San Diego County Sheriff`s Department San Marcos Station
Transcription
San Diego County Sheriff`s Department San Marcos Station
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department San Marcos Station ANNUAL REPORT Growing with our Community 2007 Sheriff’s San Marcos Station Profile 2007 The Sheriff’s San Marcos Station provides law enforcement and traffic enforcement services to the City of San Marcos and law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas around San Marcos and Escondido. Total service area of 105.03 square miles 31.19 sq. miles – City of San Marcos 73.84 sq. miles – unincorporated areas Service Area Population of 111,412 79,812 - City of San Marcos 31,875 - unincorporated areas Station Staffing 97 – Sworn Personnel 8 – Professional Staff 60 – Volunteers 7 -- Reserves Calls for Service 2007 – 28,716 2006 – 28,383 2005 – 27,760 2004 – 27,210 2007 Crime Rates FBI Index Crimes per 1000 Residents 24.5 – City of San Marcos 11.2 – Unincorporated areas Violent Crimes per 1000 Residents 3.6 – City of San Marcos 1.3 – Unincorporated areas TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page Introduction from Captain Crist……………….……… 4 Staffing Overview and Contract Compliance…..……… 6 Calls for Service…………………………………………. 13 Response Times…………………………………………. 15 Crime Analysis……………………………………………. 16 Investigations……………………………………………… 20 School Resource Officer Program……………………… 22 Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving…. 23 Street Narcotics / Gang Detail……………………………. 25 Traffic………………………………………………………. 27 Professional Staff…………………………………………. 33 Crime Prevention…………………………………………. 34 Volunteers…………………………………………………. 36 Administrative Indices……………………………………. 39 The primary sources for information utilized in this report were the Sheriff’s Crime Analysis Unit, ARJIS, SanDAG, the City of San Marcos, and CSUSM and Palomar College websites. INTRODUCTION FROM CAPTAIN CRIST We are pleased to report that 2007 has been a great year for the Sheriff’s San Marcos Station and the citizens served by its staff. We continue to receive tremendous support from the City of San Marcos and to enjoy an excellent relationship with the city’s citizens and those living in the surrounding unincorporated areas of San Marcos, Escondido, Deer Springs, Hidden Meadows, Jesmond Dene, San Pasqual, Elfin Forest, Harmony Grove, Del Dios, and Lake Hodges, as well as other nearby areas outside of the city limits. The volunteers, professional staff, and deputies from the Sheriff’s San Marcos Station provide law enforcement services to over 100,000 people who live in and around lakes, rivers, open space preserves, agriculture, farming, suburban, and business communities; all spread over the 100 square miles that makes up our area of responsibility. As you read through this report, you will see that our personnel have worked hard to make San Marcos and the surrounding communities some of the safest places to live with one of the most consistently low crime rates in the county, year after year. Although the largest part of our station’s law enforcement service is devoted to policing the City of San Marcos, the law enforcement budget consumes a surprisingly low percentage of the city’s total budget compared to other cities with higher crime rates. A strategic focus on crime suppression, coupled with the city’s dedication to providing the resources to preserve public safety (i.e., contracting for additional special units such as the School Resource Deputies, Street Narcotic and Gang Detectives, Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving deputies and sergeants), and effective teamwork by all of the diverse units and personnel in the station, are some of the principal reasons we are able to do more with less. Our personnel partner with community and related public service agencies whenever possible. During 2007, we formed the Sheriff’s San Marcos Station Captain’s Citizen Advisory Committee. The committee is a very valuable source of informal feedback, information from the community, and advice on meeting the concerns of our citizens. It is made up of 15 leaders from the community, including representatives from religious groups, civic groups, service clubs, and associated student bodies of the local high schools, college, and university. A Senior Volunteer Patrol force totaling 60 volunteers patrols the city and surrounding communities, providing a variety of necessary services which would otherwise have to be done by deputies. Employees from Child Protection Services, Adult Protective Services, Crime Prevention, Juvenile Probation, and the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team have been provided work space at the station so that they are immediately available for consultation and can assume follow-up responsibilities for circumstances encountered by deputies that 4 INTRODUCTION (continued) are better suited to social service agencies. The availability of all of these agencies in-house allows the deputies to get back to the streets in a timely manner. A civil gang injunction was brought against the members of one of the two criminal street gangs in our jurisdiction. The gang injunction capped over oneand-a-half year's worth of work by members of the Sheriff's San Marcos Street Narcotic and Gang Detail. This injunction has provided law enforcement with additional tools to curtail undesirable actions by gang members, such as gathering in designated recreation areas in order to intimidate others or disrupt family activities. The gang injunction allows law enforcement to arrest gang members for what would typically be considered legal actions except when committed by that particular gang's members. This injunction has already significantly decreased gang activity. The Sheriff of San Diego County has been “Keeping the Peace Since 1850” in the unincorporated communities around San Marcos and for the City of San Marcos since it incorporated in 1963. The personnel assigned to the Sheriff’s San Marcos Station provide the highest quality public safety services in partnership with our community, as evidenced in the report which follows. 5 STAFFING Population Population. The resident population in the 120,000 unincorporated areas has 100,000 increased 7% over the past five years. The City’s 80,000 population increased 21%. This resulted in an overall 60,000 population increase of 28% within the San 40,000 Marcos command’s assigned area of 20,000 responsibility. The continuing build-out of the 0 San Elijo Hills 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 development has been a major contributor to the City of San Marcos City’s increased number of Unincorporated areas residents. Population San Marcos Command growth in coming years is expected to correlate with additional home building, which is contingent upon economic conditions. Since we are located at the intersection of two major freeways (Hwy 78 & Interstate 15), and our municipal arteries offer commuters from North County inland homes a tempting shortcut to Interstate 5, the coast, and the greater metropolitan area, we have a significant transient population traversing the city each day. The extensive eating, shopping, and commercial outlets within the city also attract customers to the city from throughout San Diego and neighboring counties. California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) and Palomar Community College are also major, albeit predominantly daytime, population factors. CSUSM has approximately 1,000 staff and faculty with a student enrollment of 8,734, which is expected to reach 11,000 by 2010. Palomar College has approximately 4,000 staff and faculty. Their approximate student enrollment is 30,000. Together, these two institutions alone add over 43,000 people to those making regular visits to San Marcos. 6 STAFFING (continued) For the Officer ratios. San Diego area, in general, fewer peace officers shoulder the burden of responsibility for accomplishing the law enforcement mission than in America as a whole. The most recent ratio of officers per 1000 residents for the United States was 2.3 per 1,000 population (with an average of 1.7 for those cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999). Sworn Officers per 1,000 residents City of San Marcos Unincorporated 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 SanDAG (see CJ Bulletin “Public Safety Budgets in the San Diego Region”) found that the number of sworn officers per thousand residents in the San Diego region averaged 1.43 in FY 06/07. In cities with police forces, the ratio ranged from a low of 1.12 (Chula Vista) to a high of 1.68 (Coronado) officers per thousand. San Diego, 1.61 Regional average, 1.43 Escondido, 1.2 Carlsbad, 1.14 Oceanside, 1.16 San Marcos, 1.03 For most jurisdictions in San Diego County, the number of sworn officers per 1,000 population has not increased since FY 2002-03. Similarly, in San Marcos the officer staffing levels have not kept pace with local population increases, with the result that the ratio of Sworn Officers per 1,000 residents officers to residents has decreased. The number of officers per 1,000 residents 2 fell 10% from 2001 in San Marcos and 42% in the 1.5 unincorporated areas. In the City the ratio is 1.03 officers 1 per 1,000, while in the unincorporated areas, it is 0.61 officers per 1,000 0.5 residents. 0 But this is not the complete picture because the City of San Marcos provides sufficient additional resources to allow patrol deputies more time to be proactive and spend more time on the streets, protecting citizens. In 7 STAFFING (continued) addition to contracting with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for its law enforcement and traffic enforcement services, the City of San Marcos pays for an additional 10 Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving deputies (COPPS) and 2 COPPS sergeants who attack neighborhood and community problems that would otherwise draw patrol deputies away from service. Additionally, the City of San Marcos pays for 4 Street Narcotic and Gang Detectives (SNGD) and an SNGD Sergeant to attack street level drug sales and concentrate solely on the city’s two gangs. The City of San Marcos also pays for half of the service for 3 School Resource deputies who are assigned strictly to schools within the San Marcos Unified School District to alleviate patrol deputies of the responsibility of responding to school-related problems during school hours. More information on these programs can be found in their respective chapters of this report. These programs, coupled with partnerships with several social services, allows patrol deputies more time to respond to calls for service and to be proactive in preventing crime. Beyond the constraints on appropriations devoted to public safety services that incoming revenue levels impose on elected officials, this circumstance is related to the sparse pool of individuals who possess both the interest and the qualifications to enter the profession, exacerbated by the high cost of living in this county. Agencies are taking a variety of steps to cope with this, including employing innovative recruitment strategies, converting sworn positions to administrative personnel, and enhancing salary and benefits. Parenthetically, expanding the pool by lowering standards has repeatedly and compellingly been proven to be highly imprudent, potentially dangerous, and exceedingly costly in the long term, as numerous jurisdictions have discovered to their lasting regret. Over half of the Spending. San Diego region’s public safety budget is devoted to law enforcement, with the rest funding correctional facilities, prosecution, courts, probation and public defense. Different jurisdictions allocate different amounts to public safety. The chart to the right shows current law enforcement budgets as a percent of overall budget and compares San Marcos’ budget to San Diego and nearby cities. The regional municipal Law enforcement budgets vary 45 40 35 30 % of city 25 budget 20 15 10 5 0 rl s Ca 41 43 36 21 25 o d os i de i do eg ba ns arc nd Di a o M n e c n Sa Oc Es Sa 8 STAFFING (continued) Per capita spending on law enforcement in San Marcos 165 $164.26 170 $171.14 175 $171.32 average is 35 % of general funds slated for law enforcement. The range is from 21% to 43%. The County allocates 28% of its budget to public safety. Figures are from FY 07 budgets. (Source: SanDAG). $159.31 $156.19 160 The City of San Marcos 155 purchases law enforcement services 150 from the Sheriff’s 145 Department through a FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 negotiated contract. The cost of providing law enforcement services includes not only patrol and investigation, but also local support staff, as well as shared regional services such as Search & Rescue, Special Enforcement (SWAT), detentions, helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, and numerous others. Regionally, law enforcement budgets have increased 16% over the last five years. The cost of providing law enforcement services to San Marcos residents has risen 34% since 2003. Nevertheless, law enforcement consumes a smaller percentage of the City budget this year (25%) than it did last year (27%). Per capita spending figures are calculated by dividing the contracted law enforcement budget by the estimated population. San Marcos per capita spending decreased as a result of increased population and steady costs. 9 STAFFING (continued) The Sheriff’s San Marcos Station. Paid staff and volunteers provide services to an area encompassing approximately 105 square miles. The population within the station’s area of responsibility currently numbers more than 111,000 inhabitants. Our goal is to provide these residents the highest quality public safety services. To achieve this, the San Marcos Station was staffed as follows in 2007: Staffing Levels Position Unincorporated Authorized Staffed Incorporated Authorized Staffed Captain .5 .5 .5 .5 Lieutenant 1 1 1 1 Sergeant 1 1 9 9 Area Detective School Resource Officer COPPS 4 4 5 3 10 5 3 9 Narcotics 2 2 Gang Traffic Patrol 2 8 32 2 8 32 Admin Sec II 1 1 Admin Sec I Senior Office Assistant Property and Evidence Office Assistant 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 Departmental Aide 1 1 80.5 79.5 TOTALS: COMMAND TOTAL 18 10 24.5 16.5 Authorized Staffed 105 96 Staffing level changes. During FY 2007, all contracted staff positions for the City were filled with the exception of approximately one COPPS position due to personnel movement and department staffing issues. For similar reasons, about 10 STAFFING (continued) eight county patrol positions went unfilled. The county (unincorporated) area covered by San Marcos Station personnel was authorized 18 positions, but fielded about 10 deputies. The Sheriff's Department has addressed this staffing shortage through additional hiring and enhanced retention. All vacant positions are projected to be filled next year. One K-9 unit is assigned to patrol. K-9 deputies and their dogs are trained to conduct building and field searches, as well as track for articles, such as weapons or evidence. Although she is not listed in the staffing level chart, we share the County Crime Prevention Specialist with the Valley Center Station. This position is responsible for providing Crime Prevention services to residents in unincorporated areas. She works very closely with the Crime Prevention personnel employed by the City of San Marcos, who provide this service to city residents. Also not listed, but working at our station, is a full-time crime analyst who supports patrol, community policing, traffic, and investigations. Contract compliance. The staffing levels for which the City contracted from the Sheriff’s Department during the last completed contract year was shown in the staffing level chart above. This level of staffing would ideally result in patrol contract hours of 55,845; traffic contract hours of 15,112; and Special Purpose Officer hours of 39,933, for a grand total of 110,890 deputy sheriff hours of service. Administration, necessary equipment, training and liability coverage, as well as the supervisors’ hours, augmentation by specialized units (such as Homicide, Bomb/Arson and SWAT/SED), access to crime lab expertise, 11 STAFFING (continued) helicopter support, and a myriad of concomitant assets essential to the prosecution of high quality law enforcement operations are provided by the department as an adjunct to the contracted hours. The most important indicator of the quality of public safety services is “what does not happen” since the primary goal is the prevention of crime and disorder within the community. Obviously, this is difficult to measure and involves some forces that are beyond the control of law enforcement agencies. However, we do know that adequate staffing is a critical factor in ensuring that the law is effectively enforced and that the peace of the community is preserved. One useful metric to evaluate is whether the number of deputy hours worked comports with the staffing level for which the City has contracted. It is important that the department deliver the additional amount of service that the City residents’ taxes have paid for, while also providing appropriate levels of service to county residents in contiguous areas within our area of responsibility. Therefore, we carefully monitor these hours each month to ensure services are provided in close compliance with the contract. Our goal is to approach a zero balance at the end of each year. Since some positions are contracted without relief, this would be achieved only in the unlikely event that, throughout the entire year, no deputies were sick, injured, or absent due to training or earned time off. During the last completed fiscal year, patrol services were less than contracted hours by 1,255.7 hours, traffic by 377.5 hours, and Special Purpose Officers (including Community Oriented Policing deputies) by 1,113.5 hours, for a net of 2,746.7 hours. This computed to less than 2.5% under contract. 12 CALLS FOR SERVICE Calls for service are one indication of station activity. A call for service (CFS) is registered when a citizen or another unit or agency requests assistance for public safety services. Examples of calls for service include crimes reported by the public such as burglaries, assaults, thefts and so on. Most calls are to 9-1-1 or the non-emergency lines at the dispatch center. Calls for service can be an important measure of how busy deputies are. There has been a continuing expansion of the number of events that San Marcos deputies respond to over the last five years. The total number of incidents handled increased by nearly 17% since 2003. Within this time, calls for service have increased more than 11%. Deputies also initiate numerous actions based on their own observations while patrolling or in support of their own projects. A deputy initiated action (DIA) does not require a request from the public or another agency. These events also include traffic stops, field interviews, prisoner transport or other situations requiring action by a deputy. CITY Calls for service (CFS) Deputy Initiated Actions (DIA) 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 20,811 16,371 22,147 15,579 23,024 16,588 23,528 18,492 23,830 20,349 4,950 1,713 5,063 1,891 4,736 1,347 4,855 1,863 4,886 2,088 25,761 18,084 27,210 17,470 27,760 17,935 28,383 20,355 28,716 22,437 43,845 44,680 45,695 48,738 51,153 COUNTY CFS DIA COMMAND CFS DIA TOTAL Data Source: CAD Extractor 13 CALLS FOR SERVICE (continued) While maintaining their responses in the field, deputies have substantially expanded their proactive activities. The total number of events handled by deputies increased nearly 5% this year and almost 17% over the last five years. Within this time, CFS have increased more than 11% (14% in the City). While calls for service increased only about 1% this year, DIA were up 10%. Calls for service and deputy initiated actions are presented in the chart below. This chart depicts law enforcement activity trends for the last five years. Law enforcement activity in the San Marcos Command 60000 50000 40000 County DIA County CFS City DIA City CFS 30000 20000 10000 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 14 RESPONSE TIMES Two common indicators of an agency’s ability to respond quickly to the needs of its community are “Received to Arrival” response time (R-A) which measures the time between when the dispatch center receives the call and the time a deputy arrives on scene, and, “Dispatched to Arrival” (D-A) which measures the speed with which a deputy responds once a call is dispatched. Increased population and traffic impede a deputy’s ability to reach an incident once dispatched. These times are reported below for different call priorities. Call priorities are assigned from greatest urgency (Priority 1) through non-emergency calls. Examples of Priority 1 calls: officer needs help, foot or vehicular pursuit. Priority 2 calls include: injured person, robbery in progress, bomb threats, carjacking, rape, and stolen vehicles. Priority 3 call examples: assault, prowlers, disturbances, tampering with vehicles, and burglary alarms. Security checks, animal noise disturbances, traffic stops, harassing phone calls, illegal dumping, abandoned vehicles, and numerous other calls are included in Priority 4. In the following table R-A and D-A times are based on only those calls for service where times are available. City of San Marcos Unincorporated Command Priority Priority Priority Priority 1 2 3 4 R-A 6.9 11.2 17.0 40.7 D-A R-A D-A R-A D-A 6.3 8.7 7.2 7.0 6.3 9.0 22.2 17.7 12.8 10.3 11.5 29.1 20.6 19.1 13.1 22.0 58.2 30.2 43.9 23.5 Response times in all San Marcos jurisdictions were reduced this year. Average P1 R-A time was 7.0 minutes, compared to 8.7 minutes last year. The other priorities increased slightly. Two factors are primarily responsible for this favorable result: the opening of San Elijo Road, facilitating travel within the City, and a redistribution of sectors and deployment within sectors, enhancing coverage by patrol deputies. 15 CRIME ANALYSIS Crimes: According to U.S. Department of Justice figures, the City of San Diego is one of the safest large cities in which to live. It had the fourth lowest violent crime rate and the fifth lowest Annualized FBI Index Crime Rates per 1,000 population property crime rate in (Source: SanDAG) 2005. The FBI Index is a standardized 16.37 Poway method of reporting 21.34 criminal activity. The Coronado Index includes four 21.69 Encinitas types of violent 23.60 Santee offenses (willful 24.71 San Marcos homicide, forcible 25.94 Solana Beach rape, robbery, and 28.85 Vista aggravated assault) 29.27 Carlsbad and four types of 29.85 property crime Oceanside (burglary, larceny 31.90 Lemon Grove theft, and motor 32.12 Imperial Beach vehicle theft, arson). 33.73 Average, all jurisdictions Escondido 34.95 Compared to 25 years ago, the San 38.45 San Diego Diego region is a safer place to live in 39.92 National City terms of both violent 45.72 La Mesa and property crime. 47.85 El Cajon However, an 53.21 Del Mar increase in the number of homicides 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 and robberies, also faced by other jurisdictions across the country, remains a significant concern. Violent crime increased slightly, nationally, according to the FBI. Chula Vista 38.23 Regional crime figures for 2007 showed reduced violent crime, except for an increase of robberies. Property crime in the region showed a decrease for the fourth year in a row. The City of San Marcos continues with one of the lowest crime rates in the region. Only four of the county’s cities had a lower crime rate. 16 CRIME ANALYSIS (continued) In the City, the number of reported crimes increased ½% this year (Source: ARJIS BCS Reports). The increase in the number of crimes since 2003 is 15.8%. Violent crimes increased 2.1% in 2007 due to the second consecutive year of increased robberies primarily of retail establishments. The number of robberies increased substantially due to an exceptionally large number of series. These series impacted six of the North County’s cities. FBI Index Crimes City of San Marcos Homicide Forcible Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault Total Violent Crimes Burglary Larceny-Theft Motor Vehicle Theft Arson Total Property Crimes All Crimes 2003 3 18 46 138 205 440 765 270 18 1493 1698 2004 1 14 65 139 219 309 790 286 5 1390 1609 2005 0 15 57 165 237 359 989 282 9 1639 1876 2006 2 18 75 186 281 430 910 321 11 1672 1953 2007 2 12 101 172 287 414 936 318 11 1679 1966 Property crimes, on the other hand, increased less than half a percent since last year. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation. An increase in retail targets in the form of businesses and parking structures near freeway on-ramps also offers greater opportunity for theft. Not surprisingly, then, the most frequently reported of all crimes in San Marcos is larceny/theft. There were 936 cases reported last year, an increase of 2.8% over 2006. FBI Index Crimes Unincorporated Homicide Forcible Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault Total Violent Crimes Burglary Larceny-Theft Motor Vehicle Theft Arson Total Property Crimes All Crimes 2003 1 4 3 32 40 183 230 53 1 467 507 2004 0 5 2 35 42 158 263 78 1 500 542 2005 0 3 6 35 44 146 214 48 0 408 452 2006 3 3 10 26 42 119 187 47 4 357 399 2007 0 3 4 35 42 103 160 52 4 319 361 17 CRIME ANALYSIS (continued) A trend of increasing crime in the unincorporated areas around San Marcos early in the decade has reversed, and crime in these areas has declined in each of the last three years, with the largest declines showing in property crime categories. Property crimes declined 10.6% since last year, and 36.2% since a peak in 2004. Violent crime was unchanged in 2007, and has remained stable over the last five years. Crime rates: Crime rates, usually expressed as crimes per thousand people, are convenient measures for comparing crime in places with different populations or in the same place over times when the population has changed. Shown in the graph below are FBI Index (both violent crimes and property crimes) crimes per 1,000 residents for the City and unincorporated areas over the last 5 years. By accounting for population growth, a different picture of changes in the region’s crime is presented. Crime rates in the City are generally higher than in the less urban areas, both for violent crimes and for property crimes. However, the rate of crime has not risen as dramatically as the changes in the numbers of crimes would imply, reflecting overall differences in the increases in population. FBI Index Crime Rates Crimes per 1000 residents 25 20 15 10 5 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 City Violent Crime Unincorporated Violent Crime City Property Crime Unincorporated Property Crime 18 CRIME ANALYSIS (continued) The rate of violent crimes has not changed significantly over the last five years, either in the City or the surrounding unincorporated areas. Similarly, there has been little change in the rate of property crimes in the City. However, the rate of property crimes in the unincorporated areas has declined substantially over the last four years. Arrests: In 2007, there were 1,638 arrests made in San Marcos. This is an average of about 4.5 arrests per day. Of these, 594 arrests were for felony charges. Arrests with less serious misdemeanor charges totaled 1,044. Adult arrests comprised 74% (n=1,221) of the arrests. There were 417 juvenile arrests (26%). Since last year, in San Marcos, adult arrests are 12% fewer and juvenile arrests are 30% fewer. All categories of arrests showed an increase in 2006 over 2005. In 2007, however, arrests decreased to levels not seen since 2003. Total arrests decreased 22% over last year, to within 2% of the total number of arrests in 2003. Arrest trends in the City of San Marcos 1000 Adult Misdemeanor Arrests 800 Adult Felony 600 Juvenile Misdemeanor Juvenile Felony 400 200 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 19 INVESTIGATIONS Staffing: There are nine Area Detectives (five Contract City and four Unincorporated positions) and one Detective Sergeant assigned to the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station. During the past year, two detectives were promoted to sergeant and transferred to other Commands. These detectives were replaced. One detective was temporarily assigned to NetRMS for one year. He was not replaced. Major Cases: Throughout the year, detectives handled a variety of complex investigations, involving robberies, assaults, burglaries and sex crimes. In the course of these investigations, they served numerous search warrants, conducted fourth waiver and parole searches, and utilized specialized technical equipment during surveillance operations. Some of the more notable cases were: ¾ In a coordinated effort, San Marcos Detectives, Vista Detectives, Oceanside Police and Escondido Police conducted surveillance in their respective jurisdictions of Taco Bell Restaurants due to a robbery series. The suspects were identified and arrested. ¾ The San Marcos Detective Unit investigated a series of small business robberies occurring in San Marcos and other North County jurisdictions. The San Marcos COPPS Unit, San Marcos Detectives, and San Marcos Patrol set a perimeter around a projected target and subsequently captured the suspects after a short pursuit. Coordinating with the Carlsbad Police, Vista Detectives, and Escondido Police Department, San Marcos Detectives executed 4 search warrants in the City of Oceanside to collect evidence linking these suspects to 32 armed robberies of small businesses in the North County. ¾ The San Marcos Detective Unit worked with the San Marcos COPPS Unit on a felony vandalism case in a quiet San Marcos neighborhood. Several neighbors living in a cul de sac were having rocks thrown at their houses causing damage and having paintballs shot at the back of their fences and houses. Nightly surveillance was instituted. After weeks of surveillance, a neighbor, who also claimed to be a victim, was observed throwing rocks at the primary victim’s house. The suspect was arrested and convicted. Additionally, during the year, the Detective Unit was deployed in its ancillary capacity as the Mobile Field Force. The Unit was deployed to Vista, Escondido, and San Diego for demonstrations involving issues of immigration. Also, they were activated for five large fires in the county area. 20 INVESTIGATIONS (Continued) Number of Cases: Crime cases are divided into two categories, workable and non-workable. During the calendar year 2007, Area Detectives were assigned 1,057 workable cases (a 9.8% increase over last year) and 2,288 non-workable cases (3.4% fewer than last year). In 2007, the average caseload per detective was 132 workable cases and 286 non-workable cases. The clearance rate for workable cases was 52.8% (vs 53.4% last year). From their cases, detectives made 110 arrests in 2007. Of all the cases submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for review, criminal complaints were issued on 81.9% of them. The San Marcos Sheriff’s Station continues to have one of the highest issuance rates in the Sheriff’s Department. 21 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM Staffing: The San Marcos Sheriff’s Station currently employs three School Resource Officers (SROs). The SROs are uniformed detectives who are assigned to schools in the city. Their areas of coverage include: Mission Hills High School, San Marcos High School, Twin Oaks High School (Continuation School), San Marcos Middle School, Woodland Park Middle School and San Elijo Middle School. All three SROs report to the elementary schools on an as-needed basis. Responsibilities: The SROs handle most law enforcement situations that occur at the High School and Middle School level. In addition, they handle any incidents that occur during the students’ travels to and from school. During 2007, SROs made a total of 237 arrests, including 217 juvenile arrests. They also wrote 300 crime cases that were varied in nature, and 47 Field Interviews. Projects: The SROs attend School Attendance Review Board hearings, where students have to answer for their attendance records. They help eliminate truancy problems by arresting those students that are truant. In some instances, the School District proposes expulsion. At an expulsion hearing, the SROs testify on behalf of the School District. SROs act as liaison between the School District and community organizations, facilitating programs that benefit students. As part of their daily duties, they walk the school campuses during nutrition and lunch breaks to increase visibility and act as a deterrent to crime or student fights. In addition to law enforcement, the SROs assist the school with emergency planning; provide instruction in such subjects as drug education, personal safety, and gang identification; and present a positive role model for the students to emulate. Lastly, the SROs often help parents with solutions to behavior problems they are having at home. 22 COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING AND PROBLEM SOLVING Staffing: During 2007, two sergeants, and ten deputies were assigned to the COPPS Unit. The deputies are divided into three 3-person teams, with each team assigned to a “sector” of the city, plus a “rover.” The COPPS Unit is a highly responsive, cohesive force of well-equipped, very experienced deputies that adds a unique degree of flexibility to the crime fighting effort. This significant capability ensures serious crime is adequately confronted at the earliest opportunity, maintaining San Marcos’ enviable reputation as one of the safest cities in San Diego County in which to live, work, and raise a family. Most importantly, as an added benefit beyond the reach of most municipalities, the Station Commander now possesses a “Force in Reserve” to expeditiously target priority matters. At his direction, the entire twelve man COPPS Unit can be deployed to address dangerous situations, critical incidents, or crime series. They form the major component of the station’s “Mobile Field Force”, a quick reaction platoon for emergency riot control, civil disorder, catastrophe response, etc., which is properly equipped to deal with such situations including terrorist action. Projects: The San Marcos COPPS Unit promotes both pro-active problem solving and police-community partnerships to address the root causes of crime and fear of crime, as well as community quality-of-life issues. Throughout the year, they conduct various youth programs in an effort to impact young people before the attractions of gang involvement or drugs can take hold. They also make presentations to citizen groups tailored to incorporate awareness of the latest threats relevant to each particular audience. COPPS Deputies enjoy a different time perspective allowing wider latitude and the opportunity to use non-traditional strategies. Rather than responding repeatedly to the same complaint, the COPPS strategy brings together all the stakeholders to formulate an effective way to address the underlying source of the problem. One example is by performing site analyses of new construction in order to incorporate Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concepts into the built environment. As the primary recipient of the majority of citizen input, the COPPS Unit is frequently the first to hear of residents’ concerns and reports of problem locations. They can respond quickly and in force to address transient situations in an expeditious manner for as long as it takes to resolve them. 23 C.O.P.P.S. (Continued) Accomplishments: From July 2006 through June 2007, the San Marcos COPPS Unit increased their focus on alcohol education and enforcement after being awarded a $124,771 grant by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). The approach to the grant year was the combination of education followed by enforcement. During the grant year, patrol personnel, ABC licensees, and members of the public were educated on the laws and dangers related to alcohol. The COPPS Unit conducted 56 alcohol enforcement details during the year. San Marcos Station personnel made a total of 999 alcohol-related arrests during the grant year, which was over double the number of arrests from the previous year. Additionally, 30 administrative accusations were filed against ABC licensed establishments. COPPS Bicycle patrol 24 STREET NARCOTICS / GANG UNIT Staffing: The San Marcos Street Narcotics and Gang Division (SNGD) consists of two narcotic detectives, two gang detectives, and one supervisor. All of the positions are contract positions fully funded by the City of San Marcos. Arrests: Narcotic detectives made 24 arrests, down from 30 in 2006. San Marcos gang detectives made 56 arrests of which 46 were San Marcos gang members, compared to 32 (24 of which were gang members) last year. 104 arrests were made by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent assigned to the San Marcos SNGD. These arrests were primarily criminal aliens with a gang or narcotic nexus. Investigations: There were 35 narcotic complaints received in 2007, up from 25 in 2006. Gang detectives investigated 271 cases in 2007, up from 242 cases in 2006. Seizures: The narcotic detectives seized 36.4 grams of methamphetamine, 91.9 ounces of marijuana (5.7 lbs.), 573 marijuana plants, 21.7 grams of heroin, 43.9 grams cocaine, 5 misc. tablets of controlled substances, indoor marijuana grow equipment, and $5,288 in cash. The gang detectives seized a Tec 9 assault weapon, a .357 magnum revolver, a 9mm pistol, various dangerous weapons, and gang paraphernalia. 25 STREET NARCOTICS / GANG UNIT (continued) Warrant Services/ Searches/ Assists: The narcotic detectives initiated 29 searches (9 search warrants, 10 probation searches, 6 parole searches, 4 consent searches), assisted other units or agencies on 29 searches, and assisted other units or agencies on 51 investigations. They were called out 28 times. The gang detectives initiated 18 searches (10 search warrants, 7 probation searches, 1 parole search), assisted other units or agencies on 24 searches, and assisted other units or agencies on 52 investigations. They were called out 17 times. Based in part on citizen tips, the narcotic unit targeted Accomplishments: numerous dealers operating within the City of San Marcos. Utilizing informants, they were able to obtain and serve 9 search warrants, resulting in 24 arrests and significant seizures. The narcotic unit continues to provide support to other SNGD units, as well as NTF, DEA, ICE, and various other law enforcement agencies. In addition, the narcotic detectives provided training to various civic groups, patrol deputies, and the Senior Volunteers. The gang unit spent considerable efforts throughout 2007 preparing a Civil Gang Injunction against one of the two gangs that claim San Marcos as their turf. In October 2007, a temporary injunction was approved. Permanent injunction approval is expected in July 2008. In spite of the time consuming efforts given to the gang injunction, the gang unit launched twelve gang suppression operations throughout the year, resulting in dozens of arrests of documented gang members and their associates. These pro-active suppression operations contributed to the increase in gang cases in 2007. The gang unit continues to work closely with the District Attorney’s Gang Prosecution Unit, as well as Probation and Parole, the San Marcos COPPS Unit, patrol, and other agencies throughout North County. As with the narcotic unit, the gang unit provides training to various civic groups, educators, community organizations, and Senior Volunteers. 26 TRAFFIC Traffic Overview The San Marcos Traffic Division is staffed with one sergeant, two corporals, four deputies, and two motor officers. They provide traffic enforcement for approximately 31 square miles and a rapidly growing population of almost 80,000 residents. One of our most significant achievements has been the reduction of fatal collisions. Through assertive enforcement, fatal collisions were reduced from four in 2006 to two in 2007. Additionally, in an effort to prevent drunken driving collisions we enhanced our DUI enforcement index resulting in triple the statewide standard, without additional staff or expenditure. Other accomplishments during 2007: • Documented 558 collision investigations, issued 8,025 citations, and stored approximately 1,100 vehicles. • In 2007, San Marcos City Engineering, San Marcos Department of Public Works and the Sheriff's Department Traffic Unit met and collaborated on a monthly basis. We initiated and maintained consistent relationships with these departments resolving many difficult traffic issues. • Participated in San Marcos City Traffic Safety Commission meetings where various traffic related issues were discussed and resolved more efficiently. • Awarded California Office of Traffic Safety Grants for San Marcos resulting in over $10,000 of funding for two DUI enforcement checkpoints enabling us to raise awareness, identify and arrest drunk drivers, and allow for a safer driving environment within the City of San Marcos. 27 TRAFFIC (continued) Several road improvement projects in San Marcos were completed including the “SPRINTER” Rail construction. The “SPRINTER” is a new passenger rail system that extends 22 miles along the State Route 78 corridor, spanning the cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido. A total of 15 stations were constructed with parking, access and a 1.7-mile loop to serve Cal State San Marcos. Traffic congestion received substantial relief when San Marcos finished connecting Twin Oaks Valley Road to San Elijo Road. The new five lane, 2.4 mile road provides commuters from Encinitas, Carlsbad and southern San Marcos with another way to reach Cal State San Marcos and other destinations along Highway 78. The roadway opened September 6, 2007. These two projects added to roadway congestion throughout much of 2007. However, they now provide substantial relief to the motorists traveling in San Marcos. Enforcement Statistics This section presents traffic collision statistics for 2003 through 2007. In the City of San Marcos during 2007, total collisions decreased 20%, injury collisions increased less than 1% and driving under the influence related collisions decreased 4 %. Trend of Traffic Collisions 2003 Fatal Injury Property TOTALS DUI Related 5 183 470 658 60 2004 1 162 522 685 53 2005 4 124 522 650 45 2006 4 144 544 692 81 2007 2 148 408 558 78 28 TRAFFIC (continued) The overall enforcement goal is to prevent traffic collisions involving injury and fatalities. To accomplish this goal, the California Highway Patrol as well as Police and Sheriff’s Departments statewide utilize a standardized enforcement index of 20 hazardous citations for every 1 injury/fatal collision. We have attained a level of 25 hazardous citations for every 1 injury/fatal collision for the year 2007. 2003 25 citations issued for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 2004 2005 2006 2007 24 citations issued for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 32 citations issued for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 34 citations issued for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 25 citations issued for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision During 2007, the five intersections with the most traffic collisions within the City of San Marcos were: Location of Accidents S. Rancho Santa Fe and W. San Marcos Blvd. Number of Collisions 41 Grand and W. San Marcos Blvd. Knoll and W. San Marcos Blvd. Business Park Dr. and W. San Marcos Blvd. E. San Marcos Blvd. and Twin Oaks Valley Rd. 24 17 17 16 The intersection with the highest number of collisions in 2007 was S. Rancho Santa Fe and W. San Marcos Blvd. During 2007, approximately 25 million vehicles passed through this intersection with 41 collisions occurring. 29 TRAFFIC (continued) The following table displays the number of citations written for each of the top six primary collision factors for 2007: Causes Speeding Auto Right of Way Signal/Sign Improper Turn Alcohol Related Other Total Number of Collisions 115 80 58 127 78 100 558 Number of Citations Written 1,150 38 525 96 232 1,608 3,649 A major goal of the City of San Marcos and the San Marcos Station Traffic Unit is to reduce the number of victims killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) provided a grant in support of the “You Drink & Drive…You Lose” national campaign. The grant resulted in approximately $10,000 of salary reimbursement for personnel to staff two “Driving Under the Influence” checkpoints in San Marcos in 2007. We also secured funding from OTS for several checkpoints and saturation patrols during 2008. An index used throughout law enforcement is the maintenance level of one Driving Under the Influence (DUI) driver arrested for every one injury/fatal accident. The DUI index for San Marcos in 2007 was 3.0. These results are over triple the statewide standard and reflect the most successful index in six years (see chart below) 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 1.4 DUI arrests for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 1.8 DUI arrests for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 1.3 DUI arrests for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 2.3 DUI arrests for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 3.0 DUI arrests for every 1 injury/fatal traffic collision 30 TRAFFIC (continued) In 2007, we identified the intersections with the most collisions and directed our enforcement efforts toward these intersections. We are planning to continue this strategy in 2008 with monthly updates of results to ensure efforts are focused in the most beneficial manner. In May 2007, we received approximately $14,000 in grant funding from OTS to enforce seatbelt violations. We utilized traffic, motors, COPPS and patrol deputies to enforce applicable seatbelt violations. The deputies were assigned to roving patrols throughout the city, providing directed enforcement, conducting traffic stops and issuing citations for seatbelt violations and related offenses. A post-operational seatbelt survey revealed a 93% seatbelt compliance rate in San Marcos, well above the statewide seat belt usage rate of 90.4%. We are currently utilizing all available resources for directed enforcement. Patrol deputies often assist with enforcement, issuing hazardous citations in high risk areas. The Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) has been extremely helpful to the Traffic Unit. The SVP provided a marked unit presence and traffic violation deterrent at various problematic locations throughout 2007. The countywide Sheriff’s Department Motorcycle Strike Team conducts operations in San Marcos twice per year resulting in approximately 300 additional citations at high risk locations throughout the city. Fatal Collisions • On 08/17/07 at approximately 7:22 a.m., a fatal vehicle collision occurred at the intersection of W. San Marcos Blvd. and Knoll Rd., in the City of San Marcos. A Suzuki GXR motorcycle being driven by an adult male was traveling eastbound on W. San Marcos Blvd., approaching the intersection of Knoll Rd. A Nissan pickup truck was traveling southbound across the number one lane on W. San Marcos Blvd., making a left turn into a shopping center. The motorcycle driver applied his brakes but was unable to stop in time and the motorcycle collided with the front of the Nissan pickup truck. The driver was ejected off the motorcycle, becoming lodged underneath the Nissan pickup truck. He was transported to Palomar Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries from the collision. The video camera at the Ramada Inn motel recorded the collision. The cause of the collision was determined to be unsafe speed by the motorcyclist. 31 TRAFFIC (continued) • On 09/15/07 at approximately 1:07 a.m., a fatal collision occurred at the intersection of E. Mission Rd. and Mulberry Dr., in the City of San Marcos. A Suzuki GXR motorcycle being driven by an adult male, was traveling southbound on Mulberry Dr. approaching the intersection of E. Mission Rd. He entered the intersection and suddenly applied his brakes. He continued through the intersection, losing control of the motorcycle. The driver and his adult female passsenger were ejected from the motorcycle. The driver succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The female passenger’s injuries were not life threatening. Drunk driving was the cause of this fatal collision. Special Recognition Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) annually recognizes the work of law enforcement officers working to prevent deaths and injuries that are caused by impaired driving. In 2007, they recognized Deputy Rosas for his superior work. 32 PROFESSIONAL STAFF Staffing: The San Marcos Professional Staff consists of one Administrative Secretary II, one Senior Office Assistant, one Administrative Secretary I, one Property and Evidence Clerk, three Office Assistants, and one Station Aide, as well as two Office Volunteers. Responsibilities: The Professional Staff provides varied services to the public during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. During this time we provide support to the station and its specialized units (Traffic, Detectives, C.O.P.P.S., etc), and are responsible for the processing of all evidence and station payroll management. Data, such as pawn slips, field interviews, stolen/recovered property, purchased firearms and parking cites are entered into Sheriff’s and regional computer systems. Traffic citations and crime reports are processed and also provided to the D.A.’s office and court. We process and issue stored vehicle releases, as well as provide ink fingerprinting to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hundreds of telephone calls from the public and outside agencies are handled weekly. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department instituted a “paperless” report writing system this year which will greatly improve how we do business. Our station began using the program in June 2007. Summary: During 2007, there were 7,785 case numbers issued to the San Marcos Station. This was 496 less than last year. We processed over 7,650 items of property or evidence during the course of the year. Including parking citations issued by our Senior Volunteer Patrol, approximately 8,744 traffic citations were issued within the San Marcos Command. This was an increase of 1,800 (21%) from the previous year. All citations are routed through the Professional Staff and checked for accuracy before being forwarded to the Traffic Court or D.A.’s office. 33 CRIME PREVENTION S SH DE HE EP ER PA RIIFFFF’’S AR RTTM ME EN SD NTT Staffing: Veronica Martinez and Bebe Nares, with the City of San Marcos, provide Crime Prevention within the incorporated area of San Marcos. The close working relationship that has developed between the City Crime Prevention Unit and the Sheriff’s Department continues to strengthen both programs. Sheriff’s Department Crime Prevention Specialist B.J. Williams provides Crime Prevention for the unincorporated areas of San Marcos and Escondido. Her time is shared between the San Marcos and Valley Center Stations. Overview: The purpose of the Crime Prevention Unit is to develop and maintain programs that educate citizens on the most current methods of deterring and preventing crime in their communities. Crime Prevention serves as an integral part of a cooperative effort by citizens and law enforcement to recognize, anticipate, and evaluate the risk of crime in both the incorporated area of San Marcos and the unincorporated areas of San Diego that fall under the jurisdiction of the San Marcos Station. Residents are crucial to the success of crime prevention programs because they provide essential information to law enforcement by reporting suspicious activity, sharing information, and following recommended security precautions. Crime Prevention practitioners provide resources and education through neighborhood watch meetings, security inspections, community events, displays, and special presentations. The focus of these activities is to determine vulnerable areas and make recommendations that improve awareness and security by implementing crime prevention techniques. Crime Prevention Activities in 2007 Residential Security Consultations Commercial Security Consultations Neighborhood Watch Meetings Crime Prevention Presentations (Child Safety) Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and Crime Free Multi-Housing (CFMH) Assessments Community Events / Displays City 5 0 39 20 0 Uninc. 32 4 44 52 4 27 112 34 CRIME PREVENTION (continued) KidzWatch Academy 2007 National Night Out 2007 Community Walk 35 VOLUNTEERS RESERVES Staffing Reserve Deputy Sheriffs are trained peace officers who volunteer their time to provide additional resources to the Sheriff’s Department. The San Marcos Station Reserve Unit’s staffing consists of five deputies and two sergeants. This unit volunteered 2,183 hours and donated 3,216 miles in 2007. Activity Statistics Sheriff’s Reserves serve to augment patrol and provide additional law enforcement personnel on special details or at special events such as: • • • • • • DUI and CDL Checkpoints Valley Center Western Days San Marcos Street Fair and 4th of July Celebration San Marcos V.I.B.E. neighborhood improvement function Assist C.O.P.P.S. on special details such as curfew sweeps San Marcos Christmas Parade Collateral Duties Several San Marcos Reserves have also volunteered to work at the County Wide level assisting the Sexual Offender Management Unit, Off-Road Enforcement Team, and Regional Communication System. Equipment The San Marcos Reserves operate a fully outfitted patrol vehicle and two dualsport motorcycles. These vehicles are owned by the City of San Marcos and maintained by both the City Of San Marcos and the Reserves. Training The San Marcos Reserves participated in 925 hours of training in 2007. This includes state and department mandated training and self-improvement optional training. 36 VOLUNTEERS (Continued) SENIOR VOLUNTEER PATROL Staffing: The Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) Unit in San Marcos formed in February of 1994 and consisted of 18 volunteers. In 2007, there were 60 members. They volunteered 6,482 hours in the unincorporated area and 20,513 hours in the City of San Marcos for a combined total of 26,995 hours. Activities: The SVP Unit is non-confrontational and their radio is their weapon. They are extra eyes and ears for the Sheriff’s Department. Applicants receive 2 weeks of SVP academy training, in addition to yearly training on various subjects. Radio procedures, bomb/arson situations, traffic and crowd control, and search procedures are just some of the areas of training they receive. Their assignments cover a variety of activities as they assist not only law enforcement personnel, but the community at large. Three units are deployed five days a week in the City and one unit on Saturdays. One unit is deployed five days a week in the unincorporated areas. They also assist with traffic control at DUI/CDL checkpoints, traffic accidents and major events, such as the Christmas Parade, July 4th, and the Street Fair. Throughout their patrol areas they enforce various parking regulations, including handicap parking. 37 VOLUNTEERS (Continued) Assistance at the station is provided by staffing the front counter during the week, transferring vehicles to the County or City garage for maintenance or repairs, transporting evidence to the Crime Lab, and delivery and pick up of arrest reports to the Vista Court. They assist the community by performing vacation checks, You Are Not Alone welfare checks, and Project Care checks. The Safe Return program for Alzheimer’s patients is monitored and kept up to date. They provide fingerprinting of children at community events, conduct presentations on telemarketing fraud and assist with Neighborhood Watch presentations. 38 ADMINISTRATIVE INDICES Traffic collisions involving station personnel and citizen complaints are important indicators for the station commander to monitor. On-duty collisions: San Marcos Station personnel were involved in a total of 18 traffic collisions during 2007. This equates to a 133% increase from 2006. There were 2 more chargeable collisions (with a total of 7) than in 2006, but there were 11 non-chargeable collisions compared to 7 in 2006. A chargeable collision is one in which the employee is responsible, while a non-chargeable collision is not the fault of the employee. YEAR 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 CHARGEABLE 7 5 5 7 7 NONCHARGEABLE 11 7 0 0 6 TOTAL 18 12 5 7 13 Complaints: In 2007, Internal Affairs received three complaints arising from actions within the San Marcos Station. One complaint alleged a courtesy violation, one alleged a conformance to law violation, and one alleged conduct unbecoming. This total was three less than the number of complaints in 2006, which is a reduction of 50% in the number of complaints against deputies compared to last year. COMPLAINTS ALLEGATION Courtesy – 1 DISPOSITION 1 – Not Sustained Conformance to Law – 1 1 - Sustained Conduct Unbecoming – 1 1 - Pending 39