There was plenty of agreement this week that police in Concord, and elsewhere, are often cast into situations they aren’t rigorously trained for.
But during a special City Council meeting called to discuss local policing policies, there was no immediate consensus about how that should be remedied locally.
A number of callers agreed that police shouldn’t necessarily answer calls involving mental health issues and/or homelessness.
And while some praised a proposed police pilot program to team with mental health clinicians and county Coordinated Outreach Referral, Engagement (CORE) team staff trained to respond to such calls, several commenters said the change needs to go much further than that.
“There should be a re-imagining of our approach to public safety,” resident Laura Nakamura said. She and others told the council that public safety is more than police protection.
Andrea Rios added, “It is access to mental health, food security and racial justice.”
Concord Police Chief Mark Bustillos, who was sworn into his job
April 6, said his officers respond to many calls — often by default — that the police academy didn’t necessarily
prepare them for.
“The underfunding of mental health services … has landed in police departments’ laps,” Bustillos said. “It happens because we answer the phone.
“We’re going out on a lot of calls that are (only) tangentially law-enforcement-related,” Bustillos said.
Changes in the legal landscape, he said, have compromised officers’ ability to get some people off the street. Bustillos said he used to work narcotics cases in Santa Clara County, and that a drug addict’s fourth arrest would land them in a rehab program. Those days, Bustillos said, are over.
“We can tell them what to do all we want,” Bustillos said. “We don’t have the tools at all to lead them to the water.”
Vice Mayor Dominic Aliano said he supports Bustillos’ proposed pilot program; Bustillos said he hopes to get such a program going “sooner rather than later.”
Councilwoman Laura Hoffmeister said she doesn’t support any police “defunding,” the reallocation of some police funding to other uses including mental health and housing assistance. Instead, Hoffmeister called for more
officer training to handle this kind of call.
That was a minority viewpoint Wednesday night, when many callers said they favored measures that largely take police out of mental health, homelessness and substance abuse responses altogether.
Some supported police defunding; others suggested establishing a civilian police oversight body; and a few called for a more robust public outreach to all neighborhoods, especially those in which many people are
afraid to engage the police.
Mara Barton, in response to Bustillo’s observation that police typically engage with people “on their worst days,” called for more preemptive work.
“More should be put into resources that help people to have fewer bad days,” Barton said.
The size of Concord’s police force was also called into question.
In Concord, 185 of 382 total city employees — 48 percent — work in the Police Department. Police operations account for over 58 percent of the city’s $102.4 million general fund budget.
But the number of sworn officers per 1,000 residents has gone down; in 2000, the city had 162 sworn officers for a population of just over 120,000; in 2020, there are 140 sworn officers to protect a city of about
132,000 residents. That, Bustillos said, is about average staffing for the Bay Area.
Technology, Bustillos said, is helping the Concord Police Department do more with fewer officers.
Of the 3,222 arrests made by Concord officers in 2019, 148 included use of force by officers, Bustillos told the City Council. He also noted his department has banned both “no-knock” warrants and the use of the carotid restraint, restricting the flow of blood to the brain by compressing the sides of the neck.
But during a special City Council meeting called to discuss local policing policies, there was no immediate consensus about how that should be remedied locally.
so again the people you elected to run things are deferring back to you
as they sit around with their hands raised ….uhhh not in my pay grade
they run the police and make policy …..
it is their job to directly inflect the police as to our needs …correct
so why has the city council all of a sudden sat there stumpified on how to run the city ….if its to hot get out ….and take your socialist attitude with you
socialism is not working is it ….things are out of control and the people are pissed …so the council defers and deflects …like a good dem should do when they are wrong …..
next others suggested establishing a civilian police oversight body;
so a board and a council and a fake mayor ….that you democrats voted for …now want to spend more money and be a civilian oversight (wait for it )(the ultimate democrat word ) committee …yes …thats right …after 40 years of voting led us to instability and corruption ….you decide again that ….your choice is the best and YOU should oversee the overseers on the overseeing ……..hmmm where is the city manager we so eloquently pay for as well …..isnt part of managing directly adapting to changing needs of a city
poorest excuses i have seen of an attempt to fix something they all ready wrecked
yet again
and a few called for a more robust public outreach to all neighborhoods, especially those in which many people are
afraid to engage the police…..while i do believe this is the best way to start …yet as they reference neighborhoods less likely to talk to police ….we defer to the sanctuary policy of illegals ….they are not and will not talk to police …..now a social worker giving them free money and healthcare and place to live is where this needs to start ….oh hey thats what legal entry is for ….oh halleluiah an answer …..ohhh but wait we cant have people come here and want to work for a free america and just and lawful ….
NNNOOOOOO……we must have them illegal and under the teet of democrat rule …by the very social workers who are dems and pushing dem logic as to where their freebees are coming from …essentially enslaving them to democrat rule …..so when the dem politicians make their move and have the illegals vote they will be in compliance and vote only dem
so why a plan to bring the city closer and embrace a push forward to thrive …once again after the democrats destroyed the city and county
can only be done if the county pushes for those illegals to be legal and allow them freedom that democrats refuse to give them
this would allow a progressive approach to the decay of the county that pushes for filth and crime first ….then illegals ….then social interference…then some people …then dem agendas …then more dem agendas ….maybe a few more people ….then maybe roads and maintenance
for the city and county to move forward and gain the trust and backing of the whole populous they need to be more concerned for all …not politics or bowing to social pressure …or criminals ….or bums or scamming more fed money ..or pushing higher taxes
open the books and show us why you are spending where your spending ….make it a yearly post in january …..
that is if you will really show the real numbers …..as well as politicians and councils and boards tax returns ….and a federal background check and a special council of congress as well and wiretaps and no knock search warrants of dem elected officials
we the people might then have something to talk about and move forward
to prosper ….we the people want more jobs and lower taxes ….lets start there for you politicians and see where we end up …
strive for people to get better lives
strive for people to move up and get better jobs and skills
strive for a better maintained city and county
strive for togetherness and not separatists
strive for less PC and more freedoms through american culture and pride
strive to be better americans and want more for people around you so we can all rise together as free Americans ..
not just feeding politicians and funding their vacations and families lives
now also people some people are always complaining about police and fire budgets
little education time …..
police as a job especially now a days is not an easy job ….they dont wake up as the last minute race to work punch in and fake a friday
they deal with all the crap …..every day all the time ….id encourage you to do a ride along if they still do it or at least maybe have a sit down with some veterans and newbies and have them talk about their experiences …..then you tell them about your days at work …..you feel me here right
same with firefighters …..they are out the door when ever the bell rings …day night rain or shine …earthquakes……your stories ….what are you concerned about when an earthquake comes …..yep yourselves and family .they are on the job ….saving you if needed …..every day if needed
police and fire work hard and deal with way more than you and i will most likely never see if lucky
they are a unique bunch and should be cherished for their actions to help people their whole careers ….
you give lifetime benefits to a fake mayor
so give police and fire the respect they do deserve
as for the city and county …until you demand satisfaction from elected windbags ….all youll get is wind …..
never has the politically self achieving self only self political career self wealth movement been so vulnerable to the people
the politicians are scared and in a uncomfortable situation …….
this is the best time to put them back on track and helping all of us ….not just those who are democrats or under their umbrella
whatever happened to the notion of “the buck stops here” with politicians? They are elected and paid to make decisions…that’s what “leaders” should do – not form a committee and pass the buck and dilute or eliminate accountability/responsibility.
“socialism is not working is it ….things are out of control and the people are pissed.” – You
Um ya, we have corporate Capitalism here, not socialism lol
And that Capitalism is killing everything. Endless consumption, all for an Almighty profit that benefits only the very top of the food chain. While better paying jobs would be nice, we can’t nor should we all be, engineers or lawyers or doctors. Somebody has to sweep the floors and somebody has to flip the burgers. Or serve you dinner at a fancy restaurant. Or cook that dinner. Or serve you in a grocery store in the middle of a pandemic. Those jobs are essential and they should be paid accordingly.
No city needs people who have never arrested a drugged up person fighting arrest to make rules for what a police officer can do. That is absurd.
“There should be a re-imagining of our approach to public safety“
After seeing this quote I can see they all received the memo! Never thinking for themselves, just doing what their told.
“There was plenty of agreement this week that police in Concord, and elsewhere, are often cast into situations they aren’t rigorously trained for.”
Seems this is not a police fault, but the City of Concord’s and other towns liability for failure to train their Officers. What would lead us to believe the City would properly train and maintain the training of Non-Police Officer Types?
According to the State’s Police Training Commission: http://www.post.ca.gov
Officers are initially trained and certified in the areas of Crisis Intervention, Domestic Violence, People with Disabilities, Cultural Diversity;
AND… receive continuous training in: Autism , Behavioral Observation, Crisis Intervention, Cultural Diversity, Elder Abuse, Mental Illness, and much more or related things that people are saying the police should not handle.
Just food for thought.
CPD has always been one the most responsible and respected agencies when it comes to training and use of force reviews. I support them and hope that all officers continue to be safe. God bless
Blue Lives Matter!
I don’t think there’s anyone in local, state, or national government who is able to plan for the future. Honestly, how do these people manage their own lives? Everything is a knee-jerk, all-in, hair-on-fire reaction to the issue at hand. Nobody plans ahead for the “what-if’s”. It’s just wildly spending money – or cutting funding – or increasing funding…. depending on what’s trending in social media. A while ago, they were all going nuts about guns laws – gotta change the laws – gotta do it right now!!!! Wait, no drop that – we’re all frantic about families separated at the border. Gotta go there – gotta have a useless march about it, gotta do it now! No, no, stop, let’s all get frantic about climate change!!!!! Gotta change laws – gotta do it now! No, wait – there’s a pandemic!!! Forget what we said about plastic bags ruining the environment- let the stores pass them out again. Gotta spend million$ on supplies – gotta do it right now!!! No, stop, now we’re frantic about the police!!!! Gotta march, gotta whine, gotta change laws and spend money – right now!!!! Good lord. Can anyone just calmly think things through. Maybe hear from BOTH sides of the aisle? Maybe take into consideration the consequences of their actions? No – of course not. That’s asking way to much.
Spot on! 👍
@SF oh….and the Asian Murder Hornets are just sitting back and loving it, all the while they’re building in numbers!
Well said YoYohop
If there are any police officers or their family reading this post I want to tell you THANK YOU for your service.
Last year and the years before they were all crying for “MORE” Police around and in the schools!!!!! I say keep all the Police and their “military” hardware it will come in handy someday, wait and see………….
Here is a suggestion:
All City Council members, as well as any/all activists calling for police defunding should be required to do not one, but two or three ride alongs with Concord PD.
Let them witness the day to day CPD interactions with the meth-heads on bikes and the gang bangers in the corridor, and the various trashing domestic abusers.
Next, have them explain how their suggested changes (like defunding the police) will improve local policing/the condition for us tax paying citizens.
If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it!
Very disappointed no stats on success/failure rates provided. Nothing on the violent or property crime rates, no info on numbers of crimes solved or suspects caught. No code enforcement stats. How can we assess if the large percentage of the budget the police department receives is being used effectively if no outcomes are provided?
Is this the same Hope Johnson that unsuccessfully ran for the San Francisco board of supervisors in 2012 and then unsuccessfully ran for the Concord City Council?
Please take the anti-American Marxist politics you’re peddling elsewhere. No one is interested here.
@ kilo – Yeah, why would you want to elect anyone who wants to account for where your tax dollars are going and make the best use of taxes collected? Especially when your city and county are about to ask for more? So socialist.
Thank you, Hope, for your continual effort in keeping us locals informed.
“…and make the best use of taxes collected?”
Perhaps the key to finally winning an election will be communicating to voters what makes you uniquely qualified to do so.
@kilo what have you ever ran for? How utterly disgusting to attack her like that! Unlike you I’m sure others would appreciate transparency!