Score: 0 (0/18/0)
Santa Cruz County Grand Jury • 2025-2026

Handcuffing and Transport Can Watsonville Police Reduce Trauma?

Published: June 18, 2025 17 pages
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Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F10, F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16, F17, F18, F19, F20, F21, F22, F23, F24, F25, F26, F27, F28, F29, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F35, F36, F37, F38, F39, F40, F41, F42, F43, F44, F45, F46, F47, F48, F49

Findings and Recommendations 10 findings

F1
While handcuffing is discretionary, Watsonville Department police officers tend to overuse handcuffing, even when a person is released at the scene.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The Watsonville Police Department should update training materials and provide training around handcuffing discretion so that more individuals are released on the scene without being handcuffed. This should be completed by December 31, 2025. (F1)
F2
The WPD handcuffs and transports a much higher percentage of misdemeanor violators to department headquarters than other law enforcement agencies within the County.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Watsonville Police Department should update training materials and provide additional training about cite and release, so that more individuals are released in the field, and thereby reducing the number of people transported to Watsonville Police Headquarters. This should be completed by June 30, 2026. (F2, F3)
F3
All local law enforcement agencies handcuff individuals transported to police departments, hospitals, sobering centers, or the County jail.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Watsonville Police Department should update training materials and provide additional training about cite and release, so that more individuals are released in the field, and thereby reducing the number of people transported to Watsonville Police Headquarters. This should be completed by June 30, 2026. (F2, F3)
F4
In Watsonville, second or third breath testing is done at the Police Department, requiring handcuffing for transport. If more breath testing were done in the field, fewer people would be transported to the WPD.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The Watsonville Police Department should install in every patrol car a certified breath testing apparatus so that multiple breath tests are completed in the field and fewer DUI misdemeanors are transported to WPD. This should be completed by December 31, 2025. (F4)
F5
De-escalation training reduces the use of force, including handcuffing.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
While the WPD does include de-escalation training in some courses, the Watsonville Police Department should require all officers to take the Police Officer Standards and Training De-escalation Training by June 30, 2026. (F5, F9)
F6
Instead of “Protect and Serve”, Watsonville Police say their motto is now "Protect the Vulnerable From Harm." The WPD also says “everybody is treated with dignity and respect,” and they treat everyone “like they're your own family member.”
No recommendations for this finding
F7
The WPD has a lower retention rate of officers with more than five years of experience.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Watsonville City Council should add incentives and raise officer total compensation for those with experience of zero to 15 years by 10% to 30% to reduce attrition, especially in regards to those officers with more than five years of experience. This should be completed by June 30, 2027. (F7, F8, F9)
F8
The WPD salaries are at least 17% lower than the San Jose Police Department salaries.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Watsonville City Council should add incentives and raise officer total compensation for those with experience of zero to 15 years by 10% to 30% to reduce attrition, especially in regards to those officers with more than five years of experience. This should be completed by June 30, 2027. (F7, F8, F9)
F9
Officers with more years of service in the department have better relationships with the community and more experience in de-escalation, leading to fewer negative interactions.
Related Recommendations (3)
R2
While the WPD does include de-escalation training in some courses, the Watsonville Police Department should require all officers to take the Police Officer Standards and Training De-escalation Training by June 30, 2026. (F5, F9)
R5
The Watsonville City Council should add incentives and raise officer total compensation for those with experience of zero to 15 years by 10% to 30% to reduce attrition, especially in regards to those officers with more than five years of experience. This should be completed by June 30, 2027. (F7, F8, F9)
R6
The Watsonville Police Department should institute quarterly meetings with community groups to strengthen relationships with the community. These meetings should begin by October 1, 2025. (F9)
F50
POST. January 1, 2020. “DE-ESCALATION Strategies & Techniques FOR CALIFORNIA LAW ENFORCEMENT.” POST. Accessed February 5, 2025. https://post.ca.gov/Portals/0/post_docs/publications/DeEscalation.pdf 51. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 52. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 53. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 54. California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. December 31, 2020. “Deescalation Strategies and Techniques for California Law Enforcement.” POST Website. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://post.ca.gov/Portals/0/post_docs/publications/DeEscalation.pdf 55. CalPERS. August 12, 2024. “Pension Reform Impacts.” CalPERS. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://www.calpers.ca.gov/employers/policies-and-procedures/pension-reform-i mpacts#:~:text=The%20California%20Public%20Employees'%20Pension,'%20R etirement%20Law%20(PERL). 56. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 57. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 58. National Testing Network. July 16, 2024. “Watsonville Police Department Job Information.” National Testing Network Website. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs/fullJobDetails.cfm?agencyjobi d=1192&jobid=1&agentid=745 59. County of Santa Cruz Personnel Department. February 26, 2025. “Santa Cruz County Government - Job Salary Schedule.” County of Santa Cruz Personnel Department. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://www2.santacruzcountyca.gov/personnel/salsched/OccCdDisp.asp?OccDe sc=LAW%20ENFORCEMENT%20*%20RELATED%20%20%20%20%20%20%2 0%20%20%20%20%20 60. San Jose Police Department Recruitment. January 1, 2025. “Salaries, Benefits, Pension.” San Jose Police Department Website. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://www.sjpdyou.com/for-applicants/additional-information/salary-benefits-pen sion#:~:text=Salary%20*%20Paid%20Academy%20training%20for%20Police,Pl us%202nd%20and%203rd%20watch%20shift%20differential. 61. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 62. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 63. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 64. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 65. Atlas of Surveillance. March 28, 2019. “Watsonville Police Department: Body-worn Cameras.” Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://atlasofsurveillance.org/a/aos000151-watsonville-police-department-body- worn-cameras 66. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 67. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 68. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 69. WYSM. January 1, 2025. “From Duty to Desire. Leadership and empowerment training for first responders and the community..” WYSM (Why'd You Stop Me?) Website. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://wysm.org/ 70. Confidential Grand Jury interview. 71. Confidential Grand Jury interview. Websites https://post.ca.gov/ https://www.watsonville.gov/2324/Police https://shf.santacruzcountyca.gov/
No recommendations for this finding

Conclusions 1

Commendations 1

Agency Responses 3

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.