City Police Would Be Hard to Replace

* If the city of Port Hueneme contracts with the Sheriff’s Department for police services, the following aspects should seriously be considered:

* Response time could be lengthened. The officers of the Police Department have developed a detailed working knowledge of the city through years of experience. They are aware of such things as peak traffic times and have identified problem areas. This internalized frame of reference is a powerful tool which enables them to determine how to achieve the fastest arrival time.

* Response may be selective. The city police respond to all calls for assistance. This consistency of response is unique to Port Hueneme. The Sheriff’s Department may only respond to certain types of calls. Certain situations may be referred to other agencies.

* Public access to police services could be limited. The Police Department is open 24 hours daily. Under the study’s recommendation, the lobby would be open only on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After 5 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends, the Sheriff’s Department could be reached by telephone linked to its emergency operations center. This loss of accessibility may discourage people from calling for help.

* Access to regionalized support functions is already available. Use of other services of the Sheriff’s Department such as its major crimes unit, crime analysis lab, air unit and SWAT team are available to the city right now. The city police and other law enforcement agencies mutually assist each other upon request.

Port Hueneme should do everything possible to retain its own Police Department.

May Elaine San Jose

Port Hueneme