Clearlake Swears In New Officer; Police Chief Reports Drop in Violent Crime, Outlines Community Programs

Clearlake — The City Council opened its regular meeting by swearing in Brady Ferris Crenshaw as a Clearlake police officer and then received the police department’s annual report, which highlighted community outreach, new technology and a multi-year decline in violent crime.

Police Chief White told the council the department’s mission remains to “enhance public safety by providing professional trustworthy service in partnership with the community.” He pointed to events such as school career visits, a soapbox derby and a July 4 concert as examples of community engagement that support that goal. “Community engagement is one of the key components of producing a cleaner and safer city,” he said.

The chief described several operational and technology efforts: a Cal OES-funded microwave link that provides resilient connectivity for the senior community center and supports the fire department; a county CAD link that shares dispatch data across jurisdictions; and an expanded automated license plate reader (ALPR) network, which the chief said helped solve 73 cases in 2021, primarily stolen-vehicle recoveries. He also introduced a new caller-survey program, called Q Hit, that automatically texts callers a brief survey to capture feedback on dispatch and officer response.

On crime and response metrics, Chief White gave the following figures: a 3% increase in calls for service; a 6% decline in arrests (148 fewer arrests year over year); officer-initiated activity down 25%; a nominal 1% rise in reports (about 31 more reports); and traffic stops near 3,600. He said violent crime dropped 18% year over year and that combined violent and property crime are down about 35% from five years ago, although property crime rose slightly (about 5%). He also flagged increases in injury collisions and in some categories of stolen vehicles and larceny.

Council members pressed for details on traffic and staffing. The chief said the department lacks a full-time traffic officer after a promotion and that enforcement has been covered by patrol; the city deployed a new radar trailer to collect speed and time-of-day data and trained three more officers in radar enforcement. On staffing, he said the department reviewed 50 applicants and hired three officers in the period under review, but remains affected by retirements, long-term medical leaves and difficulty filling dispatcher positions.

The chief also described procedural changes intended to aid prosecution, including local live-scan booking for certain misdemeanors to improve identification and support later prosecution. He noted changes in local bail and filing practices after a period when some courts set presumptive $0 bail for property offenses and some prosecutors temporarily declined certain low-level filings.

Council members thanked the department for its work during recent fires and praised coordination with county dispatch and other agencies. The presentation concluded with the chief urging continued focus on recruitment, retention, community engagement and measuring Q Hit results going forward.

The council did not take any action on the report; chief White fielded questions and provided clarifications during the meeting.