Police and business owners say they’re puzzled by a recorded
drop in downtown foot patrols this year
– a drop they say doesn’t reflect the reality.
Gilroy – Police and business owners say they’re puzzled by a recorded drop in downtown foot patrols this year – a drop they say doesn’t reflect the reality.
On paper, foot patrols have drastically declined: According to first-quarter crime reports, the city’s designated downtown officer spent 16 times as many hours patrolling downtown on foot last January-March, compared to the same period this year – 5 hours this year, compared to 80 hours last year.
But downtown business owners were baffled by the statistics, and say they haven’t noticed a significant drop in police presence.
“There’s no difference I’ve noticed,” said Job Camarena, owner of Wes’ Shoe Repair on Monterey Street.
“Once a week, the officer stops in, just to see how things are going. It’s hands-on, and I think it’s great.”
Nor can police explain the reported drop, which only tracks the hours of one officer, though other officers spend time downtown.
“This may be a records tracking issue,” said Gilroy Police Sgt. Jim Gillio, fielding questions for downtown Officer Pat Sullivan, who Gillio said was unavailable for an interview.
“We will be working to ensure that these hours are not lost and are tracked appropriately.”
The downtown beat has existed since 1998, when Officer Dave Marrazzo first took the assignment.
Today, Officer Sullivan works the beat, attending downtown meetings and checking in with business owners, shoppers and residents – all between routine calls for service.
The beat is part of the department’s Community Orienting Policing Services, Sgt. Gillio said.
In the past, the outlet malls have had a similar designated officer; today, the position no longer exists.
The city’s tiny downtown isn’t a crime hotspot, said Sgt. Gillio, but the close proximity of at least six bars, apartments, condominiums and businesses “creates unique issues.”
“Like any part of the town, we need police presence,” said Mike Brownfield, owner of Vacuum Center downtown. “And if they just drive by at 20 miles per hour, you don’t get to know them too well.”
Brownfield estimated that Officer Sullivan stops into his shop “a couple times a week.”
“I see Pat Sullivan and I talk to him, too – he’s a personal friend,” added Steve Ashford of Ashford’s Antiques.
“I hear from some merchants that they don’t see him as much as they’d like to, but I don’t see that personally.”
Because Officer Sullivan works from 7am to 5pm, he’s less well-known to business owners who open by night, such as Bob Tapella, owner of Garlic City Billiards.
“I don’t really see the guy,” said Tapella. “I don’t see many officers at all. But I guess the town’s growing – and these guys are getting spread out pretty far.”
Ashford recounted one night when his shop’s door was accidentally left open after closing.
“Police called me immediately – they were right on top of it,” he said. “They called me from the station, then called my cell phone.” Though Ashford knows many officers and sits alongside the police chief “on a task force,” he said, “I don’t think I get any different treatment.”
Sgt. Gillio noted that though the department assigns a specific officer to build relationships with downtown merchants and residents, that officer divides his time between other calls.
“As of today, we are down two full-time officer positions,” Gillio said.
“The more staffing we have, the more time we have for Community Oriented Policing Services.”
