The Benicia Herald

BENICIA police Chief Andrew Bidou talks with residents at the second “Coffee with the Cops” event Thursday. Donna Beth Weilenman/Staff

Chief: ‘People appreciate insight into what we do’

By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter

Benicia police are trying to do more with fewer employees, Chief Andrew Bidou said Thursday during the second of his department’s “Coffee with the Cops” meetings with residents.

The force has 34 sworn officers — those who wear a badge and carry a gun — which is two positions fewer than when Bidou took office about a year ago when Sandra Spagnoli resigned to become chief of San Leandro’s police department.

However, by making internal adjustments Bidou said he was able to keep a school resource officer at both Benicia High School and Benicia Middle School, which had anticipated having a reduction to a part-time employee.

In addition, the department’s traffic unit has gone from operating only on weekdays to seven days a week, Bidou said, particularly since Benicians, like their counterparts in most other cities, worry about speeding vehicles and other traffic issues.

“We try our best, but you can do so much,” he said. Increased patrols may slow down some motorists, but when those patrols move elsewhere, speed increases, he said.

However, Bidou said, the department plans to obtain a solar panel for a mobile speed monitoring trailer, which shows a motorist the speed he or she is traveling.

The department has also sought grants to pay for other improvements, and “we’ve been lucky,” Bidou said. “We’ve gotten a couple of grants that has allowed us to move forward.”

One area that has needed upgrading has been computerized dispatch.

“Ours is dated. It’s green screen, not Windows-based,” Bidou said, referring to early computer operating systems with monitors that showed only green letters and didn’t permit multiple screens.

The dispatch computers have no provision for storing such data as emails or for populating screen fields with information, he said. That would change with the upgrade.

“Data takes time to build,” he said.

The new software would show police any “hot spot” areas that need special attention, and would let police offer surveys to residents who contact the department to see if they feel safe, have any concerns, or believe certain areas need a greater police presence.

Residents who attended the coffee meeting, held this time at Benicia Grill in hopes of reaching out to those who work in Benicia Industrial Park, asked the police chief questions, too.

One woman asked if she should pick up piled handouts at the home of a former resident who has moved away but still owns the house.

Bidou agreed that she may, and said police volunteers also check homes to make sure they don’t become eyesores.

They particularly focus on foreclosed homes, he said, which were becoming a problem in Benicia about 18 months ago, though the problem has declined lately.

“Don’t underestimate your neighbors,” Bidou said, pointing out the value of getting to know those who live nearby. He said many in-progress crimes are reported and solved because neighbors are aware of what is familiar — and unfamiliar — in their community.

Bidou encouraged residents to form and participate in Benicia Neighborhood Watch programs that can be organized by calling Volunteer Coordinator Patti Baron at 707-746-4268, or by emailing her at patti.baron@ci.benicia.ca.us. Through this program, block captains can be given advisories they can share with other Neighborhood Watch participants, he said.

In addition, the department has a “vacation watch,” keeping a closer eye on homes while families are away, Bidou said.

But he cautioned residents against posting status updates on social media, especially announcing that they are going on vacation or leaving home for a while, because thieves and burglars may use the information to hit the home in their absence.

Like many other cities, Benicia is dealing with an increase of copper thefts, Bidou said. “We’re working on that, but copper wire is a mess everywhere.”

SGT. FRANK HARTIG and Jasmin Powell chat at the second Coffee with the Cops meeting Thursday at Benicia Grill.
Donna Beth Weilenman/Staff

He described a program in Colorado that requires recyclers to photograph and take the names of those who are recycling metals in the hope of discouraging thieves.

Metal theft isn’t new, Bidou said. When he was part of Newark’s police force, he also was part of a drug task force in Alameda County, and while there he learned that aluminum was being stolen and recycled in Oakland, including the tie-up cleats from marinas.

He said one person brought in a new cleat, but the recycler rejected it as too new; the person took the cleat away, then damaged it so it appeared old and acceptable to the recycler.

“Recycling is the place this needs to be pushed,” Bidou said. “Copper theft is ridiculous … it’s a needle in a haystack. We’ve caught three or four in six months, and we’re not going to give up.”

On the other hand, Bidou told another resident he halted a move to increase fees and fines for those having alarm systems that go off without cause.

“Police work is controversial,” he said, and no resident is happy to get a ticket or have to pay a fine. He said responding to alarms is “a positive contact,” but explained that his officers don’t let those calls interfere with life-threatening situations.

Some of the false alarms are caused when papers are blown or animals run around a room, activating a motion sensor, he said.

Another positive encounter can happen when an officer sees a bicyclist or skateboarder without a helmet. Through a county program, Benicia police are supplied with helmets primarily for low-income children. Then police may speak with the child’s parents about safety regulations.

On other fronts, Benicia police have two detectives who work with identity theft, which Sgt. Mike Greene said Thursday “is a tough issue to tackle.”

The actual crime usually takes place outside Benicia, not only somewhere else in the nation but often outside the United States, he said.

Bidou added that some credit card companies simply write off the loss because the criminals are so prolific. “It’s a ‘safe’ crime for the criminal,” he said; identity thieves don’t risk public appearances at a bank, for instance.

As far as more overt crime, Benicia doesn’t have gang members but has gang “wanna-bes,” middle and high school students who wear the hats, shoelaces and other attire of gang members. He said the department is trying to prevent those mimicking gang behavior from taking the next step.

The department’s website, accessible under “City Departments” on the city website, gives residents access to the department’s newsletter, press releases, other notices and seasonal crime prevention tips, Bidou said.

“Historically, we’re low,” he said, and the department was surprised that earlier in the recession, crime dropped instead of increasing with harder times. “Now that’s not the case,” he said.

The department also is looking into using social media such as Facebook to provide information to the public, but managing such sites might require more hours than the police can spend at the moment, Bidou said.

After the first Coffee with the Cops on Nov. 17 at First Street Café, Bidou said he was surprised at the turnout.

He was pleased, too, with Thursday’s attendance at Benicia Grill.

“I’ve been fortunate. From both, we’ve gotten a lot of positive comments.

“It’s nice that people appreciate insight into what we do,” Bidou said.

Even though the pilot program has just started, the chief said the department already is using residents’ comments to make more changes. “It’s been awesome,” he said.