San Clemente’s Police Switch Is Winning Favor : Public safety: The Sheriff’s Department has put more patrols on the street while costing the city less than it did to run its own department.

Emotions ran high and debate raged when officers slowly lowered the San Clemente Police Department’s blue and white flag for the last time in July.

But in the six months since the city disbanded the 65-year-old department and merged with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department--a move forced by budget problems--the city, and even some once-vocal critics of the change, have generally come to embrace the new arrangement.

More officers are on the streets these days, and emergency response times have improved in the seaside community of 43,000 people. City officials expect the merger will have saved $2.1 million when the difficult fiscal year ends June 30.

Mayor Scott Diehl said residents are “getting more patrols, which they like, and there’s less administration, which they have said they wanted.”

Added Jim Miranda, a local real estate agent and community activist: “For the most part, their presence has been well felt and greatly appreciated.”

There are clear indications the community is healing from the divisions over the merger. And residents, shaken by a recent spate of gang-related violence, have been working closer with law enforcement to make their community safer.

Lupe Marino, a resident and activist, said she believes the Sheriff’s Department has responded well so far to community needs. “They are picking up where the Police Department left off,” she said. “I view that as a good starting point.”

In the face of vocal opposition, the City Council voted 4 to 1 last February to abolish the police department and switch to a contract with the Sheriff’s Department, effective July 2. Councilman Thomas Lorch cast the lone vote against the change, saying he believed the issue should go before the voters.

*

A group calling itself Citizens for a Better San Clemente launched a recall drive against the four council members who voted for the merger, but failed to gather enough signatures to force an election. A campaign for a ballot initiative to overturn the merger met the same fate.

“The majority was always there in favor of the change,” said Frank Montesinos, an architect and former president of the Sunrise Rotary Club. “We were not as vocal as the other people.

“It was a sensible decision,” he continued. “These days you can not be too emotional about economic issues.”

Jim Lusk, a volunteer with the Police Department’s senior citizens patrol, originally fought the merger, fearing the loss of tradition, but has been won over so far.

“I’ve been living here 25 years, and like anything, you get attached to things,” Lusk said. “But law enforcement is going to be changing. Everyone’s budget is getting thinner and thinner.”

To ease the transition, sheriff’s deputies, most of whom worked previously for the 75-member Police Department and switched over, have made a special effort to reach the public. Sheriff’s deputies even temporarily opened an office downtown to help people learn more about the changes and seek advice on how to better combat crime.

“I feel like I have the support of the community,” said Lt. Tom Davis, chief of police services for the city. “It’s the community that pays our salaries. It’s the community we have to stay in touch with. . . . So far, this community does stay involved.”

While sheriff’s officials say it’s too early to tell what effect the merger is having on the overall crime rate, they have noticed some changes:

* Response times for “Priority 1” calls, involving a felony in progress, have improved by 30 seconds over last year to an average of about 4 to 4.5 minutes.

* Calls for service are down about 4%, with an average of 2,000 calls per month.

* Crime reports are up by 20%, probably the result of county policy requiring a report for every crime call received. Before, San Clemente police had more discretion in deciding when to file reports.

* Traffic citations, both parking and moving violations, are up 60% over last year.

The city was also able this summer to resume beach patrols that had been eliminated in budget cuts several years ago.

City Manager Michael W. Parness described the merger as an “unqualified success.”

Under the $5.8-million annual contract with the Sheriff’s Department, the city has increased street patrols by 20% to 56%, depending on the shift. Expanded services at a lower cost are possible because the Sheriff’s Department has lower overhead than the old Police Department, and shares resources with other South County cities.

Another benefit, Parness said, is that the city can draw upon a wider range of specialized law enforcement tools available through the larger Sheriff’s Department, such as the Gang Enforcement Team. That team was called upon in November in the wake of two gang-related shootings within one week.

The merger, however, has not worked for everyone.

Two of three San Clemente officers rejected for employment by the Sheriff’s Department have filed claims with the county or city, the first step in potential lawsuits. Officials have rejected the claims of at least one of the former employees.

The future of the San Clemente jail also remains in dispute. Some critics say the jail, closed since the merger, should be used, rather than having deputies take time to drive prisoners to Santa Ana. Others oppose reopening the jail, especially if it involves prisoners from other South County cities. A study on the jail is expected by the end of the month.

For their part, deputies say they have adjusted well to the change, despite the controversy when the merger was proposed last winter.

“Anytime you look at change, it’s going to be met with resistance,” said Deputy Jim Greenwood. Now that the change has occurred, “it’s business as usual.”