AmCan's Finest

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Introduction:

Imagine paying your bills and being able to talk to police officers at the same time.  To many of the old timers living in American Canyon, the old West American Bank, now the post office and planning & finance department, would be remembered as our first official police station.  Although it only included two contracted Napa County Deputies, it served the cities needs.  Today, the police department has blossomed to about a dozen employees and has an official home at the Canyon Plaza off of highway 29.

The Facility:

At first consideration, one might think that the police department contains a jail or training area for shooting weapons, however, this is not the case.  A small area of computers, a meeting table, and  some lockers are a few of its noticeable features.  Upon close examination, one can find a map of our city, an evidence and property processing area, and even the office of the big kahuna himself and police chief of 2 years and 28 years total police experience.  The staff also includes eight police officers, two sergeants, and a police technician.

Although the facility itself may not sound high tech, the team does have the latest weapons and technology just as any other police station would.  Bean bag guns, pepper ball chemical agents, tazors, spike strips, and the famous “The Wrap”, more or less a straight jacket, are part of the arsenal.  They also had a new shipment of mobile data computers waiting to be installed inside the cars.  The  equipment and facility may be small, but it is suitable for our city at the current time. 

The station includes three patrol cars, three supervisor cars, and one police technician Ford pick-up.  One of the interesting features that citizens may not know is that our city also uses a Command Post Van, owned by the Napa County Sheriff's Department.  This $250,000 large bus type vehicle serves as a mobile communication center, equipped with computers, satellite, and a zoomable camera, and is loaned and used a few times a year for major events both voluntary and involuntary.  For example, it was used in last years 4^th of July fireworks celebration. 

Despite our small city, police officers receive the same amount of training as other officers in any other city.  Although most training is done throughout the state at various locations, the Napa Valley College also serves as a basic training academy for officers, and new recruits must fulfill a yearlong probationary training period in AmCan with another officer until they are officially allowed a vehicle and place on the team.  In addition, the Napa Department of Correction serves as our jail and fulfills our other needs when required.

Overall, the station is pretty busy with the major crimes being domestic violence, theft, traffic related, and dui’s.  When compared to other cities of our size, the crime rate is moderate.  Possibly the most unusual crime in AmCan involved a man living on the Safeway roof for a week or so.  According to the police, he snuck into Safeway during the night to eat, and went back up on the roof to hide during the day.  AmCan officers are also involved with the Vallejo and the Napa police station when needed.

Community Life:

One of the most important features of our police station is the community involvement and commitment of the team.  They have regularly assisted AmCan citizens with safety related issues, partial assisted living, and even driving them through town.  Additionally, citizens who wish to have a block party, or block a part of their street can call to have the team help them.  Neighborhood Watch programs are also provided.

The department also hosts several programs such as DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and GREAT (Gang Resistance Education And Training), which are programs that involve an officer to teach kids about certain subjects at local schools.  Other programs include the Bad Check program, provided by Napa County District Attorney's Office, and the Carseat Check-up program.

When the team isn't on duty, they get together for an annual Christmas dinner, and two officers even do a little off-road racing to represent the department.

A Look Into The Future:

The department will eventually be moving into a new building within the next 3-5 years.  This new building will be shared with our new fire station.  They are also planning to bring in a K-9, and Motorcycle unit.

For more information about the department, please call 648-2658.

Handouts & Links:

Crime Prevention Guide

Carseat Check-Up Program

Bicycle Helmet Law

Bad Check Program

Photos:

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