Hermosa Beach Police Seeking Accreditation

An assessment team from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies will arrive in Hermosa later this month to examine the police department's policies and procedures as well as its management, operations and support services.

The national commission is a law enforcement credentialing authority created to improve public safety services, and recognize professional excellence.

The department invited the evaluators in an effort to win the commission's official accreditation, which is a sought-after recognition of professional excellence in law enforcement.

If Hermosa wins accreditation, it will be in effect for three years, during which time the department is required to submit annual reports to the commission that show a continued practice of the high standards under which it was first accredited.

Residents are invited to consult with assessors Aug. 30 as part of an on-site evaluation at the City Council chambers.

Police Chief Greg Savelli talked with Patch about what the evaluators may be looking for in Hermosa. 

Hermosa Beach Patch: Why does the department want accreditation, and how will this affect the community?

Greg Savelli: As the chief, I sought accreditation as I recognized the value of the program and its stated goals. One of those goals was to "boost citizen and staff confidence in the agency."

I firmly believe that the police department belongs to the people of Hermosa Beach and everything we do should demonstrate the utmost in professionalism.

By seeking accreditation, I knew that the work that the men and women of the department do every day would live up to those standards. By bringing in outside auditors [police professionals from across the country], we could verify to our community [that] we meet the high standards and professionalism.  

Once accredited, we become part of a professional organization that the community and our department can be proud of.

Patch: How many people are in the Hermosa Beach Police Department total?

Savelli: The department is currently authorized [for] 64 total personnel.  Of those, 39 positions are police officers. Currently, due to budget restraints, we have five vacant officer positions. Of the 39 officers, there are eight sergeants, two lieutenants, one captain and one chief of police. 

There are 11 police service officers, which perform office functions such as working in records division and the city jail. The community services division of the police department performs many functions; primarily they are our parking enforcement officers and animal control officers. We have nine of these officers. 

The balance of professional staff includes our administrative assistants, secretaries, court liaison office and taxi cab administrator.

Patch: How long have you been with the Hermosa Beach force?

Savelli: I have been with the Hermosa Beach police department since July 2006.  I just had my fourth anniversary as chief.  I have [more than] 32 years in law enforcement, which began in Northern California working for police departments in Marin County. 

I then transferred to the Palm Springs area for a number of years.  Upon promotion to captain, I transferred to the Central Valley of California and then ultimately came to Hermosa Beach as their chief of police.

Patch: How many officers are on duty?

Savelli: The number of officers on duty at any specific time varies, by time of day and day of week. 

For example, we staff our highest numbers on weekend nights—Friday and Saturday—where we could have as many as 11 officers working if fully staffed. Other times, we may have as few as three officers on duty.

We determine our schedules by reviewing our calls for service and determining where the active periods occur. We then adjust the schedule to meet the demand.  Our patrol officers work three 12-hour shifts between November and June. 

During the busy summer months, officers "payback" time by working an additional 12-hour shift. This helps us keep up with the summer's increased level of calls for service.

Coming up next on Hermosa Beach Patch — Savelli talks about late night law enforcement on Pier Plaza, and the top three community issues that residents should keep in mind.