Interim Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel has announced that the city will extend the mandate of private security firm First Alarm to patrol downtown Santa Cruz through December. The program, which costs $5,000 per month, places three unarmed security guards on the street to tackle minor violations. It is intended to last until the SCPD fills seven vacant positions.
In just one month, the security guards have tackled everything from public smoking to sleeping in shop doorways, and from panhandling to disturbing the peace. Although the guards do not have the authority of police officers, they are in regular radio contact with the SCPD and can call in police officers as necessary. They can’t arrest anyone—except as a citizen’s arrest—but they can make “contacts,” and have, in fact, made 1,100 contacts over the one-month period.
Downtown Association President Emily Bernard Coonerty says that the private security force has handled public safety issues in a “friendly” and “positive” way. Downtown Association Vice President Patty Zoccoli was more specific, saying that it helped to resolve the problem of people sleeping in shop entranceways. The public response pleased Interim Police Chief Vogel, who said that, “We owe it to our community to look at innovative approaches to addressing crime downtown.”
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16255073
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