SMPD reaches out to the populace
MAIN LIBRARY Starting Sunday, residents should notice a difference in the way police officers patrol their neighborhoods.
Under a law enforcement philosophy that is gathering momentum across the U.S., officers will be provided more time to be proactive in their patrols and interact with the community so that every resident “knows a face and a name,” said SMPD Lt. Pasquale J. Guido, an executive officer in the office of operations, which is responsible for maintaining a 24-hour-aday patrol throughout the city.
Abandoning the Neighborhood Policing concept that was widely criticized by both residents and sworn personnel, the Santa Monica Police Department is now embracing the Community Oriented Policing model, which gives officers on the streets more responsibility and accountability, but also more time to engage the community, building stronger relationships in an effort to reduce crime and improve quality of life.
No longer will officers be assigned daily to different areas of the city, or beats.
Instead, officers will work one beat for at least six months at a time, allowing them to become familiar with their neighborhoods and the residents, business owners and employees who are there on a regular basis and are more able to inform officers of trends they see.
The beach will also have its own beat, meaning officers will be assigned there on a permanent basis providing extra security, Guido said.
Also, specialized units, such as the bike patrol on the Third Street Promenade, will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that officers patrolling other beats will not have to be pulled away from their neighborhoods to fill in the gaps when the specialized units are off duty. That should help keep response times low and ensure that there is sufficient coverage in all areas of the city, including the east side, police said.
Customer service training will also be a key factor in the new policing strategy, which was developed over the last eight months by officers and community stakeholders at the direction of SMPD Chief Timothy Jackman.
“It’s a sound plan that we think is going to work and be around for a long time,” Guido said.
Neighborhood Centered Policing, introduced under former Chief James T. Butts, made it so that lieutenants in the department were assigned a specific beat and became the face of the SMPD for that beat. Residents or business owners were instructed to contact their lieutenants and inform them of issues happening in their community.
The problem with the model is that it never evolved, Guido said.
Residents also complained that while they knew their lieutenants, they did not know the officers who were the first to arrive on scene when a crime occurred. This led to a lack of communication and a disconnect, especially given that officers could be assigned to a different beat each day.
Now, officers will be assigned to beats longer and be held more accountable for their beats. The plan is to decentralize decision-making and ensure that “every officer is responsible for every square inch of the city,” Guido said.
To be effective, the community must get involved, police said. Community Policing is only successful if the partnerships between the community and the police department are healthy and vibrant. This means residents, schools, churches, businesses, community-based organizations and government agencies.
Guido told those who attended a Thursday night briefing at the Main Library that he and other officers are eager to share the concept with as many neighborhood groups or business organizations as possible so that people can better understand the Community Oriented Policing model.
“We want to be more collaborative with the community, be more personal,” Guido said. “We want to be flexible. Nothing is set in stone. If something does-n’t work, we can change it.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 27, 2007. Read the original PDF.