CCMIN 09072021 - Laserfiche WebLink

In response to Councilmember Balch, Chief Swing reported there are three sworn personnel vacancies and the minimum number of staff is five plus one supervisor. He advised there are still vacations, training, and other obligations that may require overtime. He explained that officers generally patrol alone but can partner under unique circumstances. He advised if a police officer requests emergency assistance there will likely be an officer there in under 60 seconds. In response to Councilmember Balch, City Manager Fialho reported the City treats its operations holistically and does its best with the funding available. PPD's staffing complement has ebbed and flowed with recessions and the pandemic. He advised if Chief Swing needs resources there is a way to address that as part of the normal budgetary process. In response to Councilmember Balch, Chief Swing reported PPD tries to hire officers that are best suited for the position with critical thinking skills and ability to use sound judgments and reasoning. The City has a tuition reimbursement program and many officers pursue associate, bachelor, and master's degrees. He advised PPD attracts quality officers, dispatchers, and teammates that generally stay. He reported suicide is the leading cause of death in public safety including law enforcement. The City Council has made investments in PPD training to have a very strong and well-trained peer support team as well as a therapist on retainer for officers that that may need support beyond their peer group. In response to Councilmember Balch, Chief Swing explained the law requires police departments to have policies in place to address the tracking and retention of citizen complaints. There is a multi -step process to ensure that complaints received are accurately recorded, investigated, adjudicated, and the complainant party is notified of the outcome of their complaint. Chief Swing clarified the complaining party receives a copy of their complaint with an acknowledgment it has been received and upon completion, receives a second letter with the findings. In response to Councilmember Balch, Chief Swing acknowledged catalytic converter theft is a perplexing crime trending throughout the region, state, and nation. PPD has conducted public outreach to inform the community about the rise in catalytic converter theft and recommended strategies to residents. In response to Councilmember Arkin, Chief Swing explained a taser is an example of an energized weapon and a non -energized weapon system would be a projectile fired from either a soft baton or an FN 303 which is a type of a tool used to fire a projectile through compressed air. He confirmed he can provide groupings for specific policy violations that were investigated from 2017 to 2021 to the City Council. He advised he will work with the City Attorney's Office to determine if non -identifying information regarding officers with multiple violations can be released to the City Council and will address it in the March report. In response to Mayor Brown, Chief Swing reported the majority of investigations are performed internally by either the Professional Standards Sergeant or a Sergeant within the PPD or a person of a higher rank. City Manager Fialho explained complaints can be generated internally by officers because they observe a policy violation that is investigated by the supervisor or externally by members of the public who complain about an interaction with an officer. In response to Mayor Brown, Chief Swing confirmed people are coming into Pleasanton with firearms. He advised Livermore and Dublin are exploring crisis response programs and he has been in conversation with their respective police leadership to see if there is an opportunity for collaboration. Mayor Brown opened public comment City Council Minutes Page 9 of 16 September 7, 2021