Over the past 10 years, San Mateo residents have gotten to know the community police officers who both help solve problems like noisy parties and regularly attend homeowner association meetings.
Now the police department is undergoing a massive restructuring so its entire force is trained to deal with such problems, said Police Chief Susan Manheimer. The idea is to re-connect police and the community, she said - a relationship that began dying in the 1980s with the advent of police radios and 911 emergency services.
The department currently consists of its regular force and a community policing unit. There are four community officers, each assigned to a geographical area. The idea is to get rid of the community policing unit and make the entire force geographically based.
Officers will be trained in the next few months. Part of that training will entail working more closely with code enforcement officers and homeowner associations, Manheimer said.
The phasing out of the community policing unit is creating anxiety of some neighborhoods, however.
Community police officers have been key in helping rebuild the embattled North Central, said resident Sybil Bolivar. Since the program started 10 years ago, she said crime has gone down considerably in the area.
"There's a relaxation and fellowship among the community now," Bolivar said.
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Anxiety over losing community officers isn't limited to just North Central, Manheimer said. As residents begin to realize the change is actually bringing the entire force closer to the community, she said she expects the neighborhood feedback to be positive.
"They're not losing a community officer, they're gaining eight," Manheimer said. "People are used to having their one officer, but now they'll have a connection with all their beat officers."
Before enacting such an enormous change, Councilmember Sue Lempert said she wants more information on the impact it could have on areas like North Central and North Shoreview.
Mayor Carole Groom, who said community policing has helped develop a "spirit of community" in such neighborhoods, said she would also like to revisit the issue over the next few months.
The change has been in the works for two years now. Major cities across the country have already switched to similar models, Manheimer said.
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