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Salinas police detail SPOT outreach: department says program now city‑funded and reported 25,000+ interactions in 2025
Summary
Police Service Administrator Tanya Erickson told the PCAC that the Salinas Police Outreach Team (SPOT) — originally grant‑funded — is permanently city‑funded as of Jan. 1, 2026; Erickson gave statistics on community events, described a youth diversion program and a youth cadet program, and asked PCAC members to help promote recruitment and volunteer support.
Tanya Erickson, the Salinas Police Department’s police service administrator, briefed the Police Community Advisory Committee on the Salinas Police Outreach Team (SPOT), describing it as a permanent, city‑funded program as of Jan. 1, 2026 that runs community engagement and youth services.
"SPOT was initially funded through a grant, California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant, that was given to the city in 2022. But as of 01/01/2026, it is now fully funded and permanent part of the police department," Erickson said. She described SPOT’s core activities — school presentations, neighborhood‑watch support, National Night Out and other community events — and listed team members including administrative analyst Yanine Velasquez and community outreach assistant Luis Martinez.
Erickson gave detailed activity figures: "In 2023, we had 23 different events with 3,033 interactions," she said. "In 2024, we had 102 events and 19,165 interactions. And last year, ending December 31, we ended with 115 events and over 25,000 interactions with community members." She noted the department counts interactions conservatively, aiming to record the number of actual engagements rather than attendance at large festivals.
On youth services, Erickson said the diversion program, launched in January 2025, offered services to 35 qualifying youth; 15 successfully completed diversion and had records sealed in the first year. She described the diversion process as voluntary, typically lasting three months, and said staff conduct follow‑up checks every few months.
Erickson also reviewed the youth cadet program (eligibility ages 14–20), recruitment and selection (information sessions, applications, interviews), and regional training partnerships. She said cadets collectively donated about 3,400 hours in 2025, with roughly 1,400 hours of direct community service, and said the department supports cadets with uniforms, gear and some transportation for regional academy participation.
Asked about funding, Erickson said the city now funds the core SPOT positions; she did not have the exact budget figure at hand but estimated the program’s core ongoing costs (staffing, materials, some officer overtime) at about $300,000 per year. Erickson asked PCAC members to serve as community liaisons, promote SPOT programs in their districts and help recruit volunteers to expand capacity.
No formal action was taken on SPOT funding or program structure at the meeting.
