CCPD Kicks Off 2025 Budget Season

As Culver City's budget season officially began Monday afternoon, the Culver City Police Department was the first to present its work plan. The plan presented to the council is to build on the efforts around staffing and community outreach over the past year while working on emergency preparedness in preparation for global events coming to Los Angeles.

In his presentation to the council, Culver City Police Chief Jason Sims said that the recruitment, retention, and well-being of CCPD staff have been a priority since he became Chief in January 2023. Sims argued that maintaining adequate police staffing levels contributed to an eight-second reduction in the CCPD's average response time in 2024 and serves as a deterrent to crime.

Cutting into the Department's vacancy rate from 9.4% to 5.6% over the past 12 months is a significant improvement, but Sims said that 2-3% would be considered "healthy," and reaching that mark is a goal for CCPD. There has also been a focus on wellness, with $400,000 in grants over the past several years dedicated to improvements in that area, including a new Wellness Center for CCPD staff.

Having more officers has allowed for the reinforcement of specialized units, including the Special Enforcement Bike Team, Partnership in Policing Team, and the Mental Health Evaluation Team. It also allows officers to provide additional patrols from 12 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., which Sims said is the busiest time for calls.

While police presence is not the only factor in crime levels, violent crimes decreased by 4% in Culver City this year after steady increases since the COVID-19 pandemic plateaued in 2023. The increases during COVID-19 were consistent with the trend throughout LA County.

Many of the public commenters in the room supported the continued funding of the CCPD, but questions were still asked about their large appropriation of the city's General Fund. Councilmember Yasmine-Imani McMorrin brought up the police funding per capita and wondered how adequate staffing levels are determined.

While the number of residents is similar to that of San Bruno, Culver City's daytime population was closer to 200,000, according to a 2007 report commissioned by the city. Automated License Plate Readers at 27 different intersections in the city read 19 million license plates per month. Of those license plates, 96% are not registered to Culver City residents.

"The better way to measure appropriate staffing is through workload," Sims said about measuring funding on a per capita basis.

Community engagement is another key factor in the Department's alignment with Culver City's Strategic Goals. Four of the eight positions lost during COVID to cut costs were reclassified as administrative positions, and the Department turned one of those positions into a Community Relations and Public Information Manager role, which Jennifer Atenza filled in October 2023.

Over the past 12 months, the CCPD has participated in or hosted more than 50 community outreach events, including neighborhood meetings, educational seminars, and various local events. Sims seeks to build on these outreach efforts to keep residents informed and expand community-based problem-solving and crime prevention efforts.

Public record management is another aspect of community engagement, with CCPD receiving 1,800 public records requests in the past year. California's Public Records Act requires that governmental records be available to the public upon request, and Records Manager Samantha Torres was hired this fiscal year to manage these requests.

One of the new tasks CCPD is adding to its work plan is improving its emergency preparedness. With the backdrop of the fires in January and given several major global events coming to Los Angeles in the next several years, Sims and the CCPD felt it necessary to begin efforts to prepare for the increased traffic, large crowds, and amplified security risks that come with these events.

This preparation will include planning for crowd management and improving security and rapid response protocols. Joint training exercises with local and state agencies will provide officers with training to enhance preparedness for potential threats like terrorism or mass casualty events.