Program Questions Police Chief’s Support

Leaders of a nationally known program based at the Santa Paula Police Department headquarters are questioning how much Police Chief Walt Adair supports their efforts.

In a statement released Friday, National Cops ‘n’ Jocks Program coordinator Rich Randolph said the organization will conduct a survey to see how much support the program has in the Santa Paula department outside of rank-and-file officers.

The group will speak with dispatchers, sergeants and administrators on their knowledge of the program, according to the statement.

Cops ‘n’ Jocks was established in Santa Paula in 1992 to increase rapport between police officers and high school athletes. Since then, it has been adopted by law enforcement agencies in 18 states.

The department supplies staff for the program, phone and fax privileges and office space used by Randolph, a Santa Paula reserve officer. The city also paid to equip and insure a donated car used by the program.

But a tussle over the insurance payments took the car out of service for several weeks earlier this year. Insurance has since been restored.

The statement does not blame any administrator by name. However, the action comes on the heels of a vote of no confidence in Adair by the Santa Paula Police Officers Assn.

Adair said he is at a loss to explain why the organization is questioning his support of the program.

“I was the one who authorized the first Cops ‘n’ Jocks program to be run out of the Santa Paula Police Department. No one else would touch it,” he said.

In 1997, after being nominated by Adair, the Cops ‘n’ Jocks Program was named the nonprofit California Crime Prevention Program of the Year.