Vacaville Community Policing Forum • The 100 Club of Solano & Yolo Counties

To the Vacaville Community,

I would like to start by thanking those members of the community who took part in the Community Policing Forum on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at the Will C. Wood Catwalk Theatre. This was the first forum we have held since I became police chief in January and I look forward to many more opportunities like this in the coming months and years. A community that is engaged, informed, and working in partnership with the members of the Police Department and other city staff, builds trust and leads to a more vibrant, safe place to live, work, and play. Engagement opportunities are some of the best means by which we create the bonds and relationships between citizens, and the men and women who are sworn to protect them and improve their quality of life.

Below you will find the responses to the questions we received leading up to and during the forum. It was important to city leadership and Police Department command staff that we answer all questions from our community members…and there were quite a few! We wanted to make sure that each of the questions were answered with as much thoughtful clarity as possible. However, there were some questions that were somewhat subjective, leaving them open to several interpretations which solicit a need for further dialogue. We did our best to acknowledge that subjectivity within the response as we believe there is value in looking at topics or issues through various lenses and perspectives.

I look forward to connecting with as many community members as possible during my tenure as police chief in this amazing and wonderful city. It is an absolute honor for myself and the members of the Vacaville Police Department to serve you and provide the safety and service you deserve at the highest levels. Please continue to check the City of Vacaville’s website and social media platforms for information on upcoming engagement opportunities and community events. Thank you for being an engaged member of this great community we call home.

Sincerely,

Ian Schmutzler
Police Chief
City of Vacaville

Safety

What is being done to address traffic and safety concerns around schools?

The safety at and around our schools is one of the Department’s highest priorities. Despite currently reduced traffic enforcement numbers, we have created a schedule which ensures one traffic officer is present at each school a minimum of once per week. Additionally, due to our partnership with staff and school administrators, we have access to a live and continuous feed of information about problems areas at specific schools. This information in turn allows us to tailor our enforcement efforts to better suit each school’s need.

Further, the Department collaborates with City Traffic Engineering staff to configure roadways to and from schools for optimum safety including lighted signage for crosswalks, radar feedback signs, etc. funded by grants.

Future Patrol safety/community policing at outdoor events to prevent officer injuries

For years the city of Vacaville has followed an established process of evaluating both City and private organization sponsored outdoor events through our Special Events Committee. This committee is made up of members from the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney, Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks and Recreation and Risk Management. The committee’s ultimate goal is to ensure the safety of our community at events while adhering to state and local regulations. The committee consistently evaluates and implements appropriate security measures based on industry standards, best practice and current affairs. It is these recommendations and their implementation that ensure community members, visitors and City staff are protected.

What does “safe” look like? What does it mean to be “safe?”

While this term may be open to some subjectivity, to be safe generally means to be free from harm or risk. A “safe” space is subjective to one’s feeling of being free from harm or risk, which also may look differently from one person to another. During any interaction between people, their feelings of being safe may be impacted by their previous experiences.

What is being done about the increased number of homeless adults in the City parks?

The Police Department partners with several non-profit organizations, members of our faith based community, and programs available through Solano County to provide an array of resources for our homeless population. Resources available include shelter opportunities, mental health and medical resources, and programs that assist with substance abuse challenges. Additionally, many of these programs specifically assist our military veterans. Our officers work to develop relationships with many of our homeless in order to build trust with them, as this will assist us with identifying more long term solutions to this issue. A list of available resources is accessible on the City’s website.

What is being done to prevent the current climate of hyper drug abuse and the criminal elements that come with it?

Sadly, like many cities throughout the United States, Vacaville is not immune to these issues. Below we’ll share from our perspective the issues impacting our community and steps being taken by the police department to address them.

1. Fentanyl issues: [Save lives, find the source, occasional arrest/more commonly recommend resources]

Anytime patrol officers respond to a call regarding a fentanyl-related overdose, officers are trained to cover two main steps:

a. Do what they can to preserve/save lives.

b. Conduct an investigation to determine if we will be able to later discover and potentially bring criminal charges against the source of the fentanyl.

Officers attempt to gain basic information from the user or their friends/family/acquaintances so our VICE Detectives are able to conduct more detailed follow-up in an attempt to locate the source of the product, and work to keep it out of our community.

2. General Narcotics Issues: [Cite/Arrest, recommend resources]

When officers respond to other narcotics (methamphetamine, heroin, pills, etc.) related situations, they have two options: enforcement action and referral to services. In November 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47, which reclassified many felonies to misdemeanors. Drug possession, and shoplifting and theft under $950 were some of the notable changes, which resulted in many offenders being issued a citation instead of being booked into county jail. Strained resources at the District Attorney’s Office prevents some low-level drug offenses from being prosecuted, leading to a frustrating revolving door of ongoing drug abuse and resultant issues.

Locating the source of any narcotic is only one piece. Often times, when one source is removed, another will fill the vacant spot simply due to supply and demand. As such, officers will often try to work with and counsel individuals struggling with drug abuse issues, and connect them with regional chemical dependency resources. That said, it is very difficult to get people to commit to treatment until they themselves decide they also want to make that life change. Occasionally, officers take enforcement action by arresting an offender (that is not in need of lifesaving medical care), in hopes the court process will prove beneficial for the individual as many are resistant to attend/complete these programs without legal consequences. However, arrest is not a solution to most drug addiction cases, and many arrestees that are released from county jail are back in the City within mere hours.

Officers generally take enforcement action when necessary (especially when individuals are causing other more serious issues), however it only creates small impacts in addressing a larger societal problem.

Training

Does each officer understand the oath they swore to uphold per the constitution?

Prior to any City of Vacaville Police Officer donning a badge or uniform to serve our community, they swear an Oath of Office. The Oath of Office is something the City of Vacaville and the Vacaville Police Department take very seriously, as it serves as a guiding light for Vacaville Police Officers. The Oath of Office requires officers to swear to:

“support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California; to take the obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and to well and faithfully discharge the duties of which they enter.”

Vacaville Police Department employees are committed to providing a high level of service to our community, and do so by standing by their Oath of Office, along with the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and established Core Values of both the City of Vacaville and Vacaville Police Department. Further, police department employees are held accountable to established policy and expectations.

What is the City’s plan or present availability to provide community input related to cultural competency issues?

The City of Vacaville is committed to improving our community relationships and identifying areas of needed improvement for our staff. Cultural Competency has been loosely defined as “the ability to understand, appreciate and interact with people from cultures or belief systems different from one’s own.”

As a Police Department, we provide reoccurring training with the foundation of inclusivity, equity and equality for all. Training includes but is not limited to:

implicit bias
racial profiling
cultural sensitivity
handling calls with citizens with special needs
de-escalation scenarios
LGBTQIA+ education and awareness

Additionally, officers are trained to proactively and positively engage with community members and businesses to help build positive relationships, further improving the cultural competency of our staff. The City is currently working with an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusiveness (EDI) consultant to provide training to all city staff and specific training for the Police Department.

The Department is open to input from the community to improve our services and relationships, and has developed a District Commander Program to help facilitate this. The District Commander Program includes identified police sergeants and lieutenants assigned to service each of the six voting districts. Community members who would like to provide input are encouraged to reach out to their District Commander representative(s). The City’s website provides contact information for each District Commander representative(s).

What kind of are workshops offered to community members?

What kind of workshops are offered to community members, public school teachers, and military veterans? Is there anything set in place for diversity, equity, and inclusion for community members to attend and take back to their places of employment?

At this time, the City of Vacaville does not offer this type of training to community members.

What training is in place to help officers deal with their own biases and mental health?

Bias Training

Continuous, high level training of our staff is a priority for the Vacaville Police Department. As such, the Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) maintains a division dedicated to training and ensuring the professional integrity of our staff. This division, the Professional Standards and Training Division, is managed by a lieutenant and includes a training manager, management analyst and a training corporal. Additionally, the VVPD maintains a number of subject matter experts on staff and also contracts with outside experts to provide high quality reoccurring training to our staff.

Specific to bias, our staff undergoes regular implicit bias, racial profiling, biased-based policing, bias by proxy, LGBTQIA+ awareness and education, and cultural sensitivity training of varying sorts, a portion of which is mandated through the State of California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Vacaville routinely provides far more training to our staff than is required by State law. In addition to training provided by the police department, the City of Vacaville requires employees to complete bias, and inclusion, diversity, and equity training. View VVPD policies on the City’s website.

Mental Health

The VVPD has developed a robust wellness program, focused on the mental and physical wellbeing of our staff. As an organization, we understand the stress the law enforcement profession puts on employees, and that the stress may be cumulative over time. We also understand that stress, if not managed appropriately, can manifest and effect our staff negatively, potentially effecting interactions with our community. To help officers’ and professional staff manage the inherent stress of the profession, the VVPD provides employees with training and tools to understand and mitigate stressors.

The VVPD maintains a Peer Support team, consisting of peer nominated staff who receive formal quarterly training. These team members are available to provide support to fellow staff members and routinely conduct incident defusing and debriefings as a way to alleviate stress from various traumatic and stressful events officers and staff often face. Additionally, police employees have 24/7 access to mental health and wellness professionals, and are encouraged to use these clinicians and therapists to help manage and mitigate stress. On an annual basis, and more often if needed (i.e. due to a particularly traumatic event), the VVPD hosts mental wellness training for staff. This training is conducted by licensed clinicians and provides staff with tips and techniques for managing trauma and stress.

What training is being done to increase police understanding of autistic youth/adults and how to best respond to calls regarding them?

The Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) provides department wide training for officers that specifically addresses characteristics, manners and traits of autistic individuals. Officers are briefed on resources that are available to help families who are in need of additional assistance. A recent training was facilitated by a law enforcement officer who shared his own personal experiences raising a child with autism.

In addition to training, the VVPD launched the Puzzle Project, a program wherein families can voluntarily provide information about a family member with Autism . The information is maintained in the records system, and is used by dispatchers and alerts responding officers of important information.

What other diversity training is being considered?

he Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) consistently provides training above and beyond what is required by the State of California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and department policy. The Professional Standards and Training Division, which oversees department training, develops an annual department training plan which provides staff no less than 90 hours of training per year.

As part of this regimen, the VVPD provides staff training in regular intervals on:

implicit bias
racial bias and profiling
bias by proxy
cultural sensitivity
handling calls with citizens with special needs
de-escalation scenarios
LGBTQIA+ education and awareness
equity-diversity-inclusion (EDI)
scenario-based training,

The VVPD is committed to improving the performance of our officers, and welcome training suggestions from our community partners. Ideas for diversity training should be directed to the VVPD Training Section.

Would our department be open to firearms training as a public outreach?

Police officers and staff of the Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) receive regular training in a wide variety of areas, all relevant to their duties and assignments. The firearms training program at the VVPD is robust, as we understand the need for proficiency for our staff in this area. Although most of our staff members can provide firearm safety tips, the VVPD does not offer firearms training to the general public.

How will you ensure that officers view all residents as being equally worthy as individuals?

A core value of the City and the Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) is to ensure employees treat all individuals with respect and dignity. The VVPD provides a variety of reoccurring training to staff to ensure inclusiveness and equality for all. Some of the trainings include, but are not limited to, implicit bias, bias by proxy, racial profiling, cultural sensitivity, and LGBTQIA+ awareness and education.

All officers are issued and required to use body-worn cameras (BWC) and all patrol vehicles have dash and rear-facing cameras to record all contacts and incidents. An auditing feature included in the camera software allows for supervisors and managers to “spot check” random incidents/encounters, however these recordings are always reviewed to investigate allegations of misconduct.

One of the philosophies of the VVPD is constitutional policing, meaning we believe in treating each individual the same, no matter race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, economic status, cultural group, veteran status, marital status, and any other classification or status. This expectation is outlined in the Vacaville Police Department’s Standards of Conduct Policy. In addition to being held to the standards in this policy, members of the VVPD are held to a large number of additional policies including policies prohibiting biased-based policing. If members of the department are found to have violated policies, they will be subject to disciplinary procedures.

Community Relations

Is the City planning on having more outreach to brown and black communities?

Chief Ian Schmutzler will be organizing/hosting outreach opportunities amongst all six Vacaville voting districts and he has directed staff to make every effort to increase those engagement opportunities as often as possible. The Department actively participates in various outreach programs to connect with all members of our community. These programs and activities include National Night Out, Police Activities League (PAL), and city/community sponsored events which officers and staff are highly encouraged to attend and actively engage with community members.

Additionally, we recently dedicated District Commanders to each of our city’s six districts. This enables members of the community to have a direct contact with either a Sergeant or Lieutenant who familiarize themselves with these specific areas, enable them to build relationships and collaborate to address issues impacting specific neighborhoods or businesses.

With 3 major Black congregations in VV as well as Latino and other faith-based community groups, why has the City not engaged their leadership for help with issues facing their cultural populations?

We recognize the need to be better in this area and the missed opportunities as a result of not building these relationships previously. Under the leadership of Chief Schmutzler, staff have begun to seek out and form these collaborative partnerships through organizations like the Vacaville Ministerial Association (VMA). The VMA is made up of a broad cross section of faith based leaders from houses of worship throughout the community. In addition, the department is looking to expand the police chaplaincy outreach and create a new community chaplaincy program. The mission is to engage with and create meaningful relationships with faith based leaders so we can directly speak to and address issues facing the community as a whole, while also speaking to and addressing issues specific to their respective congregants.

What was the failure of the first Social Justice Group empaneled before this one?

The Social Justice Group developed organically during the period when protests were frequently occurring after the murder of George Floyd. Due to the swift start, the group was missing structure in terms of roles, goals, and process. Should the City reconvene the group, those missing elements will be in place from the beginning, providing a foundation to support and facilitate productive outcomes.

How will the City interface Social Justice issues between business, civic, city and school organizations and why?

The City Council adopted the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan which includes Goal #5: Promote Community Engagement and Increased Equity and Inclusion. One of the implementation strategies for this goal is to create and implement a comprehensive community engagement plan to enhance public dialogue and build trust between the organization and the community. While we continually learn the best ways to interface between all our community members, events like the Community Policing Forum ensures that we have vehicles through which to get feedback from our community on issues important at both the local and global level. We hope that by building that trust and communication we will establish a firm foundation for future dialogue related to social justice issues.

Is our department open to a sponsored night of exhibition events to perhaps curb some of the circus activities currently taking place?

Absolutely!

We’d love to hear your and other community member’s feedback regarding what activities you’d like to see. Our staff members truly love any opportunity they can to interact with young people in a positive way. We currently have a robust Police Activities League where our staff get to do just that. Whether it’s a snowboarding day trip up to the Sierra Nevada Mountains or organized sports like baseball or basketball, we truly cherish the opportunity to interact with and impact the young people who call Vacaville home.

For additional information and a complete list of available programs, please check out the Vacaville Police Activities League website.

Staffing

Is there currently an oversight committee for the PD?

One of the important roles occupied by the elected members of the Vacaville City Council is to act as a direct oversight body for the police department, as well as the performance of all other City departments. While not officially termed an “oversight committee”, Chief Schmutzler’s office is currently researching the creation of a Chief’s Advisory Committee. This committee would be made up of a cross section of individuals from the community that is representative of Vacaville’s diversity. Committee members would meet regularly with Chief Schmutzler, and their focus would include but is not limited to:

receiving updates regarding the state of the police department and city
providing direct input to the Police Department based on what their respective communities are experiencing
creating opportunities to directly address issues impacting their respective communities
providing a forum for informative dialogue especially during times of crisis that can then be relayed back to those communities they represent.

In addition the police department has various measures in place to ensure employees are held to the highest ethical and professional standards. These include but are not limited to, a robust supervisory structure that includes corporals, shift or unit sergeants or supervisors, lieutenants who serve as shift watch commanders and managers, routine spot checks of officers’ Body Worn Cameras, review of all uses of force to ensure policy and legal compliance, and a dedicated training section to ensure appropriate and relevant training is provided on a regular basis.

Additionally, the department maintains an Office of Professional Standards, which is tasked with investigating citizen complaints, allegations of officer misconduct and wrongdoing, and ensuring department policies are current per law and best practice. Together, these entities provide oversight to the members of the Vacaville Police Department.

Is there recruitment for minorities happening?

The department has a diverse and motivated recruitment team that travels state wide to expand our recruitment reach. This team visits various police academies, college campuses and a military bases to meet with those seeking a career in law enforcement and invite them to apply. We are also looking at new and innovative ways (including input from community members) to recruit and hire staff that accurately reflect the demographics in our growing Vacaville community.

How is the department improving diversity among the management staff?

Our department prioritizes employee development in order to provide opportunities for every member of our organization, including expanding leadership development courses to help staff succeed in seeking career advancement. In order to accurately diversify the command staff, we must recruit, hire, train, and develop those future leaders who are part of those under-represented demographics in the Department.

Policy & Practices

What is a Transformative Policy and what specific policy needs to be transformed?

The Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) is committed to maintaining policies and procedures to ensure staff operates at levels expected by those we serve and to ensure our policies and procedures are consistent with statute and professional best practice.

Many of the policies and procedures used by the VVPD are transformative in nature, as policies and procedures are routinely updated and added based on statute, community needs and desires, industry standards and best practice approaches. During routine review of police incidents, if deficiencies in policy or procedure are identified, staff works with subject matter and legal experts to modify or adopt policy to ensure they are current with statute, and industry best practice. Should there be questions regarding specific policies, VVPD policies and procedures are available for review on the department’s website.

Is there a checks and balances system, oversight, or a review process that helps officers …

Is there a checks and balances system, oversight, or a review process that helps officers learn from the daily events that unfold, and potentially correct, or process how they could grow, learn, or make better decisions for future events?

Every Patrol Team has a daily briefing at the start of each shift (there are six Patrol Teams) and during these shift briefings, team members/supervisors/watch commanders review all critical and high-intensity incidents, and unusual or otherwise noteworthy circumstance calls that took place during their previous shift. In addition to covering those incidents/calls for service, the daily Patrol Team briefings are very often used to conduct trainings on contemporary issues, tactics, and incidents in order to have the officers perform to their optimum level while serving the Vacaville community.

The police department has various measures in place to ensure employees are held to the highest ethical and professional standards. These include but are not limited to, a robust supervisory structure that includes corporals, shift or unit sergeants or supervisors, lieutenants who serve as shift watch commanders and managers, routine spot checks of officers’ Body Worn Cameras (BWC), review of all uses of force to ensure policy and legal compliance, and a dedicated training section to ensure appropriate and relevant training is provided on a regular basis.

Any use of force by officers or interactions with officers which result in injury are investigated and reviewed by a committee of legal and subject matter experts to ensure training, policy and legal compliance. This committee is also tasked with identifying deficiencies in training or policy, and providing insight regarding findings. In addition to the review of any use of force, department supervisors routinely conduct shift or department-wide incident debriefings, in which incidents, even those considered more routine in nature, are examined by cross sections of the department in an effort to constantly improve our response and interaction with the community.

What is the plan for addressing use of force issues? What de-escalation training is available to police officers when a conversation becomes a confrontation?

What is the plan for addressing use of force issues? What de-escalation training is available to police officers when a conversation becomes a confrontation? Who authorizes which de-escalation techniques can be used and when?

De-escalation of confrontational situations and preservation of human life are priorities of the Vacaville Police Department (VVPD). Officers are provided with regular de-escalation training in a variety of ways:

formal de-escalation training
training in Verbal Judo
Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
conflict resolution
scenario-based training which includes de-escalation

While officers never want to use force during interactions with the public, at times the need to use force to legally overcome resistance, or to protect themselves or others is required. Officers are often forced to make split-second decisions to use an amount of force that reasonably appears necessary in a particular situation, with limited information and in circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving. In many events, officers are able to avoid using force by using de-escalation tactics or alternative techniques that minimize the amount of force used to perform an arrest or overcome resistance, and to protect themselves or others.

Any use of force by officers, or interactions with officers which result in injury, are investigated and thoroughly reviewed by a committee of legal and subject matter experts to ensure training, policy and legal compliance. This committee is also tasked with identifying deficiencies in training or policy, and providing insight regarding findings to the appropriate body. The Department maintains an Office of Professional Standards, which is tasked with investigating citizen complaints, allegations of officer misconduct and wrongdoing, and ensuring department policies are current per law and best practice. Together, these entities provide oversight to the members of the VVPD.

How can we get higher prosecution levels?

Prosecution is determined at the discretion of the elected District Attorney for the County of Solano. Legislation enacted by our elected state officials, changes in case law, judicial decrees, DA’s Office staffing, and other factors play into the decision-making process when deciding which cases will move forward with prosecution.

What are the ‘red flag’ gun law procedures used by the Vacaville Police Department? How are these procedures communicated to the public?

The current “red flag” gun law procedures used by the Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) are covered by both our Policy Manual and the California Penal Code.

General Order 321 – Domestic Violence, which states in part officers are to “seize any firearms or dangerous weapons in the home, if appropriate and legally permitted, for safekeeping or as evidence. If the domestic violence involved threats of bodily harm, any firearm discovered in plain view or pursuant to consent or other lawful search must be taken into temporary custody.”

18250 PC – Seizure and Subsequent Procedures, which in summary states: any officer at the scene of a domestic violence incident, serving a protective or gun violence restraining order (GVRO), shall take temporary custody of any firearm or other deadly weapon in plain sight or discovered pursuant to a consensual or other lawful search.

Officers received formal training on the above procedures in November 2021 from FIRST/SVU Detectives.

In the event other individuals (relatives, household members, employers, co-workers, teachers, etc.) obtain a Gun Violence Restraining order, the Penal Code advises law enforcement will help serve the order (however that may be a process carried out by the Sheriff’s Office and not VVPD). Procedures associated would be directly relayed to those impacted by the appropriate law enforcement agency.

What does it mean to be “inclusive?”

Although this term can be subjective based on context, to be inclusive generally means to not exclude a group or party, but rather to include others or another. To be inclusive may also describe a group that is particularly welcoming to all people. In order for an organization to be inclusive, it is important that people feel valued and their unique qualities/characteristics are acknowledged.

Why oftentimes do we see three cop cars pulled over for what seems like a routine traffic stop? Is there a policy behind this?

It is routine practice for any officer conducting a traffic stop to automatically have a cover (backup) officer assigned for safety purposes. Traffic stops are considered inherently dangerous, as we generally have no idea what is in the car until we make contact.

Vacaville SOP 1200.9 details the procedure. Ultimately, car stops are considered Priority 1 calls, and as such require a cover unit. Three PD units may be necessary when there are additional hazards necessitating the need for additional cover (multiple vehicle occupants, prior vehicle/occupant history, known dangerous occupant, furtive movements, bizarre behaviors, involved in a call with violence and/or potential weapons involved, etc.)

Has the City considered publishing settlements of litigation on its website like the City of Oakland and others? What about publishing public records requests?

The City of Vacaville complies with requests for public records and litigation settlements as required by law and per the City Attorney’s Office. Documents released as part of a public records act (PRA) request will often be posted to the Transparency Portal on the Vacaville Police Department’s website.

When an arrested person is passed from one officer to another during relocation and transport etc., is there any record kept of the chain of custody?

When a person is arrested, there may be a need for that person to be transferred to the custody of another officer for transport or other reasons. In those cases, the Vacaville Police Department Communications is notified of which officer is transporting the arrestee. This information is logged in the incident’s associated incident report. In addition, these transfers are an activity that requires the activation of body-worn cameras and rear-seat/compartment cameras.

Is there a protocol that the Vacaville police department follows following a situation that involves…

Is there a protocol that the Vacaville police department follows following a situation that involves serious bodily injury or death involving the actions of a police officer? If so, is this protocol public record? In such a situation, how is it decided whether to send it to internal affairs for review or investigation? Are the officers involved drug tested following such an incident or an incident of inappropriate behavior?

Every use of force by officers or interactions with officers which result in injury are investigated and reviewed by a committee of legal and subject matter experts to ensure training, policy and legal compliance. This committee is also tasked with identifying deficiencies in training or policy, and providing insight regarding findings to the appropriate body. As required by statute, any force used by officers which results in serious bodily injury or death is reported to the California Department of Justice.

Cases of officer involved shootings, or uses of force by officers which result in death are investigated by the Solano County Major Crimes Task Force, under the auspice of the Solano County District Attorney’s Office (DA), per the Solano County Officer Involved Fatal Incident Protocol. Further, the DA reviews the event to determine criminal culpability of the involved officer(s).

The Solano County Major Crimes Task Force, DA investigations, and VVPD conducts an in depth administrative review of every officer involved shooting or death resulting from an officers’ use of force. This review examines all aspects of the event to determine City and VVPD policy compliance, and any policy and training deficiencies. During these investigations, involved officers will be required to submit to chemical testing if there are any objective signs/symptoms to indicate the officer was under the influence of drugs/alcohol. These investigations are subject to the provisions of the Public Records Act, pursuant to California Government Code § 6250 et seq., California Penal Code § 832.7 et seq., and other applicable statutory codes and sections.

It is a priority of the VVPD to continually improve. These events, along with many events considered routine and not involving force, are routinely reviewed by teams within the department to determine best practice for our staff.

How does Vacaville police department learn from any mistakes it makes?

How does Vacaville police department learn from any mistakes it makes? For example, is there anything such as grand rounds in the department where a recent situation is discussed with several officers and better options for handling it are suggested or demonstrated?

The Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) is committed to continually improving and providing the highest possible level of customer service to our community. Across the VVPD, critical reviews of incidents of all types occur on a regular basis. These reviews are completed by individual officers, teams, supervisors and managers, and department-wide as a way to identify areas of improvement such as response, tactics, and de-escalation techniques. In addition, teams routinely critically examine events from across our nation to identify best practices and response should they encounter similar situations.

Every Patrol Team has a daily briefing at the start of each shift (there are six Patrol Teams at VVPD) and during these shift briefings, team members/supervisors/watch commanders review all critical incidents, high-intensity incidents, and unusual or otherwise noteworthy circumstance calls that took place during their shift. In addition to covering those incidents/calls for service, the daily Patrol Team briefings are very often used to conduct trainings on contemporary issues, tactics, and incidents in order to have the officers perform to their optimum level while serving the Vacaville community.

Body and Other Cameras

If a police officer fails to record an event on their body camera, when the camera should have been on, are there any consequences for the officer? If so, what are the consequences? If not, why not?

All Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) offices are issued a Body Worn Camera (BWC). The required use of BWCs is regulated by VVPD policy (§ 450 Portable Audio/Video Recorders).

The Axon BWC and vehicle mounted cameras have several “auto-on” features, including when a vehicle is “code 3” (emergency lights are activated), all BWC and vehicle cameras within a 30 foot radius are automatically activated (if they were not already on). The Electronic Control Devices (Tasers) also have cameras on them that are automatically activated when the device is deployed.

If an officer is determined to violate City or VVPD policy, they are subject to disciplinary procedures pursuant to the policy and the provisions of California Government Code § 3300 et seq. Based on numerous factors and possible disciplinary actions, the findings regarding policy violations committed by police officers, and the outcome of disciplinary procedures, are confidential personnel matters not subject to disclosure, except as provided by statue as outlined in California Penal Code § 832.7 et seq. and California Government Code § 6250 et seq.

Do the officers have discretion as to whether, and when, they turn on their body camera?

The Vacaville Police Department’s (VVPD) Body Worm Camera (BWC) policy, outlines the requirements of use VVPD policy (§ 450 Portable Audio/Video Recorders). This policy provides officers with guidance as to when BWC’s shall be activated and when officers are provided discretion for activation. As the policy is lengthy and not a simple yes or no, we recommend reviewing the VVPD policy.

Once an arrest is made is it correct for an office to then turn off their body camera? If so what keeps an officer from potential bad behavior/mistreatment of the subject after the camera is off?

The Vacaville Police Department’s (VVPD) Body Worm Camera (BWC) policy, outlines the requirements of use VVPD policy (§ 450 Portable Audio/Video Recorders). This policy provides officers with guidance as to when BWCs shall be activated and when officers are provided discretion for activation. As the policy is lengthy, the question requires answering in hypothetical terms, and because the answer to this question is situational, instead of a simple yes or no, we recommend reviewing the VVPD’s policy pertaining to BWCs.

The VVPD and the City of Vacaville are committed to providing service to the community with respect for human dignity, integrity in our actions, and ethical conduct and decision making. VVPD members are held to high standards, by law, the City of Vacaville, and VVPD policies. Should a member of the VVPD intentionally violate statute and law by mistreating arrestees, they would be subject to investigation, possible disciplinary proceedings, and could potentially be held criminally culpable.

After the first officer arrives on the scene, when other officer arrive are they supposed to turn on their cameras as well? If not, why not?

The Vacaville Police Department’s (VVPD) Body Worm Camera (BWC) policy, outlines the requirements of use VVPD policy (§ 450 Portable Audio/Video Recorders). This policy provides officers with guidance as to when BWCs shall be activated and when officers are provided discretion for activation. As the policy is lengthy, the question requires answering in hypothetical terms, and because the answer to this question is situational, instead of a simple yes or no, we recommend reviewing the VVPD’s policy pertaining to BWCs.

K-9’s and K-9 Teams

What is Vacaville‘s policy when it comes to bringing on a new canine officer in regards to announcements? How does the community know if there is a new canine on the force?

While there are no laws or policies requiring a community announcement, our Canine officers are members of our Vacaville Police Department family, as well as in service of the greater community. As with any new addition to the department, we are anxious to share the exciting news with our community and we typically do this via one of our social media platforms which includes a photo and short bio about our staff members.

What has been implemented and or changed since the December 28, 2020 incident?

Upon learning of and viewing the viral video, we hired a third party subject matter expert to conduct an extensive analysis of our canine unit. This included an in depth look into our training program, canine trainer, record keeping, deployments, report writing, and canine team selection, among other analysis. Although these types of examinations can be time consuming and labor intensive, the VVPD welcomed the opportunity to glean an outside perspective into the program.

We were pleased to hear a great deal of positive feedback about the performance of our canine teams as well as the training program that our department has incorporated. We also took to heart recommended areas for improvement. These areas seemed to be mostly focused on the record keeping component related to training sessions conducted by our K-9 teams – more specifically, having a uniform language and method for tracking different training exercises. Our policies and practices have since changed to reflect many of the suggested changes.

What procedures will VVPD have in place to ensure there are no accidental K9 maulings? Why isn’t the City going out to bid for a more effective K9 training for handler and dogs?

The Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) values and understands the tremendous impact our canine teams have on the safety and security of our community. Equally important, is the way in which this service is provided and the continued measures we take to ensure no unintentional situations arise. This begins with a competitive and selective search for the very best police officers to add to our force. An additional layer of thoroughness lies in the extensive analysis of an officers performance on the job, judgement, decision making, ethical behavior and report writing to name a few, before they are considered to be eligible for the position of a canine handler.

Upon being selected as a handler, a search for the optimum canine ensues. The selection process for a canine is quite comprehensive. There is an evaluation of personality and performance characteristics such as courage, independence, balanced behavior and sociability. Once the ideal dog is located, we then pair it with their human partner to make sure they are a match. The pair undergo an intensive 10-week training program to prepare them for the variety of occupational tasks they will encounter, but the training does not stop there.

Once a canine team has successfully certified by satisfying the performance measures laid out by the California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST), they then complete a K9 Field Training (FTO) Program at the VVPD. This FTO program further instructs the team on how to respond to and handle a variety of service calls in a practical setting. The department also complies with POST recommended 16 hours of maintenance training every month to ensure the canine teams are continuing to operate at a proficient level. In addition, the canine teams often put in countless more hours each day refining their skills.

Supervision is also a vital component to this system. Oversight by both supervisors and our K9 trainer provides an excellent method for ensuring accountability and detecting any areas of performance that needs to be improved.

The VVPD K-9 program training vendor is reviewed by the City and VVPD at regular intervals to ensure effectiveness and implementation of industry/professional best standards tailored to our specific program.

Who is responsible to ensure that the canine dogs are getting their shots including rabies?

Each canine team participates in a 10-week training program that instructs them on much of the care and maintenance required of a handler. This is in addition to a K9 Field Training (FTO) Program that is instituted by the department upon their return from their 10-week training program. In this FTO program, the handlers are given even more tools to appropriately equip them for canine care in a variety of circumstances.

Canine training is a continuous and ongoing process for all canine teams. The initial 10-week training program, as well as monthly maintenance training that follows, is facilitated by our K9 trainer. However, our canine teams put in countless hours of additional training on their own to refine, improve and ensure continued success.

Each K-9 handler must have a kennel/run at their residence that meets the specific requirements set forth by POST and other regulatory statutes. Prior to a dog being placed with a handler, the kennel/run is inspected by staff to ensure compliance with all policies and laws related to those facilities.

What kind of education is provided to new handlers taking care of a dog, keeping it out of the sun, do they need a kennel? Are they allowed to train without the trainer present?

What are Vacaville standards when it comes to training a law enforcement dog? How long is the training? Other than simply passing a certification?

The Vacaville Police Department (VVPD) values and understands the tremendous impact our canine teams have on the safety and security of our community. Equally important is the way in which this service is provided and the continued measures we take to ensure no unintentional situations arise. This begins with a competitive and selective search for the very best police officers to add to our organization. An additional layer of thoroughness lies in the extensive analysis of an officer’s performance on the job, judgement, decision making, ethical behavior report writing, among others standards, before they are considered to be eligible for the position of a canine handler.

Upon being selected as a handler, a search for the optimum canine ensues. The selection process for a canine is quite comprehensive. It evaluates personality and performance characteristics such as courage, independence, balanced behavior and sociability. Once the ideal dog is located, we then pair it with their human partner to make sure they are a great match. The pair undergo an intensive 10-week training program to prepare them for the variety of occupational tasks they will encounter, but the training does not stop there.

Once a canine team has successfully certified by satisfying the performance measures laid out by the California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST), they then complete a K9 Field Training (FTO) Program at our department. This FTO program further instructs the team on how to respond to and handle a variety of service calls in a practical setting. The department also complies with California POST’s recommended 16-hours of maintenance training every month to ensure the canine teams are continuing to operate at a proficient level. In addition to these 16-hours, the canine teams often put in countless more hours each day refining their canine partner’s skills. This multi-step process of officer selection, canine selection, and intensive/continued training creates a canine team of the highest caliber.

Supervision is also a vital component to this system. Oversight by both supervisors and the VVPD K9 trainer provides an excellent method for ensuring accountability and detecting any areas of performance that requires improvement.

Other

How can the community support our officers?

The men and women of the Vacaville Police Department are honored to serve members of our community. The best way to show support of our officers is to continue to build relationships and partner together to identify and address quality of life issues that impact our City. Together we can creatively address ongoing issues with long term solutions and ultimately promote crime reduction, safety and a thriving community.

Has Vacaville ever considered having an electronically forum for public records request so they can be provided in the timeframe allowed?

The City of Vacaville and Vacaville Police Department are committed to providing timely and transparent responses.