Scotts Valley Police report: 5,000 calls, hires complete and an increase in assaults partly due to assaults on officers

The Scotts Valley Police Department reported roughly 5,000 calls for service in the past year, rapid average emergency response times and recent staffing gains, while noting increases in some crime categories.

Police Chief (name not specified in the transcript) told the City Council that the department handled more than 5,000 calls and recorded an average emergency response time of approximately 2 minutes and 20 seconds from call receipt to officer on scene. Chief said officers also conducted more than 14,000 self-initiated activities.

The department reported a year-over-year 34% increase in assaults. Chief said the rise was "largely due to the increase in assaults on our officers," noting the department logged 15 assaults on officers in the most recent year compared with four the prior year. The department said it will review those incidents to assess tactics and training.

Larceny and theft incidents increased substantially; the chief tied some of that rise to statewide trends and to changes in law enforcement responses tied to recent ballot measures. The department said new enforcement tools for repeat shoplifters were expected to improve accountability and that the agency had started targeted efforts, including a multi-jurisdictional DUI checkpoint and focused enforcement overtime funded in part by grants.

Staffing and hires

The department reported multiple recent hires and that officers completing field training have brought the force close to full deployment. New hires named during the briefing included officers Michael Behnke, Kevin King, Ivan Garcia and Derek Welsh; the chief said those officers completed the FTO program and were fully operational. The department also hired dispatcher Rachel Wynne. The chief said three of five recent hires live in Scotts Valley and several new hires own local homes.

The department highlighted that a police officer assigned to the Santa Cruz County anti-crime task force helped recover a large number of illegal firearms; the department's representative on that task force contributed to a record recovery for the task force (29 illegal firearms recovered countywide; the department's officer reported a sample of 25 seized firearms).

Training, community programs and events

The department described traffic and community engagement efforts, including motor and bike patrols near the middle school, the D.A.R.E. program and a junior police academy. The department highlighted a $120,000 grant that funded handheld citation devices and overtime for traffic and DUI enforcement. The department also credited multiagency response and partner agencies for response and recovery work following a tornado event in December.

Dispatch and recognition

Dispatchers were singled out for handling the high call volume and providing rapid processing and deployment. Service supervisor Chloe Graham was named 2024 employee of the year for her work in dispatch and IT upgrades.

What council said

Multiple council members commended the department for fast response times and community engagement, and they praised local hires and training efforts. Council members said the department's hiring and culture have contributed to the agency's performance and noted the department's use of grant funds and mutual aid in large incidents.

What's next

The department will continue internal reviews of increased officer-assault incidents and will maintain targeted enforcement on theft and traffic problems. The chief's annual report will be posted as the department's public annual report.