Los Altos Hills remains open to shared police services with Los Altos, despite the town’s recent decision to request a five-year extension with its current provider, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Los Altos Hills City Manager Peter Pirnejad said a Nov. 13 special meeting decision to submit a letter to the Sheriff’s Office requesting the extension and offering financial help for a lease agreement at the West Valley substation does not preclude town officials from talking with the Los Altos Police Department about other options.
“The town is still exploring a partnership with LAPD,” Pirnejad said in an email. “At this point, we are still considering all the facets of a partnership with Los Altos, including service levels, cost, and other operational questions. In the end, we will need to comply with local and state procurement requirements, and we will consider all qualified bids. But for now, we are still very much exploring.”
Pirnejad said talks with Los Altos on joining services have been positive.
“City Manager Gabriel Engeland and (police) chief Angela Averiett have been very forthcoming and accommodating,” Pirnejad said. “Our mission going into these discussions has been completely aligned with our councils in that we want what is best for both the town and the city. We will be sure to put our residents first and ensure we give our council all the information they will need to make an informed and fair decision.”
The discussion comes during a time of increased burglaries that has led to more hours for deputies and private security patrols, with the town recording 48 burglaries from the beginning of the year to Sept. 28. The town is part of the Sheriff’s Office West Valley Division.
Pirnejad said it is still too early to determine costs compared to current spending levels with the Sheriff’s Office. Representatives from the town and Los Altos will discuss service and funding models with the analysis help of a law enforcement professional. Engeland said the city would only consider an option that improves policing in Los Altos and increases officers.
“I think the initial assessment showed it was feasible,” Engeland said. “When you are talking about law enforcement, there is really a lot more in-depth analysis that is necessary.”
The issue was up for discussion at the Nov. 14 Los Altos City Council meeting, but the council tabled discussion until its Nov. 28 meeting. The agenda will include review of a Nov. 2 initial assessment of shared police services.
According to the initial assessment, Los Altos currently has 32 sworn staff for a population of 31,625.
Engeland said the council could decide on moving forward with a formal study that could take a year. Issues around automated license plate readers that Los Altos Hills employs and the impact on Los Altos law enforcement staffing and response times would also need consideration.
Engeland said the city had only received a couple of comments on the issue, and it is still too early to tell what residents think. However, he predicted there will be a wide variety of opinions.
