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Final Reports
1999
Final Report: 1998 Response Summaries:
Law Enforcement
| 1998 Recommendation | Response by Agency | Action by 1999 Grand Jury |
| Courthouse
Security Recommendation 37: The 1999 Grand Jury should monitor the security of the Hall of Justice. |
Security system became operational on July 27, 1998. | See report on page 73. |
| Recommendation 38:
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the San Mateo County Sheriff should consider installing similar security systems in all San Mateo County Courthouses if cost effective. |
See report on page 73. | |
| East
Palo Alto Police Department Recommendation 39: The EPA Police Department should be provided funding at a level required to meet the needs of the community or these services should be contracted with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department until funds are available. |
The City of EPA is modifying its spending to adjust for the potential of not having federal COPS grant dollars after June 2000. | Investigated response and decided to take no further action. |
| Recommendation 40:
A substantial percentage of increased tax revenue from new projects should be devoted to increasing police officers' salaries and benefits and improving the physical plant of the police department. |
Prior to the issuance of the Grand Jury Report, the City and its union reached an agreement for a 7.5% salary increase and medical and dental benefit adjustment. The City and union will continue to negotiate issues of appropriate compensation for police personnel. | No further action taken by 1999 Grand Jury. |
| Recommendation 41:
The EPA Police Department's plans and objectives should be reviewed, approved and monitored to ensure they met the needs of the community. |
The EPA Police Department believes that it is addressing the needs of the community. | No further action taken by 1999 Grand Jury. |
| Recommendation 42:
The Chief of Police of EPA and his department managers should be supported in establishing mandatory leadership training and improved communications. |
The Police Department's leadership receives annual training in leadership and management principles. It is expected that additional monies will be provided for expanded training in the 1999-2000 budget. | The 2000 Grand Jury may wish to monitor. |
| Recommendation 43:
The EPA Police Department should remain in close contact with all segments of the community by regularly scheduled town meetings. |
The Community Safety Program was established prior to the 1998 Grand Jury Report. This program has allowed the Police Department to work with local groups on a regular basis and has enabled the department to hear and act on the community's concerns. | No further action taken by 1999 Grand Jury. The 2000 Grand Jury may wish to monitor. |
| Recommendation 44:
The EPA Police Chief should retrain his personnel in EPA Community Policing plans and concepts and implement the programs on which the grant requests were originally based. |
The Police Chief has implemented a community policing philosophy and the entire department has received training. The City Council has set aside time to more actively work with the department on some modifications to its original policy. It is expected that these changes will be implemented during the 1999-2000 fiscal year. | The 2000 Grand Jury may wish to monitor. |
| Recommendation 45:
The EPA Chief of Police should review the beat number method of recording crime and incident information. |
The Police chief has decided that the reporting districts method proved a better model for analyzing and recording crime statistics. | No further action taken by 1999 Grand Jury. |
| Recommendation 46:
All patrol officers should keep a daily shift log to assure that the immediate next shift personnel or personnel arriving after an absence are up-to-date on critical details. |
Police personnel are examining their internal operations to determine how to address the listed concerns about shift logs. It is expected that a new system will be identified and implemented after July 1, 1999. | The 2000 Grand Jury may wish to monitor. |
| Recommendation 47:
The EPA City Council should monitor the progress the EPA Police Department makes in following the guidelines and recommendations made in the management study they commissioned this year and in accomplishing the recommendations of the 1998 Grand Jury. |
The City is contracting with an outside agency to complete a new organizational study and will be integrating the results of this updated analysis into its personnel management plan. | The 2000 Grand Jury may wish to monitor. |
| Hillcrest
Juvenile Detention Facility Recommendation 48: Priority should be given to the construction of a new Juvenile Detention Facility adjacent to the existing facility. |
Concur. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors authorized the chief Probation Officer to issue Requests for Proposals. | Viewed existing facilities and reviewed design plans and progress for new facility. |
| Recommendation 49: 1999 Grand Jury should monitor the progress. |
2000 Grand Jury may wish to monitor. |