW, MPA MAJOR POINTS 1. Crime in Vallejo, particularly burglaries, is a very serious problem. Crime in Vallejo is almost twice the US average (violent crime is 54% higher and property crime is 147% higher). Since 2000, burglaries in Vallejo have increased by 116%. 2. Given the extreme crime problem here and similarity to Richmond with regard to population size and crime rate, Vallejo should have a much larger number of officers on the City streets. This is consistent with the findings of the 2011 POST study, concluding that the service workload for the Vallejo Police Department is heavy, as demonstrated by the very high number (84) of understaffed time periods. 3. Some of the City budget priorities seem inappropriate to me (like subsidizing the golf course, marina, new parking garage, and the $3.2 Participatory Budgeting initiative) given the critical situation with the police services. 4. Current and retired police in Vallejo are highly compensated given the modest revenue base for the City. The retirement benefits are extremely generous. The average salary with benefits for the Police Officer classification in the FY budget is $241, While the recent Ad Hoc Citizens Public Safety Advisory Committee Final Report contains some good recommendation, the original charge by the City Council was too narrow. 6. Despite the fact that Police Department represents a huge annual City expenditure ($40 Million), there appears to be no comprehensive City plan with measurable objectives, specific and time-limited steps, and identified resources. A strategic, collaborative plan needs to be developed by the Police Department, other City officials, and City Council members for reducing crime in Vallejo and adding significantly more police personnel in an expedited manner. 7. The CA Early Prisoner Release Program may result in increased crime in Vallejo. 8. The Police Department should be asked to develop and routinely report on specific objectives and performance indicators, including personnel hiring updates and trends with regard to specific types of crime.

4 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS RELATED TO VALLEJO CRIME AND POLICE SERVICES By Russell Zellers, MSW, MPA COMPLETE ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS Vallejo desperately needs to reverse its high crime rate in order to retain current residents and attract new businesses and middle and high income residents. Hiring a few more police officers will not do the trick. A major shift in funding strategies and levels is needed for long-term City viability. What follows is an analysis of current crime rates, levels of police staffing and funding, and the decisions and actions of Vallejo s administrators and committees. Source documentation and data used in the analysis are included at the end of this section. Crime in Vallejo, particularly burglaries, is a very serious problem. Crime in Vallejo is almost twice the US average (violent crime is 54% higher and property crime is 147% higher). Overall crime in California has leveled off to a low level during the past 12 years (compared to the prior 12 years). Like California as a whole, overall crime in Vallejo has decreased since 2000 (8% decrease in rate for Vallejo). However, burglaries in California as a whole have gone up only 3.5% since 2000; burglaries in Vallejo have increased by 116%. When you compare Vallejo to Richmond, the areas are similar in population size. In 2011, Vallejo had 50% more burglaries than Richmond but had 53% fewer police officers on the streets. The overall crime rate for Vallejo has recently been 95% that of Richmond, although Richmond has 15% more violent crime. Richmond has a significantly larger revenue base (56% more revenue) and they therefore spend 86% more than Vallejo on police services. Richmond spends 23% of all its revenue on police; Vallejo spends 20%. Given the extreme crime problem here and similarity to Richmond, I believe that Vallejo should have a much larger number of officers on the City streets. Vallejo appears to have too few police officers for a community with such a high crime rate. This is consistent with the findings of the 2011 POST study, concluding that the service workload for the Vallejo Police Department is heavy, as demonstrated by the very high number (84) of understaffed time periods. The Police Chief notes that, Although the POST Study only focused on patrol staffing and calls for service demand, it is important to recognize that the department is significantly understaffed in many other critical areas. Lack of police officers endangers the safety and lives of officers themselves. The number of officers is scheduled to increase to 110 by next year but this, in my opinion, is still very inadequate. There were 117 full-time law enforcement employees in 2011 (91 officers) or.78 officers per 1,000 residents. For California as a whole, there was an average of 2.40 officers per 1,000 residents. The peak of Police Department sworn personnel staffing was 158 prior to the City bankruptcy. Even in the best of economic times, it would take years to approach this number again give the problems of hiring and orienting qualified personnel, officers on disability leave, retirements, and other projected vacancies. Vallejo must aggressively recruit and hire a significant number of new police personnel now. Some of the City budget priorities seem inappropriate to me (like subsidizing the golf course, marina, new parking garage, and the $3.2 Participatory Budgeting initiative) given the critical situation with the police services. Current and retired police in Vallejo are highly compensated given the modest revenue base for the City. The retirement benefits are extremely generous. The average salary with benefits for the Police Officer classification in the FY budget is $241,621. (This average does not include acting, differential, and standby pays but does include overtime.) The benefit rate for this classification, with employer-paid retirement, is 127% of salary. In fairness, generous pay does ensure the ability to attract and retain high quality police personnel and police in high crime areas should be compensated more than those working in lower crime areas. The yearly pay of Vallejo police has increased by 6.37% for the two years 2010/11 and 2011/12. According to the City Budget, for FY compared to FY , the total City-paid contribution rate for police and fire safety employees will increase by approximately 6% and the rate for all other employees will increase by 3%. This will result in projected City-paid contribution rates for safety employees and other employees of 48.1 % and 28.6% respectively. I cannot find evidence of implementation of the Ad Hoc Citizens group recommendation to, Reduce police officers' total compensation package to be commensurate with cuts taken by other employee groups. One online analysis by a citizen states, Vallejo wages have remained highly competitive in relation to the comparison cities and other departments statewide. While other cities

5 (including comparison cities) have seen wages decline through wage freezes, furlough days, increased retirement and medical contributions contract provisions prevent Vallejo wages from doing so. City governance of police services seems to be somewhat improving. The City should be commended for increasing the expenditures from all sources for the Police Department over the past 5 fiscal years. Budgeted funds have increased from 16.4% in to 20% in , notably due to Measure B funding. The City should be commended by developing a citizens task force on police and fire. Additionally, the City should be commended for the addition of 5 new police officers from Measure B funds. There is also a strong public-relations campaign currently taking place (open houses, attendance at neighborhood meetings, etc.). However, despite the fact that Police Department represents a huge annual City expenditure ($40 Million), there is no current strategic plan for providing additional staffing within the Vallejo Police Department (beyond the 5 Measure B positions). In Vallejo, there is no separate Police Commission and Citizens Review Board with oversight for the Police Department (although there is a Public Safety Committee of the City Council and the recent Ad Hoc Committee does recommend the development of a Police Advisory Review Board ). Police salaries appear to have been routinely increased by the City while reductions in the number of officers were taking place. While the recent Ad Hoc Citizens Public Safety Advisory Committee Final Report contains some good recommendation, the original charge by the City Council was very narrow. Many of the recommendations are apparently being implemented. However, the Ad Hoc report recommends an advisory board for police oversight rather than a body with real authority. At least one of the recommendations adds insult to injury for residents who have been victims of crime in Vallejo: begin charging for crime reports. I am unable to locate a comprehensive City plan (requiring regular updates) for addressing the reduction of crime in Vallejo, with measurable objectives, specific and time-limited steps, and identified resources. I cannot locate a plan that addresses the need for significantly more police officers in Vallejo. There needs to be an analysis as to why the crime rate is so disproportionately high in Vallejo and what can be done to address underlying causes. It would be helpful for a comprehensive plan to include background information on Vallejo crime in context of similar California cities and the US as a whole. This is a plan that likely needs the involvement not only of the Police Chief but other City officials and the City Council as well. Other than Measure B (a one percent sales tax to enhance City of Vallejo services passed by voters in Nov. 2011), there appears to have been limited big picture thinking at the City level about police funding. About 10% of Measure B funds are being spent to hire additional police officers while 30% was allocated to Participatory Budgeting (which has resulted in additional pothole repairs, new street lights, improvements in parks and recreation, school libraries, additional street cleaning, etc.) Only 5% was allocated to Economic Development which is undoubtedly a root cause of the crime and lack of funding for police services in Vallejo. Some $250,000 was allocated for improvements to the JFK Library. Although it would be unwise to commit all Measure B funds to ongoing projects, ten years of available funding does not require a one time only strategy for meeting critical, public safety needs. That is plenty of time to locate replacement funds if there is a realistic and solid plan in place, especially for economic development. While Participatory Budgeting is an innovative and dynamic concept, for a City like Vallejo, it seems like shopping for a new dishwasher while the house is on fire. The City needs to advocate for other funding streams. Is the Mayor or City Manager working with other City Mayors and the California Governor to garner special funding for high impact crime jurisdictions in CA? It should be noted, however, that Vallejo has implemented some seemingly outstanding programs, such as the Cadet Program and Volunteer Program. It is exciting to see that outside grant support has been obtained for a number of police projects. Of major concern to me is the CA Early Prisoner Release Program that will hit Vallejo shortly. What are the restrictions and criteria for this program? Are these prisoners originally from Vallejo or is this a geographical redistribution of prisoners from other parts of the State to Vallejo? In my view, the Police Department should be asked to develop and routinely report on specific objectives and performance indicators, including personnel hiring updates and trends with regard to specific types of crime. Many excellent indicators are contained in Police Chief Kreins December 2012 report to the City Council

6 but some are not specific (like burglary and other crime trends) and they are scattered throughout a long document, making them difficult to find and compare to prior periods. A one-page summary presentation of progress toward objectives and performance indicators might be useful. It might also be helpful if the Department were to report out monthly crime statistics and trends by area and the information made available to City officials and to the public. Currently, citizens are directed to a national map/database that shows crimes over the past 30 days by area in Vallejo but there is no trend analysis or way to print out the specific data elements. The national database is incomplete for Vallejo. Data on prior time periods seems to not be available. If accurate, the FBI database is currently the best source of data but it is consistently dated.

AGENDA VALLEJO CITY COUNCIL & VALLEJO HOUSING AUTHORITY JOINT SPECIAL MEETING 6:00 P.M. VALLEJO CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING 7:00 P.M.

John F. Kennedy Library The Vallejo Room, Lower Level 505 Santa Clara Street Vallejo, CA 94590 www.cityofvallejo.net AGENDA VALLEJO CITY COUNCIL & VALLEJO HOUSING AUTHORITY JOINT SPECIAL MEETING 6:00 P.M.