Baldwin Park police ask committee to fund two community service officers and support vehicles

Police Chief delivered a detailed request to the Baldwin Park Stakeholders Oversight Committee on April 8 for two Community Service Officer (CSO) positions and associated equipment and vehicles, saying the roles would extend the police department’s presence in parks, plazas and shopping centers and help address blight and quality-of-life issues.

The committee heard the proposal as part of a larger “Community Service Officer Package.” The chief said the CSOs would work primarily in parks and plazas — often on foot or in marked vehicles — and handle duties such as taking reports where suspects are not present, parking enforcement, evidence collection when technicians are unavailable, and supporting the department’s homeless outreach and core teams. “They will be in uniform, and they will be in, obviously, marked vehicles that show that they’re CSOs,” the Police Chief said.

Why it matters: Committee members repeatedly said residents have asked for more visible safety in parks and shopping areas. Committee members asked how the CSOs would be deployed, how much of their time would be spent at parks versus…