2015 Annual Report

Chief's Message

On behalf of the over 250 dedicated members of the Garden Grove Police Department, I am privileged to present to you our 2015 Annual Report. This annual report is a reflection of the work we completed this past year and a brief look into your police department.

Having worked my way through the ranks for nearly 30 years, I was honored to be chosen as Chief of Police in January 2015. I have always been very proud and humbled by the accomplishments of the men and women of this Department, and even though 2015 proved to be a very challenging year, our sworn and civilian staff addressed the needs of our diverse community with professionalism and determination.

In 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 109 (AB109) – The Public Safety Realignment Act. This Act has resulted in the early release of thousands of offenders into communities throughout California, including Garden Grove. Then, in 2014, California voters approved Proposition 47 (Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act), which reduced many felony charges to misdemeanor charges and means no jail time if convicted. The impact of Proposition 47 was felt immediately by all law enforcement, as jails stopped accepting bookings for crimes such as possession of drugs and certain property crimes. At the same time, the state prison system had to reevaluate its population and release thousands of prisoners serving time for crimes now classified as misdemeanors under the newly-enacted Proposition 47. These pieces of legislation have contributed to a substantial increase in calls for service and a 40% increase in crime in Garden Grove, our first overall increase in more than 10 years.

During 2015, the Department responded to more than 74,000 calls for service and made more than 6,200 arrests. Crimes related to the mentally ill and/or homeless population saw a noticeable increase over past year. In spite of the substantially increased workload, we continued to participate in many community-based activities, including community cleanup days, mental health/homeless outreach, and the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

In the fall, we deployed a new department-wide software system to replace the existing 20-year old computer aided dispatch and records management system. The new system offers completely integrated, real-time data to every division in the Department, and contains a crime statistics component which the public will be able to access through the department web page.

It is a privilege and an honor to serve as your Chief, and I would like to thank the Department and the community for your support. Moving forward into 2016 and beyond, it is critically important to grow the ranks of the police department to keep pace with residential redevelopment, increased tourism and changes in legislation. No matter what challenges lie ahead, the Garden Grove Police Department will continue to work closely with community leaders and residents to reduce crime and enhance the quality of life in the city.

Todd D. Elgin
Chief of Police