Office of Administrative Services

The Office of Administrative Services (OAS) is comprised of the Administrative Services Division and the Special Services Division.

Administrative Services Division

The Administrative Services Division encompasses three sections: Resource Development, Community Relations, and Jail and Custody. This year, the Jail and Custody Section was transferred to OAS from the Office of Operations and the Communications Center Section was transferred from OAS to the Office of Operations.

The Resource Development Section recruits, screens and hires qualified police officer and police cadet candidates. Other responsibilities of the section include conducting background investigations on new employees, updating the Department's Manual of Policy and Procedures and the Field Training Officers' Manual, identifying training needs, implementing training goals, and ensuring that all training is conducted in accordance with legal mandates, statutes and regulations.

During 1995, ten new police officers were hired with eight of them attending the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy at the same time. Three of the new officers were in contention for the "top recruit" honors, a distinction bestowed upon a member of each academy class who excels in academic, physical and firearms training. Upon graduation, the eight new officers brought the Department to its full authorized complement of 196 sworn personnel. This is the first time the Department has been at full strength in over 10 years. In addition, section staff oversaw the completion of 99 background investigations of prospective, non-sworn Department employees.

Training continued to be a primary purpose of the section. A curriculum featuring Ethics and Community Oriented Policing (COP) was initiated for all department personnel. The block of instruction featured 12 hours devoted to ethics and four hours to community oriented policing. Ethical issues and dilemmas, particularly those faced by law enforcement professionals on a regular basis, were examined and discussed in a group setting. The COP instruction provided the history and philosophy of COP as well as various strategies employed in delivering effective police service.

With the cooperation of the Simon Weisenthal's Museum of Tolerance, the Training Unit obtained certification of the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) for the Tools for Tolerance Program, a diversity awareness program geared toward acquainting law enforcement personnel with emerging diversity issues. The POST certification makes the program available to all California law enforcement agencies.

Other training activities included: the scheduling and completion of Blood/Airborne Pathogens awareness training for all department personnel; a four-hour curriculum of Taser training for supervisors; 9mm handgun conversion training for Santa Monica College Police Department personnel to facilitate their transition to the semi-automatic weapons; and continued focus on a training goal of sending all sworn personnel to the Emergency Vehicle Operation course.

Firearm training and the range qualification process was examined. For years, the Department has utilized a bull's-eye course as a measure of firearm proficiency. This course was discontinued in favor of a qualification course which more accurately replicates the process involved when faced with an armed encounter. Quarterly outdoor range qualifications were initiated and these combined basic marksmanship, combat shooting scenarios and weaponless defense techniques.

The goal of the Community Relations Section is to foster a positive working relationship between the Department and the community at-large. Through a myriad of programs, the section attempts to assist members of the community in recognizing and taking the necessary steps to eliminate or reduce crime risks. Several new programs were introduced in 1995. The Police Citizen's Academy and School Watch were developed and implemented as well as courses in self-defense and the laws of arrest. The Police Citizen's Academy was designed to provide community members an inside look at the Santa Monica Police Department through an eleven- week training course. Each class was taught by Department employees and ranged from an overview of the Department's mission to a close look at the responsibilities and functions of the various operational units. Highlights of the academy course were the completion of a ride-along with a uniformed patrol officer and participation in the interactive video "Shoot/Don't Shoot" simulation. Tours of the entire police facility including the jail, Communications Center, Identification laboratory and off-site locations were offered.

The School Watch Program was developed in cooperation with the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District. It brought homeowners and residents living in the vicinity of the district's schools together to collectively deal with issues of mutual concern including graffiti, theft, arson, vandalism and trespassing. Patterned after the Neighborhood Watch Program, School Watch was very well received.

Late in the year, plans were formulated to bring the Parent Project to Santa Monica. The Parent Project, a program developed in Pomona over eight years ago, provides parents with skills to manage "strong-willed" children. Four representatives of the Community Relations Section received training and implementation is scheduled early in 1996.

Emphasizing awareness as the primary self-defense tactic, the Citizen's Self-Defense Course provided the participants with basic self-defense skills. Department defensive tactics instructors taught non-physical skills such as eye contact, verbalization and body language as well as retaliatory techniques to better equip students to fend off an aggressor's attack. Straight punches using the heel of the hand, elbow strikes, knee strikes, foot stomps, front kicks, eye jabs and throat strikes were demonstrated and practiced. Participants were taught how to escape from rear and front choke holds, bear hugs, and arm and wrist grabs. Instruction was provided in both English and Spanish.

The Laws of Arrest class provided the public with an opportunity to become better acquainted with the criminal justice system, particularly as it relates to arrests. Areas of instruction included an introduction to law, laws of evidence, firearm training, communications, investigations, and arrest and control. Academic credit from El Camino Junior College was available for those who successfully completed the course.

Another new program was developed in cooperation with personnel from the Office of Operations. The Department took aim at curbing the discharge of firearms within the community on New Year's Eve. Press releases and printed materials explaining the dangers associated with the discharge of firearms were produced and distributed. A review of the number of reported gunfire incidents indicated the program was very successful.

School Resource Officer Joe Analco conducted hundreds of "Officer Joe" presentations in addition to helping initiate peer counseling groups. Invited to be keynote speaker at the Moose Lodge Youth Conference in October, Officer Joe's message received a standing ovation from both parents and youths in attendance. He was so well received he was asked to be the keynote speaker at the Moose Lodge National Conference in 1996.

The Police Activities League (PAL) has over 1,700 youths registered. Approximately 40-120 young people come to the PAL Youth Center depending on the programs and special events offered. Some programming is ongoing over the course of a year and some activities rotate according to the season. In the summer there was a Nature Club which included camping trips and hikes, plus a fishing outing in July. In the autumn, the PAL Halloween Carnival was once again a resounding success with over 4,000 participants congregating at the Barker Hangar for a costume contest, games, trick or treat lane and a pie eating contest.

Winter holiday activities included ice skating, crafts, computer contests, a Los Angeles King's game and a visit to the Museum of Tolerance, after which the youths wrote poems and essays about their experiences there. A Holiday Workshop was attended by almost 300 youths who decorated cookies, made wreaths and received a gift from Santa--a police officer volunteer. PAL staff delivered food baskets to 20 PAL families. The baskets were donated by the Vikings, a philanthropic organization based in Los Angeles.

The Virginia Avenue Project presented a production of "Lost and Found" at Barnsdall Art Park in December. The play was part of the Playback Program in which a young artist, who has written at least two plays and performed in as many, is paired with an adult writer/performer. The young person writes the first half of a play, the adult writes the second half, and adult and child perform it together. Playback is designed to enhance communication skills and teach collaboration.

Regular programming included many other classes and events. For example, there were karate classes and tournaments, dance and music, computer lab, cooking, wrestling, floor hockey and other league sports. There was Fun Club with activities for ages 6-9 years, Rolling Reader for all ages and a S.A.T. preparation course. Special events such as Dodger games and trips to Magic Mountain were also offered. They are perennial favorites with the youths.

The Jail and Custody Section maintains custody of suspects until arraignment in court, transfer to county facilities or other disposition. During 1995, the jail personnel completed 6,648 bookings. This total included processing 1,704 felony arrestees, 4,781 misdemeanor arrestees and 163 juvenile detainees. The Jail and Custody Section come under the close scrutiny of the Los Angeles County Health Services and both the outgoing and incoming Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court. All surveys and inspections found the jail to be in compliance with requisite protocol for arrestee meals, medical screening and juvenile detention.

The California State Board of Corrections requested the participation of Jail Manager Jackie Jones on the Standards and Training Correction Program (STCP) Regulating Committee. She attended the first meeting in October and will make several other trips to Sacramento to participate in revamping Type I Facility regulations. All jail personnel successfully completed an annual STCP training program.

Special Services Division

The Special Services Division is responsible for Department planning and research, crime analysis, fiscal administration and the Department payroll. The division also encompasses the Records Section which provides for the automated storage, retrieval and dissemination of police records; the Identification Section which collects, analyzes, and photographs evidence and fingerprints from crime scenes, and maintains a fingerprint service for citizens; the Property Unit which stores evidence and property; the Fleet Maintenance Unit; and the Animal Control Section which maintains a shelter and enforces laws relating to animal care and control.

The Planning and Research Section is under the general supervision of a police sergeant and includes the Planning and Research, Crime Analysis and Serious Habitual Offender units. Primarily engaged in a supporting role, the section serves various Department units, municipal government and the city's residential and commercial populations. It is responsible for the publication of the Department's quarterly and annual reports.

The Planning and Research Unit (P&R) researches, analyzes, evaluates and implements new law enforcement methods and emerging technological advances to improve the Department's services while making the most efficient use of resources. It prepares and manages the Department's annual and mid-year budgets and responds to City Council requests for public safety information, providing various reports as needed. P&R staff play an integral role in Department-wide automation projects. Unit personnel continued their involvement in the Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) project. The MDTs were installed in police units and made operational during 1995. They provide field personnel with automated information that is easier and quicker to obtain.

The Crime Analysis Unit (CA) gathers, maintains and disseminates crime information and crime trends to Department personnel and the community at-large. It plays an integral role in the effective and efficient deployment of police personnel through statistical analysis of criminal activity by geographic district, day of week and hour of day. Serving as a repository for all available criminal information, the unit routinely assists investigators in the identification and apprehension of criminal offenders. It also provides crime information to the general citizenry by responding to telephone inquiries and supplying information disseminated at Neighborhood Watch meetings.

The CA Unit publishes the weekly Crime Analysis Bulletin distributed to all Department employees and several neighboring police agencies. The bulletin has proven to be an effective communication tool, keeping personnel abreast of crime patterns and trends. Criminal investigators use it as a vehicle to inform operational units of wanted persons and specific crimes. As a supplement to the Crime Analysis/Information Bulletin, the unit publishes Special Bulletins which contain timely information on crimes soon after they occur.

During 1995, the unit published 52 Crime Analysis Bulletins, 29 Intra-departmental Communication Bulletins and 11 Special Bulletins. A total of 267 special reports were completed, 165 for staff and 102 for external requestors, requiring approximately 349 hours of staff time. Most requests from citizens were for calls for service or crime activity for specified areas or locations. Additionally, unit staff handled over 566 telephone inquiries from prospective new residents inquiring about crime activity in a particular area. The unit played an integral role in the Department's "Goals and Objectives" program aimed at suppressing street robberies, auto thefts, thefts from autos, and narcotics sales and use. The unit published 36 crime summaries analyzing incident and call activity involving the four targeted crimes and 52 updates of robbery incidents providing suspect descriptions and modus operandi. The unit also provided 72 analyses of current robbery, burglary, grand theft and prowler incidents.

Special reports which are particularly noteworthy include: monthly updates of crime activity in the Special Policing District; summary and analysis of FY 1994-95 departmental goals; breakdown of crime in the downtown parking structures; summary of crime activity on Santa Monica Pier; 20-year statistical compilation of citywide crime; and calls for service at locations under consideration for nuisance abatement.

The Serious Habitual Offender (SHO) Unit was created in August of 1993 when State of California grant funding was received from the Office of Criminal Justice Planning. The purpose of the project is to create a regional interagency network to better identify, track and supervise chronic juvenile offenders. Those offenders are the relatively small number of repeat offenders who commit a disproportionate amount of juvenile crime. The SHO goal is to enhance public safety by detaining or closely supervising the juveniles, and to presume that such firm intervention lessens the prospects of offenders becoming adult career criminals.

The SHO grant funds a SHO Coordinator, equipped with automated capabilities and dedicated to the project, and a part-time clerk. The coordinator directs the all-important interlink with the juvenile justice system and the schools, including chairing the monthly interagency task force meeting and producing regular bulletins with SHO photos and summary profiles. Because the SHOs are juveniles, only entities authorized by the California Superior Court have access to SHO records.

Since its inception, the SHO Unit has identified over 150 potential SHOs and had 34 youths certified as Serious Habitual Offenders by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Eighteen of the juveniles were certified during 1995.

The Records Section is the Police Department's center for processing, storage and retrieval of documents that are the product of law enforcement field activities. The Records Section uses state of the art optical and data processing technology to create and maintain an archival record of arrests, crime and incident reports, and citations. Section personnel provide direct technical support to patrol officers and investigators. They have the expertise to extract the highest quality information from the Department's archival files as well as the resources of the county wide warrant system and CLETS/NCIC files.

The public business office responds to general inquiries, subpoenas for documents, and complies with Department of Justice criminal record and applicant clearance control programs.

The section is headed by a civilian Records Manager, assisted by three Records supervisors. During 1995, the Records Section processed and stored 17,625 crime and traffic collision reports and 25,686 citation violations. The introduction of the city's new geographical based information system added a responsibility for the section. Personnel are now required to standardize data entry of crime, incident and traffic collision locations to provide the Department with mapping capabilities. With the advent of such complicated tasks, Records supervisors began a comprehensive training program for every section employee. The objective was to optimize efficiency by eliminating task specialization and consolidating duties and work schedules.

The Animal Control Section investigates all calls and complaints regarding animals and operates a shelter for unclaimed animals. In 1995, over 2,100 animals were housed at the city's shelter until they could be claimed by an owner, adopted or euthanized. The Santa Monica Animal Shelter has one of the highest percentages of animal placement in the state. Animal Control operates a Reserve Officer and Volunteer Program. Volunteers are qualified area residents interested in volunteering their services to the shelter. They are called Reserve Animal Control Officers (RACO) and have been trained by Animal Control Officers to assist with shelter duties. Volunteers perform various functions from clerical tasks to exercising and grooming animals, thereby releasing Animal Control Officers for more field time. Without their services, animals would be difficult to place. Volunteers also seek funds to aid in the care and treatment of sick or injured animals. In 1995, they raised over $25,000 in donations.

The city opened up three dog parks at which dog owners may exercise their dogs off leash during specified daily hours. Animal Control monitors these areas to ensure the safety of both the public and the animals using the park. With the addition of the dog parks, registering animals became an even more important function for staff. By automating the license record system, they are able to maintain more efficient records and rabies control.

A Humane Education Program is run by the Animal Control Officers who instruct students on animal care and safety. They also advise gas company and postal personnel on handling problem animals. Officers visit schools and youth service agencies, offer shelter tours and participate in community events. They assist in the care and maintenance of the Mounted Patrol horses while they are boarded during their seasonal operation.

The Identification Section (ID) provides the technical expertise needed for photographing and processing crime scenes for possible evidence. The ID Technicians also testify in court as latent fingerprint experts, connecting finger prints from a crime to possible suspects, as well as testifying to other forms of physical evidence recovered from crime scenes. During the year of 1995, the Identification Section printed over 5,100 individuals for city jobs, license applications and criminal mandated state registrations. Fingerprints were also requested for immigration, real estate licenses, day care caretakers, etc.

During this same period, the section identified 78 suspects from prints found at crime scenes ranging from murders to burglaries. Often fingerprints were the only evidence to connect the suspects to the crime scene. Further, after technicians made fingerprint searches of prisoners booked at the Santa Monica Jail, over 1,000 were found to be using false names. When the true names were searched in criminal justice data bases, it was found that many were wanted for both misdemeanor and felony crimes.

The Vehicle Maintenance Section provides minor repairs and servicing and arranges for major repairs on the fleet of police vehicles. The fleet includes emergency vehicles that must be kept in a state of readiness and good repair. One vehicle maintenance person and two part-time cadets perform these duties. In addition, during 1995 the section coordinated the transfer of equipment from old patrol units to new vehicles. This made the fleet more efficient and dependable, and "down time" due to repairs was cut drastically. Older patrol units were then evaluated and either transferred to City Yards for disposal or converted into un-marked vehicles for use by investigators or administrators. One change in the servicing procedure was to contract with a company to perform routine maintenance at the police station. In addition to ensuring units receive periodic service in a timely manner, it also reduces staff time needed to drive a single unit to a service facility. A safety inspection performed by the service team twice located unreported damage to units that may have ultimately resulted in an accident.

The Property Section is responsible for receiving, keeping, and releasing evidence and property. Evidence is held for use in court to help secure convictions. The Property Room received 13,324 items during 1995. This included all evidence, safekeeping and found property. Also included in the figure were 244 guns of all types. Staff processed 862 items for the Crime Lab and 1,547 items were taken to court, 100 of which were entered as people's exhibits. An additional 12,393 items were released or purged. During 1995, the section held two auctions with sales of $6,663. A total of $26,804.38 was released to the City General Fund from unclaimed or forfeited monies.

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This page was last modified on 01/26/2008

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