- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Clearlake City Council approves police response to grand jury report
The 303-page report, released in July, includes 14 final reports on various topics.
The report can be downloaded here.
The grand jury can require responses from agencies on its findings.
This year, for two of its investigative topics, “Sex Trafficking: Hiding in Plain Sight” and “America Is Bleeding: School Shootings,” the grand jury required the Clearlake Police Department to respond.
Responses for both of those reports also are required from all of the county’s school districts, the Lakeport Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Clearlake Police Chief Tim Hobbs was the first public official to offer a response to the report.
Hobbs thanked the grand jurors for their efforts in completing the report, noting it was very detailed and contained a lot of good information.
He said he appreciated the grand jury’s willingness to meet with the police department and learn about challenges and opportunities regarding those two subjects.
Findings for the sex trafficking report were:
1. Human/sex trafficking cases are complex, require lengthy investigations, involve multiple agencies across county, state and country boundaries, and are costly to resolve.
2. Lake Family Resource Center has developed detailed training materials on trafficking.
3. Widespread education on trafficking, especially among youths and persons working with youths, can increase awareness and opportunities for potential intervention.
Hobbs said the police department agreed with all but one of the findings in the report. He said they had a disagreement on a minor point in the first finding; Hobbs said such cases don’t always involve multiple agencies.
The grand jury recommended that the Clearlake Police Department provide annual training on trafficking for their officers and staff, which Hobbs said they do. He said his agency sends staff members to more advanced training when possible.
The school shootings report had six findings:
1. School shootings are still relatively rare, but have been increasing since 2017.
2. The guns used in school shootings usually come from the student’s or a relative’s home.
3. School violence is not uncommon at athletic events.
4. SROs [school resource officers] benefit from specialized training focusing on nonviolent communication, with youths’ social and emotional development.
5. Single entrances and metal detectors at campus entrances are helpful in screening for weapons.
6. School officials’ outreach to parents/guardians to sensitize them to worrisome changes in students’ behavior can help identify at-risk students needing intervention.
There were several recommendations regarding school shootings included, but only two applied to police: That school district officials and law enforcement officers include athletic events in their active shooter response plans and that school district officials hire school resource officers and provide them with specialized training to better understand adolescent development and nonviolent communication.
Hobbs said those recommendations have been implemented.
On July 20, the city entered into a memorandum of understanding with Konocti Unified School District to provide a full-time school resource officer.
Hobbs said that officer attended a course and learned about the issues mentioned in the grand jury report a week before school started in August.
Jim Cyr of Kelseyville, who acted as recording secretary and committee chair for last year’s grand jury and is the foreman for the newly seated 2023-24 grand jury, was in the audience and thanked Hobbs.
The council voted unanimously to approve Hobbs’ proposed response and direct City Clerk Melissa Swanson to send it to the Lake County Superior Court.
In other business on Thursday, the council presented proclamations declaring Sept. 22 as Native American Day and another declaring September 2023 as Senior Center Month, held a public hearing to adopt Resolution 2023-39 renewing Ordinance 261-2022 and the approval of the Clearlake Police Department Military Equipment Report, and awarded a $626,425 contract to Pavement Coatings for the 2023 Double Chip Seal Project.
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