Police Chief Hosts Interactive Townhall

A diverse group of Redwood City residents gathered at the Tuesday evening for a dialogue with Police Chief JR Gamez and his top command officers at about the policing situation in the city

The town hall was the third of four such events, designed to increase communication between the police and the community.

, who previously served as a Captain in the San Jose Police Department emphasized that as a smaller city, Redwood City has the capacity to deliver top quality law enforcement.

“While in San Jose, the number one priority was responding to all calls, the difference in Redwood City is customer service,” said Gamez.

“We have to provide excellent customer service to you day in and day out.”

Later in the program, residents divided into several small groups to discuss specific issues of concern to them.

Most groups discussed issues such as speeding, burglary, and soliciting.

“There’s lots of speeding… I have young children who play out front and it just scares the bejesus out of me,” said Ellen Johnson, who spoke at one small group dialogue.

The Spanish language group, facilitated by a Spanish speaker, discussed issues typically perceived as more severe in nature.

Gang activity, graffiti, as well as the issue children cutting class were all noted as areas of concern for the residents within the Spanish language group.

“Every neighborhood has its own unique issues,” said Gamez, referring to the diverse range of concerns presented.

As a result, Gamez believes a different approach is used for each neighborhood’s specific needs.

One common approach, however, is rapid response to 911 calls. Gamez urged citizens to call 911 if they are unsure of whether a situation is suspicious

“If it feels wrong, it probably is wrong.”

Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us