Police Services

The MHCSD is responsible for providing our police services. Currently and for the foreseeable future, we won't have our own police force. Our police officers are contracted through the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department. Currently, we have 6 full-time officers and this affords us almost around the clock coverage. They have a room in the fire station to stage out of, but it amounts to little more than a desk, computer and meeting spot. The officers are officially based out of French Camp. Each morning our officers go to French Camp, go though their briefings, gear up and head over here. This takes from 3 to 4 hours of their time each day. It's in the budget that we will soon have full time coverage. It's also on the books that we will get a Sergent that will be able to do the briefings in Mountain House. This will make it possible for the officers to live closer and spend more time in the community. I would not expect to see the additional coverage for another 6 months or so. The new money to cover the additional expense is just becoming available. The new officers will need to be hired and trained before we'll see them around. I know the Sheriff's Department right now is extremely understaffed. I think Mr. Moore said they were short 30+ officers so they won't have anybody available to just transfer in. In the hours when we have no coverage, we're under protection by Sheriffs spread out all over San Joaquin County. If there are no officers in Mountain House, then response times might be significantly longer. It's all about money. Taken to an extreme, when we had only one home owner out here, certainly there was not enough in the budget for full time coverage. Now with 2700+ home's we're getting to where we can afford it. As we grow and more tax revenue becomes available we'll get more expanded coverage. I remember when we just had two officers, so already there's been a significant improvement in services. If you witness a crime or something suspicious, certainly report it to the sheriff's dispatch. If you feel that the money we spend should be put to a different use, or expect a change in practices, then those issues should be taken up with the CSD. Certainly when we get our own board there will be a venue for expressing concerns and suggesting solutions. In the mean time letting Jerry Torres and or Paul Sensibaugh know your thoughts on the subject of police protection and their priorities is your best bet. If we want more coverage of the market, then we need to let them know so they can give direction to the Sheriff. If you feel strongly enough about the issue, and don't feel you're concerns are being addressed, you can always contact Leroy Ornellas. He's the current San Joaquin Supervisor responsible for our area. For now our CSD board is the Board of supervisors for San Joaquin who Paul Sensibaugh (Director of the CSD) is accountable too. It's worth noting that the police cars that our police officers drive now were purchased by the MHCSD as part of the contract with the Sheriff's department. I'm not sure if they own them or we do. It may become an issue if we ever try to form our own police service.