Gavilan and West Valley battle over which institute will be
allowed to train officers at vacant boys ranch site
Gilroy – A territory dispute between two community colleges has put a snag in plans to create a training center at the vacant Harold Holden Boys Ranch for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department.
Officials from both Gavilan College and nearby West Valley College are battling over which institute will be allowed to train law enforcement officers, each claiming the site is within their jurisdiction.
The county’s Board of Supervisors votes Dec. 13 on whether to allow the Sheriff’s Office to use the Holden Ranch facilities despite the controversy.
“There are some district boundary issues that still need be resolved,” said Sheriff Laurie Smith. “The county is just one piece of the puzzle.”
Smith and Chief Probation Officer Sheila Mitchell recommended the 1.2-acre site after years of battling with the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium – a collective of six community colleges that provide training to law enforcement officials – who they claim was failing to provide adequate training for new officers.
Graduates would often require additional training after graduating from the program. To gain more control over their officers in training, the two submitted a proposal to switch from using Evergreen Valley College to West Valley College, which is not a member of the consortium.
“Gavilan is part of the consortium so it appears they are prohibited from providing training outside of it,” Smith said. “My preference is that we get good quality training.”
The move to Holden Ranch will save money by keeping law enforcement officials in the county for training, provide additional security to the adjacent William F. James Boys Ranch, and possibly generate about $128,000 annually.
The Holden Ranch was previously used as a juvenile detention center, but has stood vacant for the past 18 months despite new facilities.
Gavilan President Steve Kinsella claims the site is within Gavilan’s district and illegal for another community college to provide services to the training center. West Valley officials argue the individuals attending the police academy are from their jurisdiction and have a right to provide training to their clientele.
According to California code, a community college cannot offer courses outside their own service area without obtaining permission from the other community college, Kinsella explained.
“We’re not going to grant them permission,” he said. “The faculty at West Valley knew what the regulations are … If (the Sheriff’s Office) wants specialized training … we do support it, and we don’t want to get in the way of that. If they continue to want to use a community college provider in that area then the expectation is that its Gavilan’s area.”
Kinsella received confirmation Thursday from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office that they are correct in their evaluation of the situation.
“The dispute between West Valley and Gavilan, I think, has been resolved today,” he said. “It’s up to West Valley to decide to acknowledge that the State Chancellors’ Office has decided. I just feel there is a difference from what they feel they are able to do and my interpretation of what they are able by law.”
According to Kinsella, West Valley officials believe that since they are located in the county, that the students attending the program are in fact their students.
“Their argument just isn’t logical,” he said. “We’re in the county. It can’t be that West Valley is going to generate every student going into that law enforcement program … It’s just unfair that two community colleges have to do this in a public arena.”
Phone calls to West Valley officials went unreturned as of press time.
County Supervisor Don Gage believes the permission to use the empty Holden Ranch facilities will be officially approved Dec. 13. The training center would be used for education classes only – there would not be shooting or driving taught on campus.
“The board is OK with them using that facility,” he said. “We’re going to give them the green light, but it doesn’t solve the problem about which college district (has authority.)”
Supervisors can only approve the facility, not the service provider.
“It’s up to the Sheriff and whatever she thinks she can tolerate,” Gage said. “If they were going to go with Gavilan tomorrow they could do it.”
According to Kinsella, the Sheriff only has to decide whether she wants to utilize Gavilan’s services and he will change the contracted agreement with the consortium in order to better accommodate training requirements.
“I’ll work out an agreement with the consortium,” he explained. “It’s very easy to do. It’s not by law or statute. What is by law or statute is that another community college cannot enter into another community college’s area.”
