Crime Prevention Specialist Coming Soon to Your Neighborhood

Encouraging residents to play a larger role in helping police prevent crime—especially in areas where residents haven't generally cooperated with law enforcement—will be the assignment of a new non-sworn officer.

The establishment of a crime prevention specialist position in San Juan Capistrano's —as part of a shift in the department's staffing model—was approved unanimously by the City Council on Tuesday night.

"What we’ve learned over the years in law enforcement [is that] we alone can’t handle all crime prevention," said , who went on to predict that the new position will bring down the city's crime rates.

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A crime prevention officer will be paid an annual salary of up to $48,380, but there won't be an increase in the cost of the contract the city has with the Orange County Sheriff's Department to provide police services, Meyer said.

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He actually estimates the cost of the contract will be reduced by $43,013 in this fiscal year, and $65,171 in the next fiscal year.

The new model will include the addition of an administrative sergeant position—which will supervise the crime prevention officer—and the elimination of two other positions.

One of three motorcycle officer positions will be eliminated, as will a patrol position—typically left vacant—that will be now be filled by an unpaid reserve deputy. The deputy currently filling the motor position will move into a vacant patrol job.

One of the four sergeants who currently split administrative and field duties will fill the new, fifth sergeant position, freeing up the others to spend more time on the streets.

Meyer expects to fill the crime prevention specialist position by early spring. The liaison will establish neighborhood watch groups, organize community meetings, help schools with drug prevention such programs as Red Ribbon Week and build an interactive police services website.

"This is going to work, there’s no doubt in my mind. It’s clear as day," he said.

The new crime prevention specialist will work citywide but focus on neighborhoods under zones.

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Meyer said he will track crime statistics and response time to 911 calls to determine whether the move to boost community-oriented policing effort is actually successful.

Sheriff's Lt. Paul D'Auria, the chief of police services in San Clemente, spoke to the City Council on Tuesday to relate his experiences in running a department with two crime prevention officers.

He said it took about three years to see San Clemente's crime rates drop. There, a crime prevention specialist zeroed in on a small enclave of duplexes enveloped by businesses. Crime rates were high, city code violations were common and there was a lot of trash.

A crime prevention specialist met with residents to organize litter pickup days, abandoned vehicles were towed and the officer established trust with residents who were generally fearful of law enforcement, D'Auria said.

Now, "when crimes occur we get cooperation, residents give us information," he said.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the salary of the crime prevention specialist. The salary is $48,380. The actual contract cost to the city is about $85,000 annually.  The difference represents overhead costs such as workers compensation, insurance, benefits and retirement.