A Message from Police Chief Rick Navarro:
"The Mill Valley Police Department (MVPD) stands firmly on the six pillars of 21st Century Policing. We have leaned forward and not only listened to our community but have taken action. We will continue to work on training our officers on implicit bias, principle policing, and racial diversity. As you know, change does not happen overnight. It is a process, and law enforcement across the United States needs to continue to examine their practices and weed out implicit bias where it exists. This is only the beginning as we continue to examine the data to help our leadership team improve our service to our community, training of our officers, and recruitment of our staff. I am proud of the men and women of the Mill Valley Police Department and their eagerness to help effect change. We strive for excellence in our service and are one with our community."
The following list provides an update on some of the initiatives that have taken place at the Mill Valley Police Department:
Early Implementation of RIPA Data Collection
- Initiated June 2021(First in Marin County to submit to the Department of Justice)
- First Police Agency in Marin County to provide City Staff Report in the County on Department RIPA Data
Adopted and Enhanced Policing Policies for Bias-Free Policing
Enhanced MVPD Training with RIPA Best Practices
- Trainings Include:
- Bias and Racial Profiling
- Principled Policing (Trained staff member to be POST certified and hosted training at MVPD)
- Cultural Diversity
- Reporting Stop Data for RIPA
Adopt RIPA Best Practices to Prevent Bias-by-Proxy
“Bias by Proxy” is when an individual calls the police and makes false or ill-informed claims of misconduct about persons they dislike or are biased against (either implicit or explicit bias).
- “If you see something, say why it’s suspicious”
- All MVPD officers received the 2021 RIPA Report on “Best Practices for Responding to Bias-Based Calls”
- Introduced and defined Principled Policing training course. Community members participated in our Principled Policing course as students. Brought in a member from the Marin City community to teach for a portion of each class
- Bias-by-Proxy stand-alone policy
- 2023 Community outreach campaign
Aligned MVPD Police Manual with Procedural Justice Best Practices
Aligned MVPD Use of Force Policies with 21st Century Policing
- Incorporated new Senate and Assembly bills into our policies
- Updated policies and procedures
- Scenario-based education and training
Publicized Comprehensive Data on Department Website
- Created a Transparency webpage
- Annual Statistics
- Bias-Free Policing Policy
- Use-of-Force statistics
- Calls-for-Service
- RIPA Dashboard
- Citizen Complaint Log
- Access to Complaint Process
- All patrol vehicles now have complaint forms
- All staff have website information on the back of their business cards
- Community can now file complaints online and not have to come to Police Department
- Complaint forms at City Hall
Developed a Police Governance Sub-Committee for Oversight
- Members are Vice Mayor, Councilmember, City Manager, and Police Chief
- Meet Quarterly
- New city policy under Personnel Administration for Police Governance
Community Engagement
Published and Provided the Community with Alternative Resources
- Resources we utilize and partner with:
- Main Mobile Crisis
- County of Marin Cares Act Team
- Streets Team
- Center for Domestic Peace
- MV Code Enforcement
- Community Services Officer
Worked Closely with Community Groups to Ensure Best Practices and Community Partnerships within the Police Department
Hiring
- Created 2 Police Cadet Positions
- Hired a ½ time Community Services Officer
- Both classifications will eventually assist with non-emergency type calls for service
- Conducted recruitment efforts in underrepresented communities in Marin County such as Marin City and San Rafael Canal area
Published MVPD Annual Report for Community
2021 Mill Valley Police Department Annual Report