Half Moon Bay police revamp proposal made

“One of the reasons we are asking for a chief of police in Half Moon Bay is to be able to address the needs of the community,” Jimenez said at the June 1 City Council meeting.

The report advocates for an application period in the fall, followed by council candidate interviews and a new chief taking office no later than the end of 2021. The chief would lead negotiations with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, which currently is in charge of policing, and help with the organization of the Public Safety Department by spring 2022. Staff hirings of central positions would be filled by July 2022.

“Everything we are about to propose could be accomplished relatively quickly and would likely have consequential and long-term cost benefits for the city. Finally, this proposal would result in a better standard of living for a significant part of our community,” according to the report.

The report advocated for structural change that would help ensure justice equity for all of Half Moon Bay and will now be discussed at the June 15 City Council meeting.

“We must do this not simply to fill the role of accountability that is currently completely absent, but also to begin to assemble the framework of a holistic solution to the current challenges facing our community when it comes to public safety. Without a chief of police to exercise the will of the council over all matters public-safety related, we will never be able to implement any actual reform in this area,” the report found.

The report cited the need to prevent deaths like Sandra Harmon, who was shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies in 2020 at 845 Main St. after firing at one of the deputies with a shotgun. The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office ruled the shooting was justified.

The chief would help transition the proposed Public Safety Department into four separate divisions. In order of hierarchy, the divisions would be officer-involved use-of-force investigations, dispatch services, emergency services and community services. Emergency services would contain subdivisions targeting mental health, domestic violence, homeless outreach and armed responses. Community services would have six subdivisions, of which some are co-located or share personnel with the county. The subdivisions would include community policing, criminal investigations, beach safety units and a citizen complaint hotline.

The report argues the entire organization could have similar costs to what the city pays the Sheriff’s Office for its policing services of Half Moon Bay. Some portion of the Public Safety Department would be community policing officers, who cost around a third individually of what a sheriff’s deputy costs the city. The city currently has a contract with the Sheriff’s Office that expires June 30, 2022. Half Moon Bay must notify the Sheriff’s Office of any modifications or terminate by Sept. 30.

The council voted 4-1 to put the report on the June 15 agenda for further discussion, with Mayor Robert Brownstone voting no. Brownstone wanted to follow the original process and not rush the conversation, although he is for police reform.

“I will cast my first dissenting vote of 2 ½ years on this council. I will vote no. I’d rather follow the process for all the reasons stated by others,” Brownstone said.

Vice Mayor Debbie Ruddock said she would agree to discuss the issue at another meeting as a courtesy but did not commit to any course of action. She wanted to see information from focus groups and a community survey. She noted she was not going to take urgent action on anything related to reform and said the city needed the support of the Sheriff’s Office for any reforms. Ruddock said the community did not need any more division than it already had.

“I see this as a process. If folks are thinking that we are going to have a special meeting and discuss this and then act, I want to dissuade you from that, at least from my position. I am not going to act without a thorough investigation of the issues and consideration of broad public input,” she said.

Ruddock believes the city has other health and safety issues it should address, citing safe streets, adequate parks and recreation facilities and an emergency preparedness plan.

“I’m not willing to have this issue take over from everything else that is on our plate. So if we are going to do it, it will be on top of all that stuff, not instead of all that stuff,” Ruddock said.

Jimenez was looking for a chief to address the community’s needs, noting lots of options are on the table. He said many people he knew with experiences with law enforcement in Half Moon Bay did not want to speak up out of fear.

“Half Moon Bay is on the news for two big things, Yanira Serrano and Sandra Harmon. We don’t want any more of that. We need to address this as soon as possible,” Jimenez said.

He did not want to divide the community and wanted to give everyone the chance to have conversations.

“I hope that you are with me because I am with you,” Jimenez said.

Councilmember Deborah Penrose noted the upcoming conversation changes the ongoing public process ongoing but supported a discussion.

“In the spirit of trying to reassure Councilmember Jimenez and the rest of the Latino community that I am behind changes in our police operations, I will vote yes,” Penrose said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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