Sheriffs Win Policing Award

Calabasas residents are served and protected by one of the best law enforcement teams in the world, according to an independent assessment released this month.

The Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station ranked tops among 211 police and sheriff patrol offices reviewed by the Altus Global Alliance and the Vera Institute of Justice, both nonprofits working to improve public safety. The evaluation included patrol offices in 20 countries and on five continents.

Teams fanned out to assess citizen satisfaction with services delivered by police departments, to identify good practices used by police, and to observe relations between police and local communities.

"What we came away with was the commitment to the cities they serve but moreover the high level of candor that made up the deputies and staff we spoke with," said Denis Weber, a member of the team that visited the station, in a statement released by Altus and the Vera Institute. "The deputy that accompanied us was knowledgeable of every area of the station and exuded confidence, patience and a sense of humor when called for."

Malibu/Lost Hills, led by Capt. Joseph Stephen and station commander Thomas Martin, scored 95 points or above on a 100-point scale on community orientation, physical conditions, equal treatment of the public, transparency and accountability, and detention conditions. The average for all countries in the assessment was 62.09. For U.S. patrol offices in the evaluation, the average was 79.22.