Good Return on Investment : Santa Ana’s COP Program Funding Paid Off by Cutting Crime

Like many cities, Santa Ana often finds itself short on cash and long on programs competing for available money. But the $1.7 million it invested in a crime-fighting program several months ago has paid dividends.

The city was required to match federal funds offered under the Community Oriented Policing program. The more than $3 million in city and federal funds will pay to put 15 additional police officers on the streets for three years. The added personnel already have contributed to an impressive reduction in felonies in Santa Ana.

Police reported a 60% drop in armed robbery in the final six months of 1995 compared with the same period in 1994. Assaults were down 42%, reported burglaries and thefts 53%.

The COP program is intended to help cities get back to the “cop on the beat” approach, letting police officers become a familiar presence in communities and deter criminals rather than roaring out of the police station after the crime has been committed.

Getting police personally acquainted with the people they are protecting also should avoid repetition of errors like the ones at St. Joseph’s Church in Santa Ana. The church’s pastor said in recent years police twice arrested gang members in the church during Sunday services. That understandably outraged the pastor and parishioners, who look to the church as sanctuary. But the Rev. Christopher Smith, the pastor, said police are doing better at communicating and cooperating with law-abiding residents in the Lacy neighborhood. He does not think there will be further church invasions.

Police have come up with other worthwhile attempts to help residents. Sometimes that can be as simple as asking other city departments to come around and clear debris from alleys. In other instances, police warn building owners of their responsibility to fix broken windows.

Sometimes it requires larger-than-usual displays of police force, with drug sweeps, roadblocks and towing cars to run drug dealers out of the area.

Officers in the community policing program have demonstrated they can work with the people they are sworn to protect. Residents have learned they can turn to the police for help. Mutual respect and assistance should help lower the crime rate.