I Welcome the New Police Chief

In an interview with the Editor of Pleasanton Patch, the new Police Chief David Spiller said he "wants his officers to stay connected to residents." I like that thought. There is no doubt residents want his officers to be connected to us.

Over the ten years I have lived in the Muirwood neighborhood, I have called the Pleasanton Police four times to report a possible crime in progress or to report suspicious activity that I had observed. I usually call the dispatcher at 925-931-5100 because my call is not an emergency and the dispatcher may already be on top of it. I have the police dispatcher number on my cell phone contact list.

My first call to the police was in July 2001 druing the morning hour to report that I had arrived at my home around 9:45 p.m. the previous evening and noticed a shadowy firgure in my backyard as I entered my kitchen and turned on the light.

My wife was in the family room, watching television with the lights off. I shook off what I saw, ignored it and went upstairs. As I entered the master bedroom, I heard the gate next to the garage open. I looked out the window and saw a bearded older person walking up my drive way and out of my sight. As I spoke with the dispatcher that morning about the incident the previous evening, she said that guy was probably in my backyard watching my wife. She said, "When you came home you surprised hime when you turned on the light."

That day, I installed heavy metal hardware on the inside of both gates, which prevents anyone from entering through the gates.

My second call to the police was a couple of years later. I was on my hand-powered bike over near the Muirwood Community Park — it was the first day of school and it was just letting out. I noticed an unkempt woman in a ratty-looking car handing candy to two little girls. I hurried on my bike one mile back to my home and called the police to explain what I saw. The police responded to the area but did not locate the person or car I described. Later at my home, a police officer came by to discuss the issue. I appreciated that follow-up by that officer.

My third call to the police a year or so later was to report that a former employee had used my private residential phone number to purchase a monthly ring-tone subscription for his cell phone. I was the victim of identity theft.

An officer came to my home. I provided a hard copy of evidence to the officer and provided the location of the former employee. The officer was polite, professional and thorough. She provided the name of a detective and explained that the detective would be in touch. When I did not hear from the detective in a week, I called him. He was familiar with the case but had not pursued it because he was busy with other issues. I never heard from the detective or the police department again on this issue. The former employee was never prosecuted for the identity theft.

The detective in this case was not connected to this resident.

My fourth phone call to the police department was around 3 a.m. one morning when I was awakened by a disturbance in the street in front of my home. I called the dispatcher to report a van in the street with someone slamming the vehicle doors and there was a loud conversation going on. I continued to monitor the situation while waiting for the police to respond. After thirty minutes or so, I noticed the passenger was using a lap top computer and appeared to be on the Internet. It occurred to me that he may be using my wireless system. I went into another room unplugged my wireless system. I looked out the window and noticed the passenger quit using his lap top computer. After about forty-five mintues I called the dispatcher again and reported that people from the van were urinating in my yard. Finally the police arrived took care of the issue. I went back to bed.

I believe the Pleasanton Police Department is a good one, that it will remain a good one under the guidence of the new Police Chief David Spiller. Maybe the detective will learn to become better connected to the residents.