San Fernando police detail May arrests, traffic collision hotspots and enforcement limits

Commander Chason presented the San Fernando Police Department's May activity report and traffic-collision analysis, telling the Transportation and Public Safety Commission that the department is seeing a rise in assaults and has identified several recurring collision hot spots near schools.

Chason said the department's monthly review showed assaults increased from seven in March to 17 in April while auto thefts decreased from eight to three. He summarized enforcement operations: a grant-funded shoulder-tap decoy operation on May 12 resulted in two misdemeanor citations for furnishing alcohol to a minor; a DUI saturation patrol on May 24 produced six traffic citations, one parking citation and two DUI arrests. "We did the walk the block event where San Fernando department staff and city staff walked with eight different community members," Chason said, describing that outreach and data-collection effort.

On traffic, Chason presented maps identifying school-area intersections with frequent collisions, including Hubard & A Street; Hagar & Library; Truman & McClellay; and Truman & Hubard. The department's broader six-intersection list included Hubard & First, Fourth & Hubard, Glenn Oaks & Orange Grove, Glenn Oaks & Brand, San Fernando Mission & San Fernando Road, and Truman & McClellay. Chason said the department records a primary-collision factor for each crash; for April, none of the injury collisions were speed-related while three non-injury collisions were. He also said left turns accounted for one injury and two non-injury collisions in April.

Commissioners pressed for more traffic enforcement and targeted resources at school hot spots. One commissioner urged restoration of a dedicated traffic-enforcement motorcycle officer; staff and the chief described that the city previously had motor officers but the fleet and positions were eliminated following staffing losses and equipment auctions in the 2010'2012 period. The chief also described operational trade-offs: "we have to notify the parent and now we have to wait until somebody comes and picks up the bike," referring to guidance from the Los Angeles County district attorney regarding juvenile pocket-bike incidents, and said those responses can occupy an officer for 30 minutes or longer.

Chason also explained mutual aid procedures after a commissioner asked about a May 2 mutual aid call to Glendale: San Fernando participates in an LA County mutual-aid area and typically deploys partial resources to assist partner agencies, and partners reciprocate during larger incidents.

The department promised follow-up information to commissioners: staff will provide the resident who emailed about abandoned cars with boundary maps and LA contacts; the PD will work with traffic and public works and will seek directed enforcement at identified hot spots; and the commission agreed to schedule a dedicated presentation on ebike/pocket-bike enforcement and liability.

The meeting closed with the commission thanking department staff and noting the police department will present its department budget in a June study session.