California Police Chief- Fall 2013 CPCA_2018_Spring Magazine_Final | Page 33

H
ired in August 2017, new Chief of Police Andy Mills
recognized the many community challenges faced
by SCPD and quickly took steps to address them.
Understanding the community’s idea and priority for
crime fighting was key. Not all problems get solved at once.
Further, he needed to create new visibility and presence of
the command staff in Santa Cruz. A series of "Town Hall
Meetings” was the first step in addressing the many layers
of concerns expressed by the community and providing a
de-centralized model of police leadership. The meetings
were each held in five distinct areas of the city on different
days.
The meetings were unlike those seen before in Santa
Cruz. They were interactive, dynamic and productive. The
Town Hall Meetings asked the attendees to participate,
workshop style, in small groups led by Lieutenants,
Sergeants, and officers. Chief Mills also led small-
group discussions after opening remarks describing the
process. The process used is called a Nominal Group
Technique modified to suit our needs. Each person had an
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