VA L L E J O W E E K LY
Volume 10 | Issue 30 July 28, 2022
On the cover . . .
In the early morning of May 17, 2022, an arsonist targeted Anchor Pantry in downtown Vallejo, just weeks after the small business celebrated its first year in the City. Three months later, Anchor Pantry has reopened its doors in a new location. They continue to offer a host of epicurean goods like savory cheeses, artisan jams, fine oils, and delectable chocolates! ABOUT ANCHOR PANTRY: The logo and names draws inspiration from the history and culture of Vallejo and the origin of Mare Island. Drawn by a tattoo artist, the logo depicts the elements of the area and seeks to honor this heritage. In this light, we are providing gourmet goods sourced from local companies, socially conscious platforms, and spices from far away countries to deliver the culturally authentic ingredients that reflect the diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. As we source the globe to bring you the very best pantry selections, we hope you will find your sought-after special ingredients, enjoy daily fresh bread, great coffees and chocolates, sauces, mixers, olives, vinegars, and so much more!
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Visit the new location! 620 Marin Street (Across the street from the old location)
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HOURS: Tuesday-Friday 11:00am-6:00pm Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm Closed Sunday and Monday Opened every 2nd Friday of the month until 9:00 pm during the Artwalk event in downtown Vallejo.
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CITY MANAGER MALONE ACKNOWLEDGES CHALLENGES AND ASKS UNIONS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY TO “JOIN FORCES … FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THIS COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY."
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On July 24, the City received notice from the Vallejo Police Officers Association of their intention to release a vote of no confidence in Police Chief Shawny Williams.
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"This information doesn't come as a surprise to us. We have known that there have been challenges in the Department," said City Manager Mike Malone. "The leadership in this city is fully aware that there have been difficulties between the Department Leadership and Department Members. However, the City is steadfast in its commitment to departmental reform and to rebuilding relationships within the Department. Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that this community deserves to have a strong relationship rooted in trust with those who are sworn to serve and protect them, and
we are committed fully to that goal. Change is sometimes hard, but working positively together, rather than in a divisive manner, is the best way to move forward." Since 2020, the City of Vallejo, Chief Williams, and the Vallejo Police Department have been on a mission to reform the Department based on the 45 recommendations outlined in the OIR report. There has been a notable shift in the department's metrics; for instance, Use Of Force statistics are down significantly, and these numbers continue to trend down. Over the last three years, the Vallejo Police Department has made significant strides in achieving the six pillars of 21st Century policing. 21st Century policing is a modernized way of policing that builds trust and legitimacy between a department and the community they serve, creates accountability through oversight and training, and delivers education to officers and community members alike, ultimately resulting in proactive crime-reducing partnerships.
There was also a change in the Body-WornCamera (BWC) policy that now requires officers to turn on their BWCs (when they receive a call) “when there is a reasonable expectation of an adversarial encounter, violence, interpersonal conflict, use of force, or display of weapons or any time the member believes it would be appropriate or valuable to record an incident.” After the tragic events that unfolded in Minneapolis, the department banned the use of the carotid and choke holds as a means of control under any circumstances as part of the “8 Can’t Wait” campaign.
and community members. NEW WAYS OF RECRUITING Staffing for police departments across the country is a continual challenge, and the Vallejo Police Department continues to try and address this issue proactively. "It can take up to one year for a newly hired cadet to be placed on the street, and that creates a bottleneck in the available resources because the volume of calls for service hasn't decreased, although I am happy to report that we just hired six cadets from our academy," said Assistant City Manager Terrance Davis. In the last year, Chief Williams and Department staff have worked closely with the City's Human Resources Department to change how the Department recruits cadets and new officers (lateral hires) to bring the department back to a substantial staffing level. “We are aware that having decreased patrol staff can be detrimental for the community and our officers, and we are working diligently to change that,” Davis added.
PROACTIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Engagement and partnering with the community also continue to be an NEW TECHNOLOGY AIDS IN CRIME important part of the Department's reform. REDUCTION The creation and implementation of the Additionally, the introduction of new Chief's Advisory Board (CAB) is a prime technologies, such as the Flock Automated example of this proactive engagement License Plate Readers (ALPRs), have helped and community partnership. The CAB is to reduce crime and aid in the apprehension composed of community members and was of illegal firearms in the City of Vallejo. Chief created to serve as a way for the Chief of Williams has also instituted the installation Police to collaborate with the community in of dash cameras into all patrol vehicles, forming strategies to develop community again supporting accountability for officers policing concepts and increase public
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POLICY THAT IMPROVES POLICING AND INCREASES ACCOUNTABILITY The Department has implemented policy and oversight changes such as the deescalation policy that guides officers when it is reasonably safe, prudent, and feasible to do so, to attempt to slow down, reduce the intensity or stabilize the situation through de-escalation so that more time, options and/or resources may become immediately available for incident resolution.
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awareness. The board provides a forum for community discussions with a broad spectrum of viewpoints from community members. Additionally, in 2020 alone, the department engaged in more than 70 community meetings and listening sessions.
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The City has also helped to support the reform initiative, most recently with the Police Oversight Model Community Outreach (POM). Led by the City Attorney’s office, the City sought public input on what an effective Oversight Model in the City of Vallejo should look like. The information gathered from these meetings is helping the City to create a Police Oversight Model that is right for the community and department.
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City Manager Malone concluded, "We have seen quantifiable progress and accomplishments in our Police Department even amidst the many challenges they face. The City Council and I continue to express our strong support for Chief Williams and the transformational reform initiatives being employed to create a Department that serves the needs and desires of the Vallejo Community. I will be working more closely with the Chief now and in the future to ensure that we ramp up our communications internally and with the public to continue building a solid, trustfueled relationship with our community. We care deeply about the health and wellbeing of our officers and the community. Ultimately, we can't do this alone. So we
are asking the unions, our community members, and all staff to join forces with us for the betterment of this community and our City."
To make an appointment, please visit redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code cityofvallejo, or click here.
We collectively: • Hosted 24 donors • Collected 19 units • Hosted 19 first-time donors • Potentially helped save up to 57 lives!
To save time while saving a life, please fill out a Rapidpass. For more information, please visit redcrossblood.org/rapidpass.
The next City-sponsored blood drive will be held on Thursday, August 11, 2022 in the Vallejo Room, at 505 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
All donors will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice as a thank you for donating.
Help save THREE lives with ONE donation!
Appointments and identification are required!
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Our last City-sponsored blood drive was a success!
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Get Ready for National Night Out on August 2nd! Vallejoans, get ready for National Night Out on August 2, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m!
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This year’s theme is “Connecting with our Community! - Good Conversations with Great Company - YOU!”
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Join Vallejo staff from a variety of departments for the festivities as we build community partnerships and celebrate the spirit of Vallejo.
For more information on National Night Out block party locations open to the public, click here or contact the VPD Community Services Section at 707-553-7218. To learn more about the National Night Out Campaign, click here.
The Vallejo Police Department (VPD) Records Section is in the process of transitioning to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to improve the overall quality of crime data collected by law enforcement. As part of this transition and time-sensitive data-conversion, the VPD lobby will be temporarily closed on Tuesdays beginning,
July 26, 2022, through the month of August 2022. The lobby will remain open for walk-ins during regular business hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Residents and community members may also dial 707-648-4491 or visit vallejopd.net/get_services for online services and report requests. For more information or to view the VPD’s online directory, click here.
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Vallejo PD Temporarily Closes Lobby on Tuesdays
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VALLEJO PD RELEASES 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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The Vallejo Police Department (VPD) is pleased to announce the release of the 2021 Annual Report.
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In a comprehensive look at the department’s operations, the report will highlight key advancements in policy reforms, training priorities, collaborative partnerships, crimefighting technology, recruitment and hiring, and the funding of critical grant opportunities that will support our underserved populations and help build a thriving Vallejo community. “Our 2021 annual report is a reflection of the hard work and dedication by our peace officers and department members to lay the foundation for a safer, more vibrant and healthy Vallejo,” Vallejo Police Chief Shawny K. Williams stated. “During
redefining moments that have tested our commitment to change, our staff, community members and key stakeholders continue to show up to the process, and for this, I am deeply grateful.” The 2021 Annual Report contains the following and more: • Message from Chief of Police Shawny K. Williams • Department Budget and Resources • Community Engagement • Strategic Partnerships • Overview by Division 2021 • Crime Statistics • Look Into the Future We encourage the Vallejo community to read and provide feedback on the annual report. Click here to view the report in its entirety.
The South Vallejo Grocery Co-Op is coming soon! Help support the Co-Op by coming out to the Summer Pop Up Shop this Saturday, July 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 600 Cherry Street, Vallejo.
Vendors, raffles, food, and more! Click here for more information!
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Summer Pop-Up Shop
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The Solano County Transportation Authority (STA) is looking for your input on the draft Solano Countywide Electrification Transition Plan and the Solano Local Road Safety Plan.
The draft electrification plan commenting period is open through Monday, September 12, 2022 (60-days), and the local road Safety Plan commenting period is open through August 12, 2022 (30 Days). For more information and to review the plans, click here.
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STA is looking for your comments
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Participatory Budgeting Is Back with Cycle 8!
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The City of Vallejo invites Vallejo residents, organizations and stakeholders to submit ideas for the eighth cycle of Participatory Budgeting (PB), from Monday, August 1 until Monday, September 18. During the Idea Collection Phase, the City will accept capital infrastructure and program and service ideas at public events, in the lobby of City Hill, located at 555 Santa Clara Street. Community members can submit ideas as well as their complete proposals online at myvallejo.com/pb8.
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making them ineligible to participate in the PB process. Winning project implementers will be required to make quarterly progress reports to improve transparency and highlight project implementation efforts. In Cycle 8, community members also have the opportunity to assist with the PB process as an outreach volunteer or a budget delegate, by filling out a volunteer form online. Non-profit 501(c)3 organizations interested in being an implementing partner must complete a prequalification application online by Monday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. In 2012, Vallejo became the first in the U.S. to implement a city-wide participatory budgeting process. Funded by Measure B, a one-percent sales tax originally approved by voters in 2011, PB is a democratic process that elicits project ideas from residents and stakeholders. Community volunteers, with the support of City staff, develop ideas into full project proposals for a special ballot.
This Cycle is different from past cycles in that non-profit organizations are welcome to submit their ideas and proposals from the beginning. To broaden the inclusivity of more local non-profits, winning projects will receive funds upfront rather than on a reimbursement basis as was done in the past. In the past, not all non-profit More information is available on the City’s organizations could pass the prequalification website pbvallejo.org. phase because they could not absorb the financial burdens caused by the reimbursement-based payment method
This position will have a mechanical focus, and will oversee the maintenance of the City's Water treatment plants, pump stations, reservoirs and watershed lands, lakes, and dams.
The Plant Maintenance Supervisor is a key member of the team and the ideal candidate will knowledge and experience in mechanical maintenance and supervision for staff that performs a wide variety of field and shop mechanical work, including the installation, repair, and maintenance of mechanical equipment typically found in large municipal water treatment plants, pump stations, storage tanks, and reservoirs.
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Join our Vallejo Water team as a Plant Maintenance Supervisor!
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Join our Vallejo Water team as an Instrument Technician I/II!
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We’re looking for someone who can effectively, efficiently and safely perform daily inspections, preventive maintenance, calibration, installation, and repair of a variety Instrumentation, electrical equipment and control systems up to 4160v. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and
experience in the installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and calibration of a large variety of instrumentation, electrical systems, controls systems and equipment commonly used in large municipal drinking-water treatment plants, pump stations, storage tanks and reservoirs. To learn more and apply, click here.
City staff from across our departments will be at the Vallejo Downtown Farmer’s Market on the last Saturday of each month! Come say hello, ask questions, grab some swag, and get to know our team, all while supporting local vendors!
We’ll be at the corner of Georgia and Marin Streets, in front of Brickmania, at 350 Georgia Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, July 30. Come and meet staff from: • Housing • Commercial Services (Water Billing) • Information Technology
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MEET US AT THE MARKET THIS SATURDAY!
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Photo: Walter Gutierrez
CONTACT
cityofvallejo.net 555 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo, CA 94590 Facebook.com/cityofvallejo Instagram.com/cityofvallejo For maintenance emergencies, please call: (707) 648-5235