Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Friday, September 16, 2022
Issued By:
Ryan DeBaeke,Police Sergeant,
707.778.4372

Department Announces Deployment of New Community Impact Response Team (CIRT)

Petaluma, CA- The Petaluma Police Department would like to formally announce the creation and deployment of a newly formed specialized patrol team called the Community Impact Response Team (CIRT). CIRT is a highly visible, uniformed, and proactive policing team tasked with addressing emerging community crime and safety challenges. The primary responsibility of the team will be to provide unencumbered proactive street enforcement and creative problem solving where they are not assigned to routine calls for service, allowing them opportunities to reduce crime, increase traffic safety, improve quality of life, and engage with the community we serve. This new team is flexible and adaptive to streamline community safety problems by addressing people, places, and issues creating the highest number of calls for service impacting our community. CIRT began in July of 2022 and was formed through funds obtained by the passing of Measure U in November of 2020.

The team currently consists of two officers and one sergeant and is planned to expand to four officers and a sergeant in January of 2023. CIRT will focus on street-level quality of life issues including narcotic enforcement, street racing illegal sideshow activity, catalytic converter thefts, apprehension of wanted individuals, and frequent/high visibility patrols to address increases in calls for service in downtown Petaluma. Although CIRT will focus on these specific proactive street enforcement activities, they will also spend time addressing crime trends, support special events, and other operational needs that support Patrol Operations. Since July, CIRT has already handled more than 200 calls for service.

CIRT will be engaged in highly visible patrols throughout the community. As a team based on proven community policing strategies, they will focus on problems that adversely impact our community and its members. As team moves forward with intelligence led policing efforts, we need the help of our community and we welcome your input and encourage the community to reach out to us with areas of concern. We want to thank all of our community based organizations who work collaboratively with us to address community issues and we look forward to creating long and short-term problem-solving strategies.
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