Yucaipa police, fire report steady crime rates, describe large rooster-fighting raid and SOP team successes

Yucaipa police and fire leaders told the City Council on Jan. 27 that overall calls and Part I crime counts for October through December remained within normal ranges, while describing a large animal-cruelty and cockfighting enforcement action that resulted in multiple arrests and seized birds.

Captain Walker of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Yucaipa contract unit presented the police update and crime statistics, saying October calls for service were 3,669, November 3,418 and December 3,428. "We still maintained about that 5 minute average response time for our emergency calls for service in the city," Walker said. He gave month-by-month Part I crime counts and monthly arrest totals (October 99, November 78, December 96), and called the overall patterns "pretty normal numbers."

Walker also described an enforcement response on Jan. 19 to an anonymous tip of cockfighting at a residence. "As they got in close proximity of the house, a large amount of the participants... tried to flee," Walker said, and a deputy was nearly struck by a fleeing vehicle. The deputy pursued and officers made multiple arrests; Walker said roughly 22 people were arrested and that numerous roosters were seized. He said county specialized units'including animal control and the rural crimes task force'assisted on scene. "There was some evidence of wagering being placed," Walker added, and the site was shut down after code violations were noted.

Council members and the mayor thanked the Sheriff's Office for the multiagency response. Mayor Thorpe noted the value of the city's contract with the county sheriff for access to specialized units, saying the available resources (narcotics, gang, SWAT, aviation) would be difficult for a small municipal department to provide on its own.

The council also heard extended updates on the SOP team'a public-safety unit that handles homelessness and quality-of-life calls. Walker said the SOP team handled dozens of transient calls each month and made hundreds of contacts and arrests over the three months: for example, in October the team handled 37 transient calls and made multiple arrests; in later months the team continued outreach and reported several success stories in which individuals accepted services, received temporary shelter or were connected with legal or medical help. "In November... Diana with code enforcement was instrumental" in helping a person obtain medical documentation and disability payments, Walker said.

Yucaipa Fire Chief (presented separately) reported increased call volume overall but emphasized mutual-aid coordination during recent wildfire and wind events and thanked Cal Fire for assistance. Fire staff also described community outreach: a sound-the-alarm event at Lakeview Mobile Home Park that provided smoke detectors, participation in First Responder Day and holiday toy drives, and a rising number of large-animal rescues.

Why it matters: The reports show routine public-safety metrics for the quarter while documenting two types of operations that draw city resources: a multi-person cockfighting enforcement action and ongoing homelessness outreach. Council members framed both as examples of cross-agency coordination that rely on the city's contracting arrangement with the county sheriff and on regional mutual aid for fire response.

Questions and follow up: Council members asked about traffic enforcement scheduling, the SOP team's coordination with code enforcement and Cal Fire's role on the cockfighting response; staff said scheduling adjustments were made to target high-complaint driving areas and that multiagency assistance stretched local resources but was effective.