Monterey >> The Monterey
County civil grand jury is recommending the Del Rey Oaks Police Department,
with its special armored vehicle, join the Monterey Peninsula Task Force.
But Del Rey Oaks Mayor Jerry
Edelen said he hopes the city’s police force stays independent, adding that it
would be a “legal liability” to join the organization.
“If we are part of the
organization, our city would be in the hot seat for their poor judgment,”
Edelen said. “I want to ensure the future of Del Rey Oaks is not dependent on
an outside organization that may or may not use good judgment.”
The Del Rey Oaks Police
Department and its volunteer reserve officers were at the center of the grand
jury’s investigation into local “over-militarization.” The recommendation
requires the city’s response in 90 days, but no action needs to be taken. The
report could be ignored if the city chooses to do so.
Last year armored vehicles were
obtained by the Salinas and Del Rey Oaks police departments, but the grand
jury’s focus was on the quiet Peninsula town’s acquisition.
The report released Monday
evening says the lack of crime in Del Rey Oaks does not “justify” the military
vehicle, adding that several regional officials have described it as “too hard
to maneuver” and “too large to be driven on some local streets to be
practical.”
Nationwide law enforcement
officers’ use of force policies have been scrutinized. A study of the
militarization of police departments published by the American Civil Liberties
Union last year said “American policing has become unnecessarily and
dangerously militarized” thanks to federal programs, like the one Salinas and
Del Rey Oaks used to get their armored vehicles. The grand jury, however, did
not find those problems to be present in the Monterey area.
Other military-type
capabilities the Del Rey Oaks police force has are a sniper team and
bomb-sniffing canine unit. These teams have not been deployed in the past four
years, the report said.
One problem the 19-member grand
jury did find during their investigation was that the Del Rey Oaks military
vehicle can only be operated by its volunteer reserve officers, or the Special
Response Team, and not the Monterey Peninsula Regional Special Response Unit —
an organization all Monterey Peninsula cities but Del Rey Oaks are a part of.
Edelen defended his police
force. He described them as “extremely wealthy professionals” whose training
records have “no comparison,” adding that he would put his officers against
“any police force in the country.”
But, according to the report,
several local officials would be “reluctant to call up” the Del Rey Oaks police
force for assistance without coordinated training and cooperation with the
Monterey Peninsula Regional Special Response Unit.
The grand jury issued no
recommendation for the Salinas Police Department.
The report also pointed out Del
Rey Oaks has developed it own use of force policy. The policy is not based on
Lexipol, the country’s leading provider of risk management policies. The
policy, Edelen said, has allowed police officers to use a bit more force when
necessary.
“I can understand why an organization like the
grand jury is looking at standardization; one size fits all,” Edelen said. “I
would say that is not the case, or the best option for a small city like Del
Rey Oaks.”
The armored vehicle did not
cost the city “a dime,” and upgrades were purchased by one of the elite
volunteer officers. The vehicle cannot be deployed without the consent of
Police Chief Ron Langford.
Edelen said officers will be
“good team players” if they are needed outside their jurisdiction.
“We will cooperate federally
and locally, but we want to remain independent,” he said.
June
2, 2015
Monterey
Herald
By Ana Ceballos
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