Your Police Department

In the course of my orientation to the city council, I have been meeting with all of the department heads. Over the next few months, I will write about them all. One of the most interesting aspects of being on the city council is that I now think about all the things that the “average” citizen never thinks about. Lets take the police. I have luckily had very little contact with police officers in my time. I have been fortunate in that I have never been the victim of a violent crime or theft. However, like many, I have simply assumed they would be there when needed. Thankfully they are. In Livermore, we are blessed with an award-winning team of officers.

In my tour of the police department, I was able to see dispatch. Now these employees are amazing. They have a command center where they can view the entire city. They can see where every officer is at all times. This is a wonderful safety net for the officers as well as aids the dispatchers in choosing the most appropriate officer to send on a call. Plus it allows Chief Steve Sweeney to see who is hanging out at the (just kidding). The dispatchers are the ultimate multitaskers as they often are juggling multiple calls.

Next on my tour was the evidence room. We have a full crime lab in the department and I was very impressed with the laboratory. Just like CSI, we process a great deal of evidence here in town.

What surprised me most about the day are all of the services the police department provides us. I was amazed at the breadth of different services.

After my tour, I took a virtual tour through the website. I found even more.

Animal control is very important to the police department. However, in my ignorance, I assumed the police department was primarily concerned with human safety as well as noise abatement. They have some wonderful information on the website referencing chocolate and dog safety. With Valentines Day coming up, information on dogs and chocolate is both informative and timely. There is also an entire section on emergency preparation for your pets.

The police department also hosts a Citizens Police Academy. The academy is aimed at encouraging a partnership between the community oriented policing. I personally feel that through involvement in our communities, we can enhance our community and truly make it a place where we are all proud to live. !!!

Last, the most interesting program for me was the Horizons program. I honestly had no idea that the police department had this program. Horizons is a support program for families in need They have a staff of counselors that provide family counseling, help with difficult children, and parenting education.

I could write all day on the services this department provides and I am sure I left out many. I encourage you to check out the website and get to know your police department. They are here for you.

Laureen