Members of LAPD Command Staff, from left, CDC Manager Kate Stoddard, Dep. Chief Jason Herrera, Chief Dino Sgambellone, Cmdr. Preston Ballew and Cmdr. Oliver Morris. Not pictured, Emergency Manager Beverley Simpson, Records Manager Teresina Berg and Jail Administrator Hilario Salinas. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
With public trust in law enforcement shaken nationwide and the call in some communities to defund the police – the question came to mind about how the Los Alamos Police Department measures up.
Los Alamos County Manager Harry Burgess shared his perspective with the Los Alamos Daily Post.
“I cannot ignore the fact that our community is smaller than many, yet our Police Department has consistently taken steps to address citizen concerns over the years, resulting in a positive relationship with the community that facilitates addressing difficult issues such as we are facing at present,” Burgess said. “Much of the department’s success in this regard has been made due to a continuous focus on improvement, as encouraged by their efforts to become an accredited agency just over two years ago.”
Burgess said that milestone was accomplished through the efforts of all employees, explaining that it requires not only the leadership and direction of Police Chief Dino Sgambellone, but also the support and attention to detail from all employees of the department to achieve this award.
Following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota where a police officer kneeled on his neck, Black Lives Matter protests have erupted across the nation. Community members in Los Alamos have held similar protests and Chief Sgambellone spoke at one of the first and has met with several concerned groups.
“I want to applaud Chief Sgambellone for his willingness to meet with community groups and discuss departmental policies as they relate to national concerns regarding use of force, duty to intervene, and implicit bias,” Burgess said. “He has shown great leadership in this regard, where despite heightened tensions, Chief Sgambellone has enabled these discussions and been open to modifications to current policies that improve the department’s operations and ultimately the County’s service to the community.”
Sgambellone was appointed to lead the LAPD in November of 2013. One of the first things he did was meet with each employee and discuss what was important to them with respect to professionalism in public safety.
“Out of those meetings, our Core Beliefs were established, which include Professionalism, Accountability, Integrity, Respect, Communication and Teamwork,” he said. “These Core Beliefs support our Mission Statement and Vision and create a foundation for everything we do. Additionally, we began to seek National Accreditation through CALEA early on and have successfully met that goal. In fact, in each of our independent evaluations, we have maintained 100 percent compliance to all applicable standards.”
With respect to transparency, Chief Sgambellone describes the department as highly visible and engaged within the community.
“We regularly inform the public through press releases and community meetings and publish an annual report each year,” he said. “We have both in-car cameras and body worn cameras. My contact information is available on our website and I regularly get emails and phone calls from citizens on a number of issues as do the Department’s Command Staff.”
Community members from varying perspectives shared their thoughts on the LAPD. County Councilor Katrina Martin is a young wife, mother of a 6-month-old son and teacher. She said the local police make her feel safe.
“Although my interactions have been of a non-confrontational manner, I find the officers are very responsive and always try to maintain a courteous demeanor. It is a two-way street – they trust us, and we trust them,” Martin said. “I also really appreciate Chief Sgambellone’s commitment to ongoing training – I feel they really make the community’s safety a top priority.”
Katy Korkos has lived in town for 38 years. Her perspective is that of a small business owner (Katherine’s restaurant in White Rock) and now a retiree.
“Our police department is accredited, and our officers receive state of the art training … they aren’t arrogant and I both feel safe and confident,” Korkos said. “I also trust Chief Sgambellone to keep accurate records to spot any potential red flags of implicit racial bias.”
Rodney Robeson is relatively new to the community. He shared his perspective as someone who works in emergency management (DOE field office), a member of the Los Alamos Public Safety Association, a black man and a candidate for County Council.
“I haven’t heard any horror stories here,” Robeson said. “I know many of the officers on a personal level and from my perspective the Los Alamos Police Department is doing a fantastic job.”
The Post asked Chief Sgambellone a variety of questions about policies and procedures in place at the LAPD:
Post: Does the LAPD have an Early Intervention System (EIS) in place?
Sgambellone: Yes. We call it an Early Warning System. The system is designed to alert when an employee has a certain number of pre-determined criteria within a certain time frame. This does not mean the employee has done anything wrong, the system just informs the supervisor to take a look at the situation and see if any intervention is necessary.
Post: What are the most valuable policies and programs you have in place?
Sgambellone: That’s a hard question to answer because if a particular policy weren’t necessary, it wouldn’t be included. But I would have to say our Mission, Vision, and Core Beliefs because they set the foundation for everything we do. We take substantial pride in our programming efforts which include our School Resource Officers, Victim Assistance, Safety Town, Special Olympics, Crime Prevention, Teen Court, and a variety of community-based partnerships and collaborations.
Post: How many people have LAPD officers saved including attempted suicide interventions, CPR, etc.?
Sgambellone: Since 2016, employees have earned 10 Life Saving Commendations.
Post: Does LAPD have a chokehold policy?
Sgambellone: In light of the tragic event involving the death of George Floyd, we amended this policy to prohibit this tactic reading in pertinent part, “Neck restraints, choke holds or other similar techniques used with the intent to restrict or stop the flow of oxygen to the brain, …are prohibited unless the use of deadly force is reasonably believed to be necessary as a means of last resort”.
Post: Does LAPD emphasize de-escalation techniques?
Sgambellone: Yes, de-escalation is a standard training topic and we will have formal de-escalation training within the next couple months. In the last two months we have already had Duty to Intervene and Implicit Bias training.
Post: How many officers comprise the LAPD?
Sgambellone: We are authorized 35 sworn officers and are currently at 34.
Post: What is the diversity of the LAPD?
Female officers? 2
Hispanic officers? 7
Black officers? 1
Post: What is the turnover rate at the LAPD?
Sgambellone: We have averaged 3 new hires per year and 2.3 openings per year during the same time frame.
Post: How would you describe your relationship with the police union?
Sgambellone: Very good.
Post: What is your opinion about community policing?
Sgambellone: In my view, community policing significantly altered Law Enforcement in two ways. First, it created opportunities to engage the public in untraditional ways, thereby promoting trust within the community. Secondly, it helped to shift the Law Enforcement culture by balancing enforcement activities with a more service oriented philosophy. I fully support both of these outcomes.
Post: How many complaints have been filed against LAPD?
Sgambellone: Since 2016, we have had 146 complaints, which include 51 external (citizen) complaints and 95 internal (Department generated) complaints. During the same time, we have had 306 compliments.
Post: How many lawsuits?
Sgambellone: Since I’ve been here, we have had 5 lawsuits filed against the department.
Post: How many excessive force complaints?
Sgambellone: We had one Tort Claim alleging excessive force, but no official complaints.
Post: How many officers have received more than one complaint against them?
Sgambellone: Officers that had more than one sustained complaint in 2016-3, 2017-4, 2018-2 and 2019-3.
Post: Does LAPD post its internal reviews on its website open to public view?
Sgambellone: Each year our annual report lists aggregate numbers for complaints and compliments.
Post: Do you agree communication skills, compassion and empathy, integrity, negotiation skills, desire to learn and mental agility are the qualities that make up an excellent police officer and would you add other qualities?
Sgambellone: I do agree with that list and feel there are many more. Police Officers are called on at times to be psychologists, social workers, counselors, care takers, and defenders. Each of those roles requires a certain level of competency to be successful. Each must be delivered impartially and equitably to all we serve. I would highlight that good communication includes the ability to listen. I have attended a protest as Ashley Pond to hear directly from citizens regarding their concerns and recently was part of a virtual community meeting with Laboratory employees. I am always willing to have a discussion on how we might better serve the community.
Post: What makes LAPD most effective in serving the public?
Sgambellone: The employees. I am very proud of the Police Department employees who come to work each day and provide exceptional service to the public. I also think the public plays a large role. We value and appreciate the support we get from the community and it’s through that partnership we are able to help sustain a high quality of life here in Los Alamos.
Post: If you could change anything what would that be?
Sgambellone: We are proud of our role in keeping Los Alamos one of the safest communities in the nation. However, based on recent events and other factors, I know from emails, phone calls, and meetings I’ve been a part of, that there are still community members that do not feel safe and/or safe around the Police. That tells me we still have work to do and if I could change anything it would be to find better ways to reach the public so we can improve that level of trust. Some events, like what occurred in Minnesota, are out of our control. Yet, they have a significant impact on Law Enforcement locally, and throughout the Country. How we respond, I think, is the key to developing and sustaining that level of trust. It supports a safer community and it is safer for my employees whose job can be very challenging and dangerous even here in Los Alamos.
Post: Is there anything else you would like the community to know about you and/or the LAPD?
Sgambellone: I think it is important to recognize that Police Officers are human like anyone else and do make mistakes. However, from our hiring practices, through our training, to our Mission, Vision, and Core Beliefs and overall culture, we take pride in our professionalism and service to the community. We wouldn’t be in Public Safety if we didn’t. Our goal each day is to provide that high level of customer service while maintaining peace and safety for all people.
