CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA PACKET

Page 4 of 8 department staffing has improved significantly, the ARU team is now fully staffed. The City contracts with Bonita House, a nonprofit organization in Alameda County that provides crisis mental health services, to provide the two licensed clinicians for the ARU. Between January and October 2024, the ARU responded to 1,079 calls for service; during the same time period in 2023, the ARU responded to 744 calls for service, representing a 45 percent increase in calls for service year-over-year. In 2024, the ARU diverted 379 calls from patrol officers, co-responded with patrol to 263 calls, and made 437 proactive contacts. During the same timeframe in 2023, the ARU diverted 318 calls from patrol, co-responded to 215 calls, and made 211 proactive contacts. As testament to the ARU's overall success, mental health commitments (5150/5585 Welfare and Institutions Code) continue to decline. During the first 10 months of 2024, members of the Department made 87 holds, compared to 99 mental health commitments during the same time frame last year. Mental health commitments have declined year after year since the department started collecting the numbers in 2020, at which time the total number of department mental health commitments was 410. The ARU continues to serve the City’s unhoused population and found long-term permanent housing for seven individuals, up from two individuals last year. In January 2024, the ARU joined City colleagues to conduct the “Point in Time” count to determine how many unhoused individuals live in Pleasanton; the primary purpose of the Point in Time count is to assist in allocating resources to Pleasanton through the state and county. The count revealed 69 unhoused individuals in Pleasanton, down from 72 identified from the previous count. To date in 2024, four encampments have been cleaned up at Stoneridge Drive/Springhouse Apartments, the underpass at First Street/Stanley Boulevard, Tessa Place, and the Stanford Sports Complex. The City's cost to clean up these encampments was $26,800. Personnel Investigations The Police Department recognizes that while its authority comes from California law, legitimacy comes from the trust of those served, and earned from integrity, including acting appropriately within established laws and policies, acknowledging mistakes, and taking appropriate corrective action when necessary. The Police Department has consistently maintained high expectations of conduct for its sworn and professional staff. The department prominently displays FAQs on its webpage, which explain how community members may express misconduct concerns regarding department employees. Complaints may be submitted to any supervisor or manager directly to the Chief of Police or through the City’s Human Resources Department, which is then forwarded to the City Manager for coordination. Personnel investigations occur when a member of the public or a member of the department expresses concern about an employee's conduct. Generally, a supervisor reviews and investigates each complaint, which is then reviewed by the unit manager, a command officer, and the Chief of Police for impartiality, thoroughness, and accuracy. Depending on the scope and severity of the allegations, the Chief of Police and the City’s Human Resources Department may opt to contract with an outside investigator. At the conclusion of the investigation, each allegation of a policy violation will be assigned one of four possible findings: unfounded, not sustained, sustained, or exonerated. An “unfounded” finding means Page 90 of 126