Report 2015-129 Recommendation 22 Responses

Report 2015-129: King City Police Department: Strengthening Management Practices Would Help Its Efforts to Prevent Officer Misconduct and to Regain the Public's Trust (Release Date: July 2016)

Recommendation #22 To: King City

To work more effectively with community members, the Department should solicit and incorporate feedback from the community and create a formal community engagement plan that is tailored to meet community needs by December 2016.

1-Year Agency Response

The Police Department has undertaken a comprehensive community outreach effort. Per the recommendations of the audit, efforts are documented in a Community Engagement Plan, which is attached as Exhibit 7.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

The City has been awarded the Four Cities for Peace grant in conjunction with the other South Monterey County cities. Planning meetings are currently under way. This grant will fund a formal community engagement and public outreach program,including development and implementation of a scorecard to measure and track community interaction and outreach. In the meantime, the Police Department, Police Chief and City Manager are proceeding with a number of public outreach efforts, including a Youth Violence Task Force, an informal Latino Advisory Group, presentations to community groups, updated web site, new City newsletter, new emphasis by officers to create positive contacts with citizens, a Citizens' Police Academy, a Police Advisory Committee, and a District Watch program.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

As referenced in its 60-day response, the Department provided documentation of meetings with the Latino Advisory Group and other community groups, the draft Plan to End Youth Violence, and other outreach efforts. These actions will likely contribute to the Department's efforts to create the formal community engagement plan and tailor the plan to meet the community's needs.

60-Day Agency Response

The City has been awarded the Four Cities for Peace grant in conjunction with the other South Monterey County cities. Planning meetings are currently under way. This grant will fund a formal community engagement and public outreach program. In the meantime, the Police Department, Police Chief and City Manager are proceeding with a number of public outreach efforts, including a Youth Violence Task Force, a Latino Advisory Group, presentations to community groups, updated web site, new City newsletter, and new emphasis by officers to create positive contacts with citizens.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Partially Implemented

The Department provided documentation of meetings with the Latino Advisory Group and other community groups, the draft Plan to End Youth Violence, and other outreach efforts. These actions will likely contribute to the Department's efforts to create the formal community engagement plan and tailor the plan to meet the community's needs.

All Recommendations in 2015-129

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.