VPOA

Vallejo Police Slam City of Vallejo For Illegal Emergency Action

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Vallejo Police Association

Vallejo, Ca – The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association today slammed a proposed “declaration of emergency” by the City of Vallejo and its Chief of Police calling it “illegal and dangerous to citizens, public safety, police and the rule of law.”

The City has called a special meeting and placed a “declaration of emergency” on the City Council agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 6, that seeks to give unprecedented powers to City Manager Greg Nyhoff to circumvent state and local laws and regulations.

The City claims the declaration is necessary to deal with the current crime wave, which necessarily concedes that the City’s neglect and mismanagement has resulted in conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of all residents, the VPOA says.

“The City does not need to declare an emergency to hire more police officers to protect citizens and businesses. It just needs to hire more cops, which it has been unable to do for years because it refuses to provide competitive wages and benefits to attract candidates – either entry level or laterals,” said members of the VPOA.

While the lack of effective City leadership is not in doubt, the VPOA said it will challenge its declaration in court and pursue all legal and administrative remedies. The proposed declaration “would allow it to bypass all civil service rules and other regulations to give the City Manager authoritarian powers until the City itself declares that the so-called emergency is over,” VPOA members added.

“This so-called declaration of emergency should cause everyone grave concern. The City effectively seeks to set aside due process, Civil Service Rules, and established law to create a dictatorship in response to its own administrative failures. This is a dangerous, illegal power grab concocted by the City’s administration that violates laws, public safety and everyone’s rights as citizens and employees of the City of Vallejo,” the VPOA warned.

They pointed out that City Manager Greg Nyhoff has been with the Vallejo for three years and Police Chief Shawny Williams has been onboard for a year.

“They are trying to pass this ’emergency’ as being necessary due to past administrations’ decisions. The reality is that Nyhoff and Williams have been, and are at, the helm, and should be held accountable. Accountability does not mean that we cast aside the checks and balances that are required of democracy,” VPOA members said.

The VPOA says the City’s and Chief’s admitted mismanagement, neglect, and incompetence for the past decade are to blame for the City’s current condition.

The City has failed to prioritize the police department. Instead of taking funds away from budgeted police officer positions to hire a $500,000 a year Assistant Police Chief to sit behind a desk, the City should be focusing their efforts on hiring highly qualified officers and developing actual strategies for a sustainable police force.

The VPOA says the so-called ‘state of emergency’ “opens the door to cronyism and is an excuse to hire more unaccountable administrative bureaucrats that will do nothing to help citizens impacted by crime.” The declaration itself says that the City wants to hire more administrators, even noting that there “is a vacant Assistant Chief position” which the City created in July without increasing the Police Department’s budget.

The VPOA said the Vallejo’s leadership is citing its own failure to implement police reforms as a ruse to justify its unprecedented action. After repeated attempts to meet with Assistant Chief Joe Allio regarding the OIR Group’s recommended reforms, the VPOA sent the City a letter on September 16, 2020 formally encouraging City leaders to work with the union to make progress on the recommendations.

Despite the VPOA’s public support of the OIR Group’s recommendations, the City did not reach out to schedule a meeting until October 1, 2020, only hours before giving notice of this proposed declaration of emergency.

“The reason Vallejo is awash in crime is that the City has starved the department of necessary funds to hire patrol officers to protect citizens,” said members of the VPOA.

“The City can’t declare an emergency when they are the one that caused the emergency. The City’s incompetent leadership has mismanaged Vallejo for the past decade. Now their solution is to declare an emergency and give unprecedented powers and authority to themselves, the people that created the situation,” members of the VPOA said.

The VPOA has offered to work with the City and Chief to implement recommendations from two independent studies of the Vallejo Police Department. One study found the VPD was unbiased and non-discriminatory in its use of force and the other study provided 45 recommendations for changes and reform. The VPOA support both studies and their reform initiatives.

“The OIR Group recommendations are important steps for the future of the Vallejo Police Department, and the VPOA maintains its commitment to work with the City toward implementing those recommendations. Nothing in the OIR Group’s report suggests or the principles in 21st Century Policing requires the City to circumvent state and local laws and regulations,” they added.

The Vallejo Police Officer’s’ Association (VPOA) was incorporated in 1957. The VPOA is the recognized bargaining unit between all Vallejo Police Officer’s and the City of Vallejo. Members include all ranks of officer’s – Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Corporals and Officer’s. The VPOA does not represent the Chief of Police or the Assistant Chief of Police

The business function of the VPOA is to protect the collective interests of the members of the Vallejo Police Department and provide benefits to its members.

The VPOA is also committed to the safety and security of the citizens of Vallejo and the protection of life and property.

For more information, please visit www.vallejopoa.org

Vallejo Police Officers’ Assn. Supports Police Reforms Urges City, Chief To Work With VPOA For Change

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Vallejo Police Association

Vallejo, Calif. – The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association today urged the City of Vallejo to join together in making important changes and reforms to improve policing, public safety, bring the department into 21 Century policing, and to build trust and credibility for police officers, the City and future generations.

“In light of the fact that VPOA members are typically the only representatives of the City directly interacting with the community on a daily basis, we urge the City to prioritize implementing these changes as soon as possible to advance public safety and to ensure our police force is at the forefront of improving and enhancing community relationships, openness, fairness, and public and police safety,” the VPOA letter says.

Specifically, the VPOA called upon the City to work together to adopt the vast majority of recommended reforms and changes from two independent studies commissioned by the City of Vallejo.

The first independent study by Police Strategies LLC in June on use of force concluded that Vallejo police officers are racially unbiased and equitable in their application of force. The second independent report by OIR Group in May offered 45 recommended changes and reforms to VPD.

“As the use of force is a critical component in the national discussion on policing, this is something we should all celebrate and take great pride in as we discuss local reforms,” the VPOA letter to the city states. The VPOA said it believes the report’s data is import in guiding positive changes.

The second independent report by the OIR Group offered 45 recommendations to improve policing in Vallejo. The letter to the city states that VPD has implemented a handful of the recommendations, but overall, it notes that “progress has been slow, sowing doubt as to the City’s commitment to improving and modernizing the Vallejo Police Department. As the VPOA has stated on numerous occasions, the members support the vast majority of the OIR Group’s recommendations.”

The letter to the City and Chief says that despite the shared objectives of the Chief and VPOA officers, the Office of the Chief of Police has rejected the VPOA’s repeated requests to collaborate on implementing these reforms in a timely manner.

“While we in the midst of a national discussion on the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve, it is critical that we inform before we reform, as any meaningful discussion must be rooted in fact to avoid politicizing public safety,” the VPOA board of directors wrote in a letter to City leaders and the Vallejo Chief of Police.

The VPOA letter urges the Chief and City leadership to meet and confer on the handful of recommendations that require more evaluation and consideration.

“As Chief Williams has publicly professed his belief in the tenets of 21st Century Policing, it is appropriate to remind the City of two principles of this important philosophy,” the latter states:

“First, 21st Century Policing recognizes that in order to achieve internal legitimacy, law enforcement agencies should involve employees in the process of developing policies and procedures. As the elected representatives of the sworn personnel of the Vallejo Police Department, this letter of support and collaboration from the VPOA should be recognized as an incredible opportunity to move the Department forward in a positive direction.

“Second, 21st Century Policing acknowledges that law enforcement agencies should proactively promote public trust by initiating positive non-enforcement activities to engage communities. To achieve this goal, we must significantly enhance our staffing. The City of Vallejo needs to immediately hire more highly qualified police officers and focus upon increased diversity of race, gender, and ethnicity in its recruiting effort.

“We need these officers now. As the Chief noted in his Exceptional Policing Model, the City of Vallejo needs 180 police officers. Right now, we have roughly 60 percent of the staffing necessary to protect Vallejo. This must change to ensure the safety of the public and our police officers. In summary, the VPOA wants to see positive change for the community, for the City, for ourselves, and for future generations. We urge the City to work with us to make these substantive changes as quickly as possible to the benefit of all stakeholders.”

The VPOA letter urges immediate action and cooperation from the city because the VPOA is “deeply concerned by the current rise in crime, including rape, robbery, and assault, as well as the escalating murder rate which is on pace to make 2020 the deadliest year on record.”

“As guardians of the City and its residents, our members are not currently afforded the staffing, tools, and equipment that are necessary to stem the tide of violence that is overtaking our beloved community. As we struggle to protect our residents’ homes and businesses, it is time to acknowledge that an understaffed and ill-equipped police force is destined to fail in its mission to keep the community safe,” the letter says.

The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association (VPOA) is the recognized bargaining unit between all Vallejo Police Officers and the City of Vallejo. Members include all ranks of Officers. The VPOA is committed to the safety and security of the citizens of Vallejo and the protection of life and property. For more information please visit www.vallejopoa.com

VPOA Letter

VPOA Letter to City Re OIR Reforms by Zennie Abraham on Scribd

Note: this post based on press release sent to Zennie62Media from the VPOA.

Two New Murders in Vallejo: Vallejo Police Association Says City At A Record Pace

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Vallejo Police Association

Vallejo Police Association Says New Cases Bring Total 2020 Murder Cases to 21, On Pace to be Worst Murder Year in History

Vallejo, CA – Vallejo Police officers are investigating two new murder cases that occurred overnight, according the Vallejo Police Officers Association. The total number of murders in Vallejo now stands at 21, putting the city on a pace to break the worst year on record for murders. In 1994, 30 murders occurred, the highest in city history.

Preliminary reports indicate that around 8:15 p.m. last night, September 2, officers heard gunshots and headed to 201 Maine Street. They searched the area and found bullet casings near Maine and Sacramento Streets. Nearby they found a male suffering from gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just after midnight today, September 3, police received a call of gunshots fired in the 100 block of Adele. On arrival officers saw what appeared to be a vehicle collision. Further examination found the cars with a barrage of bullet holes. It appears multiple people may have been shot. One person was transported to the hospital by relatives where he died. Just this week, members of the Vallejo Police Officers? Association (VPOA) demanded the City and Police Chief fully staff and fund VPD to provide levels comparable to other major cities in the Bay Area.

The City is applying a Band-Aid to a serious murder and crime spree when it should be taking long-term actions to correct a life-threatening situation for Vallejo citizens, VPOA said.

The VPOA welcomed the temporary assignment of California Highway Patrol officers to assist the under-staffed and under-funded Vallejo Police Department battle this crime and murder spree. The VPOA praised this last week?s announcement by the Mayor of help from the CHP, but said the City needs to live up to its public safety commitments. The Police Department struggles every day to get a minimum number of officers on the street during each of its three shifts.

The City should have a minimum of eight officers on the street during non-peak hours and 13 during peak workload times. But due to severe staffing limitations, there are generally no more than six officers on the street at any given time in a city of over 120,000. Vallejo oficers respond to approximately 225 911 calls every day. Oakland and Richmond have roughly double the number of police officers per 1,000 residents than Vallejo.

Statistics show Vallejo has just 0.87 officers per 1,000 residents while Oakland has 1.70 officers and Richmond has 1.63 officers per 1,000 residents. The average number of officers per 1,000 population in California is 2.34.

Right now Vallejo police officers are forced to work overtime shifts of up to 16 hours at a time because of chronic understaffing. Fatigue from such long hours results in dangerous working conditions and adversely impacts citizen safety.

Further, the recent Federal grant to hire another eight officers only makes the staffing deficit greater.

The City has funded 122 officers for 10 years and but has yet to see that number actually employed.

Most importantly, the grant does nothing to attract qualified applicants, especially those officers from other agencies that have training and experience that allow them to immediately police the streets of Vallejo instead of going through over a year of training. An independent report from the OIR Group commissioned by the City and released in June says that the Vallejo Police Department?s ?numbers remain well below the peak staffing levels that preceded 2008. There are other residual difficulties as well: salaries are below the market average, the workload is highly demanding, forced overtime is routine. All these factors make it difficult to attract and retain excellent officers.?

The VPOA needs the City and the Police Chief to stand up and take action now to address public safety. The VPOA represents the 105 sworn members of the Department.

Anyone with information about these most recent homicides or any of the homicides that have occurred this year are encouraged to call the Vallejo Police Department Detective Division at (707) 649-5459.