Whittier Daily News asked: do you believe the city needs to add a police substation to increase public safety? How has the city done in recent years to keep residents safe?
I responded:
Yes, which is why we are currently working towards realizing a substation with the proper funding and manpower, and we can always do more to increase public safety. As mayor, and from the door-to-door conversations with residents in the 2022 election, my first task was responding to numerous traffic and safety complaints. With the backing of council, we saw the return of our traffic division. During my term as mayor, council also approved Chief Paul Espinosa’s plan to add five officers per year over the next four years. Additionally, recent years saw the increase of our police force from an authorized count of 73 to 91 – the greatest expansion in recent memory.
To further ensure the safety of our community in the short term, I am proposing to the Chief of Police and the City Manager that police patrol sectors are reorganized so there is no possibility our officers are stuck on one side of the Union Pacific Railway. While two patrol sectors are dedicated to South Montebello – that is, below Whittier Blvd. – there is still a possibility that a stopped train could delay response by precious minutes. I plan to propose and effectuate police patrols that are dedicated to the area south of the train tracks.
So far we have focused on rebuilding our police department – a worthy goal. Going forward I would also like to start addressing the root cause of criminal behavior creating partnerships and programming to encourage the positive development of our youth.
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