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Vallejo committee presses for funding and training on lethality‑assessment protocol and advocate ride‑alongs
Summary
Police and advocacy groups outlined options for a domestic‑violence lethality‑assessment protocol and advocate ride‑along models; committee members asked for cost estimates, an implementation plan, and metrics to monitor performance.
Lieutenant Josh Catham, who leads the investigations division, updated the committee on efforts to implement a lethality assessment protocol (LAP) jointly with the Family Justice Center and VEST. Catham said the department has evaluated implementation options and identified funding and coordination issues that must be resolved before LAP training can be rolled out to line officers.
A VEST advocate told the committee that no Solano County agency currently holds a county LAP subscription and recommended Vallejo purchase a subscription and begin a phased rollout. The advocate urged the city to consider a 24/7 Vallejo crisis hotline and to fund advocates who can ride along with officers to provide on‑scene support and immediate referrals.
Council members pressed for concrete numbers, including the subscription cost for LAP training, budget estimates for an advocate ride‑along pilot, and an operations plan showing how advocates would be deployed across shifts. One council member moved that the department return with cost factors and a plan describing how officers will be made aware of available services and trainings; the committee requested quarterly reporting metrics to measure performance if a contract is executed.
Police said they are exploring domestic‑violence grants and will work with the Family Justice Center and VEST on next steps, including training, pamphlet vetting and potential county‑wide materials for survivors.
