Full Notification

As your Police Chief, and on behalf of the City of Petaluma, I want to reinforce the commitment and dedication of all city employees who serve you to make sure Petaluma is a safe place to live, work and play.  While our living, working, and playing has been significantly impacted by COVID19, we continue to deliver essential public safety services and with your help we are stopping this disease from spreading.
 
We want to congratulate you and our community for following the health officer orders and for doing what you can to prevent the spread.  As a member of the city leadership team, I speak for all of us when I say we are extremely proud of how kind and generous Petalumans have been looking out for us and each other, especially our most vulnerable and at-risk populations. 
 
Your support for city staff has remained strong and ever present and is encouraging for my staff out on the street or working from the station.  Many of you have dropped donations and food off at the station.  My staff and I would like to sincerely thank you. 
 
We would also like to encourage anyone who may want to do the same to respectfully consider doing something different to honor the officers, dispatchers, and professional staff that keep our community safe.  We recognize many in our community are struggling to make ends meet and have a much greater need for food, shelter or other basic services.  If you feel the need to support public safety, my staff and I would be honored if you would please consider showing your support to a local service provider like Petaluma People Services in our name.  There are many great organizations in our community and we encourage you to find one that aligns with those in need here in Petaluma. 
 
With respect to the new face covering orders, everyone should know by now the reason for this order is stop each of us from spreading COVID19 should we have it and not know it.  Dr. Mase, our County Health Officer, has thoughtfully constructed this order to meet the intent of experienced and well-trained health professionals from around the world.  They know face covering mitigation works and I expect everyone to follow the order when you leave your home to engage in essential activities.  As a reminder, facial coverings should not be placed on children under age 2 or on anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.  Our officers are busy keeping the city safe and delivering essential services, so I respectfully ask that you do not put them in a position to have to take enforcement action. 
 
I also want to remind our essential business community that you have absolutely every right to expect community members to be wearing a face covering if they want to enter your premises.  You have the authority, and in this case the public health responsibility to yourself, your employees, and your customers to respectfully decline service to anyone not complying with the face covering order.  My staff and I will support your decision and we will use enforcement options with anyone in disagreement or causing a disturbance over this issue.
 
For more information about the new face covering orders visit the Sonoma County Emergency Management website at https://socoemergency.org/order-of-the-health-officer-facial-coverings/ or call 211.
 
Thank you Petaluma!  I remain humbled and grateful for the compliance and support you have shown my staff and Dr. Mase as we continue to stop the spread of COVID19!
 
Respectfully,
Ken Savano
Chief of Police
Petaluma Police Department