FROM PANDEMIC TO PROTESTS :
How has 2020 changed policing in Benicia ?
By : Irma Widjojo , Management Analyst / Public Information Officer – Benicia PD
In Short : Not much .
However , there are of course nuances to that answer . 2020 has given everybody a fair share of challenges and that is no different in the law enforcement profession . 2020 started with having to protect people ’ s health and respond to a pandemic , to responding to swift changes that had to occur after more issues arose this summer . Law enforcement saw in the blink of an eye , a national movement that took momentum like never before . Some might see it as justifiable ; others , might see it as betrayal . Regardless , police departments had to respond to new issues accordingly and it was no different for the Benicia Police Department .
Benicia is a small Bay Area city of 28,000 , located about 45 minutes north of San Francisco . The city has seen low numbers in violent crimes , despite having its fair share of property crimes . The Benicia Police Department has 32 sworn personnel , including the Chief , and 18 non-sworn full-time professional staff . The Department prides itself in customer service and being part of the community in many ways . Which include , running a robust neighborhood watch program and assigning an officer dedicated to serving as a liaison to address the growing unhoused community .
While the demands for police reform and cuts to police budget were prevalent , the Benicia Police Department was fortunate enough to still receive support from much of the community and City Council . With that said , the department did move forward with steps addressing concerns from our community .
For example , the Department sped up its Racial and Identity Profiling Act reporting by nearly two years . The Department will begin collecting data beginning in January 2021 , instead of 2022 as required by the California Department of Justice .
The Department also continued its emphasis on de-escalation training and will require all staff to be educated on implicit bias . An official internal policy was also put in place to avoid patrol officers from responding to non-criminal , bias-based calls for service .
14 CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF | www . californiapolicechiefs . org