Published in the May 13-26, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
In his yearly public safety report that was released this month, Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing says crime, other than auto theft, is on a downward trend in our community.
In 2014, overall crime was down 12 percent compared to last year and down 15 percent considering the average of the past four years. Morgan Hill can proudly call itself one of the safest cities in Santa Clara County. That safety level contributes to the high quality of life that our residents experience. And one reason for our city’s success in public safety is the bridge of community engagement the MHPD has built connecting residents and the employees of the police department.
During the last several years, the Community Law Enforcement Foundation has played a significant role in helping to build this community engagement. CLEF’s fourth annual Cops & Robbers Ball this year raised $46,000 that will be used to purchase specialized law enforcement equipment not budgeted by the city. Among notable past accomplishments, CLEF helped pay for Sony, the police dog in the MHPD’s K-9 unit.
“CLEF really supports the initiatives that helps the MHPD serve the community,” Swing told us. “CLEF is the cornerstone of a lot of our community engagements.”
Another important program engaging residents in public safety is the Citizens Police Academy which takes residents on a series of weekly classes exploring the components of daily law enforcement such as patrolling neighborhoods, investigating crime scenes, and dispatching emergency calls. Graduates of the CPA program can apply for the police department’s Volunteers in Policing program and help with less risky policing operations such as dealing with abandoned vehicles, setting up the radar trailer for traffic enforcement, patrolling certain neighborhoods, and spending time at the front desk of the police headquarters filing paperwork and helping residents who come in for assistance. The VIP participants allow full-time police officers and staff to focus their time on other matters such as emergency calls and detective work.
“Morgan Hill’s VIP program is a force multiplier,” Swing said. “We’re able to do things and be more involved than we would have otherwise.”
Morgan Hill Police Department’s Explorers program is yet another example of community engagement in public safety.
Young people who join this group are mentored by officers and learn skills such as providing safety services at major events such as the Taste of Morgan Hill and The Mushroom Mardi Gras. The Explorers also teach life-long values and integrity of character to young people. The program has proven so successful that CAL FIRE set up a Fire Explorers program recently to mentor young people through involvement in fire department volunteering.
Morgan Hill’s Citizens Emergency Response Team is another example of how dedicated many Morgan Hill residents are in volunteering their time to make sure that the citizens of Morgan Hill enjoy a high level of public safety.
CERT volunteers receive special training that enhances their ability to recognize, respond to, and recover from a major emergency or disaster situation. These volunteers will then be able to take care of themselves and others during and after a emergency that might impact Morgan Hill, such as a major earthquake or fire.
We at Morgan Hill Life thank the many dedicated volunteers involved with programs such as CLEF, VIP, the Citizens Police Academy, Explorers and CERT for giving their time with the MHPD in community engagement. And we encourage residents to learn more about these organizations and support them.
