Sharing Police Services, Town Council Meeting Notes and Greenfield Community Meeting

Sharing Police Services 

As part of our continuing effort toward sharing services between the San Anselmo Police Department (SAPD) and the Twin Cities Police Authority (TCPA), the two departments are currently sharing the following services: 

• Dispatchers have been cross-trained to work at either SAPD or TCPA dispatch consoles.  The Dispatch Center has been relocated from SAPD to the new TCPA building.
• SAPD/TCPA Investigations Unit, Community Services Officers, and Property/Evidence storage are being shared between the two agencies.
• SAPD/ TCPA Traffic Units are operating as one unit serving Corte Madera, Larkspur and San Anselmo.
• The front counter of our San Anselmo Police Station is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and staffed by the Police Records Manager, Rebecca Demastus.  Services provided at the San Anselmo front counter include the following:

1. Provide copies of reports (crime, accident, property, etc.)
2. Provide document reports (order after hearing, found property, etc.)
3. Assist with parking permits (hardship, parking, visitor, Town public lots, construction and merchant)
4. Perform public information services

Access to Town Hall after regular business hours has been provided for as well.  The telephone installed outside the San Anselmo Police front lobby directly connects the caller with our dispatcher in Twin Cities.  The dispatcher has the ability to admit the caller immediately into the lobby.  

Once in the lobby, a telephone with video technology allows the person to interact visually with the dispatcher.  The visitor has only to pick up the phone and push the red button. 

After several months of cross-training and orientation, all of the uniformed patrol officers have been merged into one patrol force providing preventative patrol and emergency/non-emergency response to San Anselmo, Larkspur and Corte Madera.  Officers from both SAPD and TCPA are now be patrolling all three communities.  

Don't be surprised if you see a Twin Cities Police Officer patrolling your neighborhood or responding to your home should you need our assistance.  The same will be true for the residents of Larkspur and Corte Madera. 

This has allowed for San Anselmo, Larkspur and Corte Madera to have additional officers on our patrol schedule at no additional cost to the Towns/City.  We've accomplished this by reducing the duplication in management, supervisory and line level positions, therefore saving money on total compensation and benefits.

It will continue to be the goal of the San Anselmo and Twin Cities Police Departments to be creative in our approach to improving services while remaining fiscally responsible.

Town Council Meeting Notes 

At the meeting of Tuesday, March 27, the Town Council took the following actions:

• Introduced on-duty officers to the Council and meeting attendees, including Captain Jim Shirk, Officer Bobby Anderson, Officer Anthony Shaw and Corporal Sean Kerr, all of whom are members of the Twin Cities Police Authority.

• Approved the downtown event application for Creek Park summer events Beatles Salute in Creek Park on Saturday, July 14 from 6-10 p.m. and the Music in the Park series on Sundays from 1-4 p.m. July 22 through August 19.

• Received the report on the request from resident Michael Moncayo to utilize volunteers to upgrade Town medians.  With gratitude for his offer, Council directed staff to work with Mr. Moncayo to flesh out his ideas, outline the proposed improvements and get a work plan together.

• Adopted the mitigated negative declaration and approved the necessary zoning and General Plan amendment changes required for the development of a private parking lot at Spaulding Street and Luna Lane.

• Considered the formation of a Bolinas Avenue Advisory committee to provide oversight to the planning underway to address issues of localized flooding, traffic and pedestrian safety and parking.  Council directed staff to come back at the next meeting with a resolution setting the parameters of the committee.

Improvements to Greenfield Avenue 

A community meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 12, 2012, at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 525 San Anselmo Avenue, to discuss improvements to Greenfield Avenue.

This project is part of the Town’s 2012 capital improvement project and includes work that will be paid for through a Safe Paths to Schools grant.  The improvements include road repair/resurfacing and upgrading the area for bicycle and pedestrian safety. 

Other infrastructure upgrades such as bulb-outs and crosswalks for pedestrians and sharrows for bicyclists are included in the plan.

In addition, there are two possible parking configurations contemplated for Greenfield between Spring Grove and Sequoia Avenue that will be reviewed at the meeting.

Residents, merchants, pedestrians and bicyclists are invited to attend.