Santa Ana : Police Force Expands Foot Patrol Program

Police foot patrols were expanded Friday with the addition of a second neighborhood team of five officers and a sergeant, police said.

The first neighborhood team has been working since Nov. 1. It, and the team dispatched Friday, work seven days a week, up to 16 hours a shift.

The foot patrol program is divided into downtown and the roving neighborhood teams. The downtown program dispatched six officers and a sergeant Oct. 1 to supplement two officers already assigned to the central area. The downtown patrol operates up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Sgt. Dan McCoy said.

McCoy called the patrols an “outstanding” success. He said they are credited with more than 1,000 arrests and another 1,600 citizen contacts.

He said 228 of the arrests were for suspicion of use, sale or possession of illegal drugs, and 146 of the cases involved robbery, burglary, theft or prostitution.

Before the foot patrols began, the police canvassed more than 1,100 residents of the target areas, and found that more than 90% of those contacted welcomed the idea, McCoy said.

Police Chief Raymond C. Davis is to make a report on the patrols at the City Council meeting Monday.