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Morgan Hill Police Department Summer 2018 Newsletter
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Chief's Corner
Morgan Hill Police Department
YOUR & OUR Department of Choice
An important transition in culture and philosophy is occurring at MHPD and we invite you to be a part of it. At the end of 2017, the Department's leadership team met to review our current strategic plan for public safety and evaluate our priorities. As part of this conversation, we identified the desire to make our partnership with the community our top priority for 2018. To achieve this, we recognize the need to work together to make Morgan Hill an even better place to live by reducing crime and traffic collisions. As we laid out the traditional steps to make this happen a new and exciting concept emerged that was adopted as our focus: becoming the
"Police Department of Choice" to you - those we serve each day - and the members of our MHPD team. What does this mean? It means, we want the service we provide to you be so superior that community members would
c
hoose
us to respond to their emergency in their time of need. At the same time, we want to enhance our organizational culture to one of individual value, growth and excellence so that each member of our team chooses us as
their
employer of choice and would rather work here than anywhere else.
Although we know in Morgan Hill your 9-1-1 or non-emergency call will be answered by our dispatch center, our goal is to provide you with a level of service so high you'd want replicate that service in other jurisdictions.
This vision is larger than life and a concept that is difficult to grasp or know if we have achieved. As a new concept, are working on how best to measure our success. Our overarching goals are to enhance culture, strengthen trust and confidence, reduce crime and traffic collisions. In the coming months, we will develop strategies to accomplish each of these goals.
At the same time, we will strive to align our internal culture to one where the men and women of our Department feel supported and their contributions are valued.
We are excited about this effort to become your Department of Choice and make 2018 a year of advancement. Over the next few months, we will be implementing new policing strategies to achieve our goals. At the same time, we will work continually to build and strengthen the community's trust and confidence in us. We ask you to partner with us by showing your support for the men and women who work tirelessly to keep Morgan Hill safe and asking others to do the same. Your support will lead to better public safety outcomes. Together, we will make our community an even safer place to live, work and play.
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A Crime Data Snapshot of 2017
Crime Tracking
During the first few months of each calendar year, MHPD collects the prior year's crime and collision data and compares it with prior years to identify trends and patterns. While we conduct data analysis regularly to identify immediate crime trends, yearly analysis provides an overview of the extent of crime, its characteristics and change over time.
At MHPD we track all crimes, but we report what are known as Part 1 crimes to the FBI each month. Part 1 crimes are defined by the FBI as serious crimes that are likely to occur in every jurisdiction that will be reported to the police. Part 1 crimes are divided into 2 categories:
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Violent Crimes
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Property Crimes
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Homicide
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Burglary
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Rape
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Larceny
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Robbery
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Motor Vehicle Theft
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Aggravated Assaults
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Arson
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We also track crimes that are considered Part 2 crimes. Part 2 crimes include simple assault, forgery, fraud, weapons violation and narcotic drug, liquor laws and many more. We report arrests, also known as "clearances" for both Part 1 and 2 crimes to the FBI.
The FBI compiles both Part 1 and 2 data from law enforcement agencies throughout the nation as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting program and publishes an annual report entitled Crime in the United States. To view the most FBI's most recent report for 2016,
2017 Part 1 Crime Data for Morgan Hill
In 2017 our violent crimes decreased and property crimes increased from 2016. However when measuring crime, we examine and analyze historical data, not just year-by-year dips and spikes. When compared to our 3-year historical average our violent crimes have remained relatively steady and property crimes experienced an increase. Within the property crimes category, burglaries in Morgan Hill were down from the previous year, but larceny (theft, shoplifting and thefts from vehicles) increased by 17% and thefts of motor vehicles increased by 8%. To view our 2017 Part 1 crimes and number of arrests for 2017,
click here
.
Our 2017 crime rate is 2151 crimes per 100,000 residents. This is up 9% from 2016. Our 2017 crime rate ranks us 8 out of the 13 cities in the County. Although we experienced an uptick in crime, our officer productivity and proactive policing surged last year. MHPD was the number one in the County for number of arrests per officer and percent of reports taken that resulted in an arrest. In 2017 our arrests exceeded the average number of arrests reflected in the FBI's National Average for the Pacific Region by 55% for violent crimes and 20% for property crimes. To view officer 2017 officer productivity,
click here.
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Chief David Swing Sworn in as
California Police Chiefs Association President
Our own Chief David Swing was sworn in as the President of the California Police Chiefs Association on March 21
st in Long Beach California. We are extremely proud of Chief Swing and this highly regarded accomplishment. The California Police Chiefs Association (CPCA) represents the state's municipal police chiefs and their agencies. The CPCA's objectives are to promote and advance the science and art of police administration and crime prevention. The CPCA also advocates for public safety policy issues at the state level that promote the safety and well-being of residents of municipalities throughout the state.
Chief Swing is looking forward to serving as President to not only enhance Morgan Hill's public safety but all California cities and towns. "I am honored to lead the California Police Chiefs Association this year. We have much to be proud of as an association and profession, and much to accomplish in the coming year" Swing said.
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Photo courtesy of Sergeant Carlos Guerrero
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Chief Swing has served as Morgan Hill's Police Chief since 2011. A cornerstone of his success here is the priority he places on community engagement as a key to making our city safer. He continues his emphasis here in Morgan Hill on community involvement and building trust and recognizes that a safer city is a result of community/police partnerships. He plans make community engagement a focus in his role as CPCA President. "We will continue to collaboratively address issues facing our profession, including strengthening community trust, rising crime rates, the growing impacts of homelessness and the mentally ill, and the unprecedented reforms that have impacted the criminal justice system. All of these have significant impacts in the manner we serve our communities." he stated.
Chief Swing been in law enforcement for 23 years starting as a reserve police officer here in Morgan Hill and now as Chief. We are extremely proud of Chief Swing and look forward to the impact and changes he will facilitate to make not only Morgan Hill a safer city, but also California a safer state.
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Addressing traffic issues and preventing collisions remain among our top priorities for 2018. In 2017 we experienced a downturn in collisions, however, when compared to our historical average, collisions have increased by 30% in recent years. MHPD has a traffic division dedicated to traffic enforcement that's currently comprised of 2 officers who are supervised by 1 sergeant. There will soon be 3 traffic officers assigned to the traffic division. The Morgan Hill City Council recently approved the city's operating budget for fiscal years 2018-2020. The Police Department's budget includes hiring an additional officer to augment our traffic enforcement efforts by expanding our traffic division. This division is responsible for targeting hazardous moving violations (red light violations, speeding, distracted driving etc.). The ultimate goal of the division is to improve the safety of our roadways and the quality of life for our residents and visitors.
Our traffic officers work in close partnership with our patrol officers to address traffic issues that are reported to us via phone or the Traffic Complaint Form or those observed by our officers. They also use a data-driven approach to traffic safety. They regularly examine data to identify "hot spots" for collisions and citations. The traffic team then establishes effective and efficient methods for deploying officers to "hot spot" areas during peak hours. Last year, our 5 top hot spots for collisions were:
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2017 Top 5 Collision Intersections
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Total
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Dunne Ave & Butterfield Blvd
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7
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Tennant Ave & Butterfield Blvd
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6
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Cochrane Rd & US 101
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4
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Cochrane Rd & Madrone Parkway
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4
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Hale Ave & Llagas Rd
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4
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A majority of these collisions occurred during evening commute hours. The Primary Collision Factors (PCF) were unsafe speed, improper turning and red light violations. Rear-end collisions were the top type at each location. When our officers see an uptick in collisions at certain locations, they use directed enforcements to patrol these areas on the days and times with the highest number of collisions looking for speed violations, distracted driving and other unsafe driving activities.
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Cops & Robbers Ball 2018
Raising Funds to Support
Our Police Department
The 7th Annual Cops and Robbers Ball was held on April 21, 2018 at the Community and Cultural Center. This fun-filled event was attended by over 200 guests. It is the annual fundraising event hosted by the Morgan Hill Community Law Enforcement Foundation (CLEF). CLEF is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting public safety in Morgan Hill by providing resources to the Department. CLEF is run solely by volunteers who are dedicated to raising funds to support the Police Department to ensure our Department is performing at its highest level of service to the community.
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Detective Greg Dini poses in the Red Man
Defensive Tactics Training Suit
Photo courtesy of Officer Jeff Brandon
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The evening included dinner, dancing and something very special - a glimpse into the what it's like to actually be a "cop". The Community & Cultural Center was set up into stations where guests got to immerse themselves in a variety of experiences, from taking a breathalyzer test to know their alcohol level to watching live demonstrations by our SWAT, Traffic Division (motorcycles) and K9 Team.
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Demo by K9 Officer Basco & Handler Officer Fierro
Photo courtesy of CSI Bruce Dudley
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The highlight of the evening was getting to use the Department's new Force Options Simulator. Purchased with funds from CLEF, the Force Options Simulator is an interactive training tool that immerses the user into different true to life scenarios where he/she has to respond to multiple threats. The user must choose which option to use typically within seconds in order to preserve life and safety. "Now I get a feel for what officers deal with on a daily basis", said Albert Balagso, an attendee. "I only had a split second to determine what the threat was and how I was going to respond. It was a real eye opener" he added.
Each year CLEF honors those in our community who support and contribute to Morgan Hill's safety. This year, CLEF honored former City Councilmember Marilyn Librers and community leader Brian Sullivan. We at MHPD appreciate and applaud their work toward making our community safer. We thank you for your dedication to Morgan Hill!
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2018 Honorees Marilyn Librers & Brian Sullivan
Photo Courtesy of CSI Bruce Dudley
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Since 2008, CLEF has provided the Police Department with over $225,000 in equipment, tools and training opportunities that are outside of our operating budget. Through CLEF, our Department was able to purchase K9 Officer Basco as well as the required training and equipment for both Basco and his handler Officer Santiago Fierro.
CLEF has also provided us with a Noptic - night vision camera, automated license plate reader, ballistic trauma plates for our SWAT team, first responder medical kits for each patrol vehicle and much more! The men and women of MHPD truly appreciate CLEF's support and thank them for being a key partner in working to enhance public safety in Morgan Hill. Without the hard work and dedication of their volunteers, our Department would not be able to deploy the equipment that has positioned us a leader in technology and innovation.
We hope you'll join us next year for the 2019 Cops & Robbers Ball. Each year has outdone the prior year so we look forward to a terrific event next year.
Visit
CLEF's website to learn more about who they are and what they do!
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We Are Hiring - Join the MHPD Team!
We are excited to announce that our police force is growing! We are hiring police officers! We are looking for qualified candidates (both lateral and entry level) to join our team. Candidates must meet the minimum qualifications below:
- Graduated from high school or earned a GED
- Completed a minimum of 60 semester units of college
- Possess a valid driver's license
- Meet the physical, psychological and backgrounds standards as set by the California Commission for Police Officer Standards and Training at time of hire
- Must be 20.5 years at time of hire
A career in law enforcement is both exciting and rewarding. Every day you have the opportunity help people and save lives, you have the opportunity to use your skills to be a problem solver and help people make better choices and each day you will be working to make a positive impact in our community.
We are fortunate to serve in a community where our work is supported and appreciated by our residents. We work hand-in-hand with our community to resolve issues that make Morgan Hill a great community with a superior quality of life.
Our Department is on the cutting edge of technology and we employ intelligence led policing using state-of-the-art equipment and tools.
To view our recruitment flyer,
click here. For questions or to learn more about being a police officer in Morgan Hill please email our Human Resources Department at
[email protected]. To complete an online application,
click here.
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