November 2014
Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com
From the desk of . . .
Volunteers in Policing make Concord a safer community GUY SWANGER
POLICE CHIEF I left off last month talking about getting involved in the local schools. There are so many examples of schools that maintain a vibrant volunteer base resulting in improved scores and attendance. This same phenomenon appears in policing a community. The Volunteer in Policing (VIP) program has been in place in Concord for more than two decades. There were a few senior citizens that were given an oppor-
tunity to work inside the police department to assist with various duties. Most of these original duties were administrative and/or clerical but they were essential. As time went on, and relationships were growing, more duties and responsibilities were thrust upon the VIPs. One of the more innovative changes, and at that time, controversial in some circles, were Neighborhood Patrol volunteers. When I started in this profession in 1984, officers were given vacation house notices. Residents were letting us know that they would be on vacation and asked the beat officer to check on their home. The sad reality was that
these requests often fell to the bottom of the priority chart for lack of time. But VIPS made it a priority and took pride in this very important public safety activity. And now the duties of the neighborhood patrol VIPS has increased to other functions, including traffic control, assisting investigations with case deliveries, and other tasks. The latest addition is our park steward program. You will often see them on the weekends making sure our parks visitors are enjoying themselves and understand the park rules. Since the 1990s, VIP duties have expanded based on the need of the police department and city
CC Transportation partners with MercedesBenz to test self-driving cars at CNWS Concord will soon be the site of some pretty cutting-edge auto testing.. Mercedes-Benz Research and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority have teamed up with the city of Concord and the US Navy to test self-driving cars on the pavedcity like roadways at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The testing will include cutting edge transportation technology including traffic signals that ‘communicate’ with cars, and connected and autonomous driving vehicles. “We can use the test site in Concord, to run simulation tests with self-driving vehicles in a secure way, including specific
hazardous situations”, explained Dr. Axel Gern, head of autonomous driving at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA). “Taken in conjunction with the results of our test drives on public roads, these tests will help us with the ongoing development of our autonomous cars.” The focus of research nevertheless continues to lie on the tests undertaken in a real-life environment, he emphasized. Since mid-September of this year Mercedes-Benz has held an official license from the State of California to test self-driving vehicles on public roads. The additional testing opportunities
Concord votes, from page 2 But then we get to the fivemember Concord City Council. This is also a non-partisan race, where the winners earn four-year terms. Here, theoretically, three seats are open; however, all three incumbents are seeking re-election: Mayor Tim Grayson, current Councilmember Laura Hoffmeister, and current ViceMayor Ron Leone. WILL INCUMBENTS PREVAIL? These three are endorsed by long-time Councilmember Dan Helix, Bonilla, and the powerful Concord Police Officers Association, among others. But it may not be a slamdunk for all three. There are six other candidates. And there are some interesting dynamics that may decide the race. Laura Hoffmeister would seem to be the most likely to win. She is the only woman among the nine contenders, plus she has a great reputation for having the most institutional knowledge on the council. And she seems at the top of her game, even as she seeks her fifth four-year term on the council. Then comes Mayor Tim
Grayson. A relatively new politico in Concord, Grayson joined the council in 2010, when he edged out challenger Edi Birsan to join Mark Peterson and Laura Hoffmeister as winners in the 2010 Concord City Council race. Since then, he has ascended to the position of mayor, an office which has recently been lengthened to a two-year term. Grayson has served one year as mayor. If re-elected, he will serve a second year as mayor, within his second four-year term on the council. The third incumbent, and the one who would seem to have the most vulnerability, is former mayor and current Vice-Mayor Ron Leone. Leone loves his job on the Council, and he is perceived as a hard-worker. But he has some strikes against him. For one, he was not endorsed by the Contra Costa Times, which did endorse Grayson and Hoffmeister. The issue of entitlement benefits also haunts Leone, who received a $150,000 annuity after serving on the Mt. Diablo Health Care Board. The annuity was to cover future health care insurance for him and his wife. Oppo-
provided by the CNWS site will enable the company to expand significantly the scope of its research activities, said Gern.. When testing begins, it will be at one of the country’s few operational test bed sites that provides real-world infrastructure and equipment to facilitate the testing of new transportation technology in a controlled environment. The public will not have access to the test site, and the self-driving cars will be restricted to the test bed site. With 2,100 acres of testing area and 19.6 miles of paved roadway, the CNWS is currently the largest secure test bed site in the United States.
nents say that money could have been returned to the public coffers. It is newcomer Brent Trublood who got the endorsement of the Times for the third slot on the council. Trublood also was endorsed by the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, which endorsed Laura Hoffmeister, as well. (The party chose only to endorse two.) Trublood is also the choice of current Councilmember Edi Birsan, who, as a registered Democrat and a member of the Democratic Party County Central Committee, has backed the endorsement of that body for Trublood and Hoffmeister. Trublood is a middle-school teacher who has been with the Mt. Diablo School District for 15 years. He has served as a member of the Restoration Advisory Board for the Naval Weapons Station. IMPACT
OF MONEY AND MAILERS
But, before the others in the race are introduced, a brief look at some major dynamics that may actually determine the victors in this race. These include 1) the number and the sizes of the campaign signs that each candidate can put up around town,
operations. Some of the community based activities include the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), providing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) recommendations to businesses, homes, and schools, Concord Amateur Radio Emergency Services, and many others. The clerical duties have expanded to holding hearings on parking tickets, tows and operating our prized Community Court program. Chaplain, cadets, front counter greeters, department photographers, and volunteers in the investigation bureau bring an entire new level of service to Concord. I am often taken aback by the energy and skill set of the VIPs. Last year I asked the neighborhood patrol to assist with night patrols on the BART path due to the theft of copper wire affecting the lighting. They were out there that night and continued until the lighting was fixed. We recently asked this same patrol to assist with checking every street light due to an expiring warranty. Done. And one of the more rewarding moments of this job is watching the group of special needs children and young adults restock the patrol cars every Monday. They have been doing this job for years and we cannot thank them enough. Volunteers help inside the police department but their emphasis is always improving public safety. They, like the officers, ask the question, “How do we prevent the next crime?” I will discuss that next month. Guy Swanger is Concord’s Chief of Police. Send questions or comments to ContactCPD@cityofconcord.org.
and 2) the number and quality of political mail pieces that each candidate can send to voters. This stuff costs money. And the incumbents are simply the ones who will have the most money. Plus, the Concord Police Officers Association (POA) has its own money, and it will certainly send out mailers endorsing the three incumbents. In this sense, it may be money and the POA endorsement that determine who wins the Concord City Council race. Others running for the Concord City Council include City Planner Adam Foster, stay-athome-dad Patrick Hogoboom, educator/scientist Terry Kremin, psychologist and businessman Dr. Harmesh Kumar, retired coach Vernon Kurpieski, and Nicholas Lynch, who works in industrial packaging sales. Kremin, Kumar and Kurpieski all ran for the Council in 2012. Those Concord voters who have not yet voted may want to review the election pamphlet materials for more information on all nine candidates for the Concord City Council. George Fulmore is a local political activist and a member of the newly formed Monument Democratic Club of Concord.
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