Cops top town talk

At the Saratoga Town Council meeting Tuesday, council members had a break from routine business to discuss the police department, with one person lodging a complaint and another offering praise for the Saratoga Police Department.

One female resident of Saratoga took the podium during public comment time to complain that, as a victim of crime, she felt officers of the Saratoga Police Department did not show enough respect and concern for female victims. This allegation was in direct contrast to effusive praise offered by another Saratoga resident who took time to thank officers for their work and point out how the resources of Valley departments are so thinly stretched while crime, especially drug crime, is burgeoning around the county.

Karon Wilson, of Saratoga, took the podium to address the council about her experiences with the police. Pointing out her background in social work, she said she generally did not have any issues getting along with police, but felt the response she saw from officers involved in her case showed a lack of sensitivity to victims.

“I have a son who served as a police officer and a highway patrolman,” Wilson said. “I’m not a person who normally has issues with police.”

But about a year ago, she became the victim of a crime and then met several other women in town who all told her they felt the department didn’t take their issues seriously, she said.

Wilson read a list of complaints to the council, including a lack of support when returning home to retrieve personal items during a domestic situation, having officers say they are not required to take a report, and taking three months to get copies of report from officers, among others.

“There may be a systemic problem here in town with sensitivity to victims on the part of the police department,” Wilson said. “Perhaps more training is needed?”

Wilson also told the council that after she requested time to address the council, she received a call from the police department asking her to come in and discuss the situation. The call, she said, made her feel intimidated.

Saratoga Police Chief Robert Bifano responded to Wilson’s statement during the time scheduled for his regular report to the council.

To see if there were areas officers needed to improve upon, Bifano said he chose to study another case that was somewhat like Wilson’s and the “biggest case that we’ve ever had in a situation that was similar to the one just described.”

According to Bifano, the case involved 36 case reports with officers, while the average is about five. The case took 2 1/2 months to complete. During his study, Bifano asked the victim of the case a series of questions designed to gauge her response to specific allegations made by Wilson.

The biggest concern the person had, Bifano said, was that she believed the SPD could have done a better job following up with her rather than her having to call in and inquire.

Overall, however, the victim gave the police department an effectiveness score of 85.68 percent, Bifano said. Bifano also asked questions of a victim services agent. The agent gave the police department a score of 97.1 percent.

Combining the two scores yields an average of 91.39 percent, Bifano said.

“I just wanted to let you know that I took those allegations seriously,” Bifano said. “My door is always open if anyone has any questions.”

After Bifano finished his report, another Saratoga resident, Sally Patton, stepped up to praise the police department for doing its job well, despite the fact Valley law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed.

Police agencies in the Valley are faced with a host of problems, including understaffing, lack of resources and a boom in drug and alcohol related crimes, Patton said.

Despite these problems, Patton says she has never seen so much cooperation between local departments and the county sheriff’s office.

The next regular meeting of the Saratoga Town Council will be 6 p.m., May 16 at Saratoga Town Hall.