Full Notification

Dear Community Members,
 
The men and women of the Petaluma Police Department are committed to doing our very best to keep our community safe.  We are proud of our 160-year history of working with our community to provide professional police services, resulting in a city where people feel safe to live, work and play.  We have embraced community policing since the 1940’s because a model based on collaboration and trust is the right way to police a community,
In 1829, Sir Robert Peel of the London Metropolitan Police, considered the founder of community policing, said “the duty of the police is to maintain at all times a relationship with the public… the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.” This understanding of community policing is more important today than ever before.   
In 1998, when the population of Petaluma was 47,000 we had sixty-six (66) officers, including supervisors, commanders and the chief. Our current staffing model requires a minimum of thirty (30) officers in patrol for 24/7 coverage.  The remaining officers are assigned to specialty positions, supervision and management.  The economic downtown in 2008 and 2009 reduced staffing to a low of sixty-two (62) authorized officers.
Like other Petaluma city departments, we are struggling to provide the services our community deserves.  We are currently facing a staffing shortage of fifteen (15) police officers due to injuries and lack of competitive wages to recruit and retain peace officers.  The fifteen vacancies projected for October 1, 2018 will be half of our patrol force.  As many as four (4) officers are leaving Petaluma to work for a neighboring agency offering better pay and hiring incentives.  The only officers remaining to fill those vacancies will come from specialized assignments, such as the Auto Theft Task Force, DEA Task Force, Computer Crimes Task Force, Traffic, Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST), and School Resource Officers. Additional staff, including dispatchers and community service officers, also work at or below minimum levels. 
The City’s General Plan, adopted in 2008, guides city planning through 2025. It calls for the city to maintain the police staffing level at 1.3 officers per 1000 residents or seventy seven (77) officers. The national average is 1.7 and the California average is 1.4. Our current staffing level is 1.06 officers per 1000 residents.  Our calls for service and our response times have continued to increase every year.  This increase, handled by a reduced staff results in a lowered capacity to proactively patrol the city to prevent crime, apprehend criminals, or engage in community policing activities.
 
In order to provide a timely response to pressing public safety demands, we need to reduce, eliminate or redirect less urgent services. This requires the following changes in our service delivery model.
 
We no longer respond to or investigate non-injury collisions where vehicles are safely out of the roadway and involved drivers have exchanged information.  A form is available for download from our website to assist with the exchange of needed information for the insurance companies to investigate.
 
We no longer respond to misdemeanor thefts with no identifiable evidence or suspect leads.  Reports of this nature can still be made on-line from a home computer or smartphone at   http://www.cityofpetaluma.net/police/crimereport.html. Computer access is also available in the lobby of the Police Department.
 
We are no longer able to perform vacation checks. Information and resources regarding home security and crime prevention is available on our website.   
 
Correctable citations issued by a police officer will only be signed off at the Police Department on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 10:00AM and 12:00PM.
 
Five vacancies in patrol will be filled by officers reassigned from the Auto Theft Task Force, HOST, Traffic, and DEA. Future vacancies in patrol will be staffed by officers reassigned from specialized positions including Computer Crimes and School Resource Officers. These changes will affect our ability to provide services in these areas but must remain in effect until new officers can be hired and trained.
 
The above service reductions were difficult but necessary.  I ask for your patience and understanding if you call on us for service. We remain committed to serving and protecting our community to the best of our ability with the resources we have. 
 
We realize that the long-term solution to police staffing issues involves adequate funding. You can help by staying connected with us for important news and information from the Department and by being aware of community developments. As always, we ask that you take common sense precautions to avoid becoming a victim of criminal activity.
 
 
Respectfully,

Ken Savano
Police Chief

Attachment:    Petaluma Police Department Population/Staffing Levels 1986-2018