Solano County Grand Jury • 2023-2024

Delays in Relocation of Vallejo Police Department ARE Costly

11 pages
View Original PDF

Findings and Recommendations 5 findings

F1
– In 2019, the City of Vallejo purchased the former State Farm Insurance building at 400 Mare Island Way specifically for the new location of the Vallejo Police Department. The cost of the move continues to rise as the city continues to delay the move.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1A
– Vallejo City Council take the steps they need to relocate the police department.
R1B
– The city seeks and applies for federal and state infrastructure grants to pay for retrofitting the chosen building to meet the needs of the police department.
F2
–Current police headquarters has deteriorated and is inadequate for the city’s needs. The building has been neglected for too long. Continually repairing the current facility is not a fiscally responsible policy.
Related Recommendations (2)
R2A
– The city needs to move the police department as soon as possible to a location that will help ensure a well-run police department in Vallejo.
R2B
– Since the proposed JFK Library site is not ADA compliant, the city must find a new facility that guarantees access to all.
F3
–A significant portion of the existing Vallejo Police Department building at 111 Amador is no longer useable because of asbestos and lead contamination. The City is spending thousands of dollars quarterly to pay for testing and cleanup of areas contaminated with asbestos and lead. In addition, after each rain, the building floods and the city has to send in a crew to address water damage as well as the removal of mold.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
– Relocate the Vallejo Police Department as promptly as possible.
F4
– In 2008, the city of Vallejo filed for bankruptcy and cut its police force by about half. The police department is still understaffed. Although the Police Chief has initiated a stronger recruiting effort, the working conditions in the Amador facility prove to be a deterrent to successful recruiting. The current building has been described as “deplorable” by city officials and others who have toured the facility. The Amador Street structure is a deterrent to the department’s ability to attract and hire new employees.
Related Recommendations (2)
R4A
– Relocate the police department to provide a more attractive, healthy working environment, which will enhance recruitment efforts.
R4B
– In addition to moving the Police Department to a new building, Vallejo seek funding through federal and state grants to augment the pay for police officers.
F5
– The Amador building is an inappropriate environment for the CARE Center’s work.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
– The CARE Center continue to provide services at the 400 Mare Island Building, where the environment is separate from the business of the police department. It is a trauma-centered, calming environment for victims, primarily children, seeking help. COMMENTS The general public and those agencies investigating the Vallejo Police Department have continuously called for transparency. Frustrations mount when resistance is encountered: that resistance to providing information has exacerbated the distrust and animosity that some members of the public have toward law enforcement in Vallejo. Unfortunately, the Solano County Civil Grand Jury, while conducting investigations this term, encountered a significant amount of resistance to transparency from the Vallejo City Attorney’s Office.

Comments 1