KELSEYVILLE — A few community members sat down with two detectives and one Sheriff”s Office sergeant Tuesday at a caf? in Kelseyville to share opinions and ask questions during the first Coffee with Cops in Lake County.
Attendees asked questions about how many people work for the department, if the deputies could make themselves more visible at children”s activities and how they handle sex assault complaints.
Sgt. Dave Perry said he got the idea from one of his friends at the Napa County Sheriff”s Office that had a similar program. One of his goals with the program is to get to know people and form relationships with them so they feel like they can call him with questions and problems, he said.
“I want it to be a relaxed atmosphere,” Perry said. “People might open up a little bit in this setting.”
Perry is the commander of the Lucerne Sub Station, which will open Sept. 30. He plans to make it mandatory for beat deputies and detectives to work out of that office on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Highway 20.
Perry said he thinks there are about 140 people working for the department.
“We”re one of only two departments in the state not suffering cutbacks,” Perry said. “I think it”s due to the Board of Supervisors and their supervision of the budget and Kelly Cox and his handle on things.”
Perry said he thinks volunteers are essential to the department.
“When I first started, there weren”t any volunteers,” Perry said. “I don”t know how the department functioned without them.”
Lee Perales, program manager of the Lake Family Resource Center Rape Crisis Center that offers sexual assault and domestic violence assistance, said she came to the event to give information to the Sheriff”s Office.
She said the law requires the Sheriff”s to call rape crisis anytime there are allegations of sexual assault. The service is free and truly confidential. Perales said rape crisis staff is constrained by the law from sharing information with law enforcement unless the victim consents.
“It”s not about us attempting to obstruct anything,” Perales said. “It”s about us obeying the law.”
Perales said she welcomes calls from law enforcement and victims any time. The main line is 279-0563.
“We don”t care if it”s 2 or 3 in the morning,” she said.
Perales said she thinks the department is doing excellent given its territory.
“The only thing that would make it better is if there were more officers out there,” she said.
Perales said every officer who she”s seen interact with rape crisis victims have been gentle and sensitive to the victim”s needs.
The detectives and sergeant said one of the main issues they experience with the public is how TV glamorizes law enforcement.
Detective Ben Moore said oftentimes years go by between when a crime occurs and sentencing. He doesn”t think that has negatively affected the department, but officers have to explain the difference between TV and real life.
“I”ve had very few negative contacts with the public, including people I”ve had to take into custody or people in the street,” Detective Jay Vanoven said. “There are a few voices on the blogs that speak very loudly. I don”t think that”s the opinion of the majority of people here.”
“We really are human beings,” Vanoven said.
Perry said he plans to have gang experts from the department give a presentation at 10 a.m. on the third Tuesday in October, probably at the Riviera Common Grounds Coffee House. He will put out a press release giving the exact time and location a few weeks before the event.
“I feel in my heart people generally care for us and for the most part think we”re doing a good job,” Perry said. “We”re human. We make mistakes. But there are some great guys in the department.”
