Full Notification

The Novato Police Department and San Rafael Police Department are proposing to join forces to create a shared Crisis Response Unit. The Crisis Response Unit is comprised of officers and supervisors specially trained in tactics and crisis negotiations.
 
As part of an ongoing effort to provide the highest level of service to their communities and to regionally share services, Novato Police Chief Adam McGill and San Rafael Police Chief Diana Bishop have worked to combine their department’s long established Crisis Negotiations and Special Weapons and Tactics teams to form the county’s first regional Crisis Response Unit. The team will be named the San Rafael-Novato Regional Crisis Response Unit and serve both cities.
 
Crisis Response Units have been established to provide support to field personnel during events where specialized tactics and the negotiation skills required exceed the capability of patrol officers. These events usually involve violent individuals who pose a threat to the safety of the officers and the community. The ability to deploy highly trained individuals with specialized resources significantly increases the probability of a safe and peaceful resolution to these critical incidents. Additional benefits of the merger include a reduction of overtime and equipment expenses, improved levels of training, and reduced staffing as both cities will provide fewer team members than currently individually authorized. Sharing costs and expertise will greatly benefit both cities.
 
Novato and San Rafael are fortunate that the services of a Crisis Response Unit are rarely needed, however, it is imperative that both agencies be as prepared as possible to respond to such events.
 
The San Rafael and Novato City Councils are scheduled to consider the proposal at their regularly scheduled meetings on November 20, 2017 (San Rafael) and November 28, 2017 (Novato). If approved by both Councils, the Crisis Response Unit will officially become active on January 1, 2018.

For inquiries, please contact Novato Police Captain Jim Correa or Lieutenant Mike Howard at 415-897-4361.