Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/santa-ana-police-department/)
Valentin is a longtime Santa Ana police officer and manager who has served as interim chief for the past nine months. His leadership of the police department has been supported by City Council members as well as the police officers’ union.
The budget pressures are prompting warnings from the city manager that services may have to be cut back, despite growth in tax revenues. The funding gap is projected to grow to $40 million in five years.
In California’s new era of legal recreational pot, Santa Ana is at the forefront within the region.
2017 was a year full of divided – and deeply personal – actions on the Santa Ana City Council, affecting everything from police officer discipline to who runs the city on a day to day basis.
Hundreds of security cameras will be added to seven parks and monitored by the Santa Ana Police Department in an attempt to combat vandalism, prostitution, gambling, and misuse of drugs and alcohol at city parks.
Fernando Rejón of the Urban Peace Institute writes that Santa Ana and county leaders should follow the lead of cities who have been successful at reducing violence by integrating community-led organizations to support public safety efforts with a public health approach that can reduce crime in a permanent manner.
Santa Ana’s acting police chief was suddenly switched Tuesday for the second time in as many months. Officials said the change was completely unrelated to the possible hiring of a former CHP officer who made national headlines when video showed him repeatedly punching a woman in the face who was on the ground along the 10 freeway in Los Angeles.