By: Rex H. Marks, Captain, Grass Valley Police Department
GRASS VALLEY, Calif. October 17, 2012 – The Grass Valley Police Department announced today that policing services in the City of Grass Valley will be undergoing modification beginning next month coinciding with the planned merging of dispatch services to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. These changes come after an exhaustive review of current practices and notable reductions in resources; specifically, personnel to include both sworn and civilian positions lost to declining revenue streams to the city.
Beginning November 1st, the Department will initiate new lobby hours of operation for customers requiring police services at police headquarters, new protocols for when a police officer may be requested, and alternative reporting methods for categories of crimes not in progress, involving property only, or where suspect information is unknown.
New lobby hours of operation will be Monday thru Friday, 9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:00pm. During these times, staff will provide services that include Offender Registrant processing, Records Requests (report copies, criminal background checks, etc.), Parking Permit purchases, Traffic/Parking Citation payments, and Special Event Application processing. The lobby will be closed to the public on all major holidays and weekends. Persons seeking non-emergency police services outside normal business hours may call 477-4600 to access an automated menu or call 265-7880 to reach the Nevada County Regional Dispatch Center.
Customers requesting police services may continue to expect a prompt response by officers to the most serious types of calls including Arsons, Assaults, Burglaries, Robberies, Thefts, and Injury Traffic Accidents. However, customers should expect a limited response by officers to the following types of calls based on availability of resources:
• Petty Thefts / Shoplifting (Ex: Suspect(s) cannot be positively identified, present false identification, or are uncooperative)
• Civil Standby (Ex: Custody Exchanges, Property Removals, etc.)
• Animal Control calls (Ex: Barking Dogs, Animal-At-Large after hours that do not pose an immediate public safety risk, etc.)
• Parking Complaints (Ex: Abandoned Vehicles on public property)
Requests for police services involving the following call types will no longer receive officer response, but instead may be submitted via an online report through the Department's website (www.gvpd.net) or by completing a counter report at the police station during regular business hours:
• Counter Reports
- Property Damage Accidents (Ex: Public Property with no injuries and vehicles are operable, Private Property with no injuries, etc.)
• Online Reporting Types
- Hit & Run Accidents (Ex: Damage caused by another vehicle in which the driver should have left information or fled the scene without stopping to exchange information)
- Custody Order Violations (Ex: Failing to meet at predetermined public area to exchange custody of child(ren) or consistently arriving late at predetermined exchange location)
- Harassing Phone Calls (Ex: Immediate hang-ups, obscene language, etc. with no known suspects)
- Lost Property (Ex: Property that is missing, leaving items in restaurant, or missing from home)
- Theft Not In-Progress (Ex: Property known to be stolen and missing where suspect information is not known. Lost property is not a theft.)
- Vandalism (Ex: knocking over mail box, throwing rock through windows, etc.)
- Vehicle Tampering (Ex: The loosening of lug nuts on a vehicle wheel, breaking of exterior mirror, disabling a vehicle, etc.)
The Grass Valley Police Department appreciates the public's patience and understanding with these changes. We remain committed to providing exceptional customer service to the community and patrons of Grass Valley.
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