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not fair to say that the media created a problem by discussing the performance standards and the pizza party, I think it is fair to say that while this discussion is a great result, I think this discussion is important for the community so we all better understand what the standards are, and more importantly what our Police Department does, I think it was unfair to have some of the reporting that was so skimpy on the facts, and so quick to judge. And I think some of us on the Council will admit that sometimes we are a little bit quick to judge while being skimpy on the facts. Communication is important. Good judgment is important. And certainly we all need to look at ourselves to say, are we exercising good judgment as we evaluate these issues. I appreciate the sergeant who took his officers out for pizza, and I appreciate the officers who did a great job. And I appreciate the Police Chief and his sergeants and his captains for doing an excellent job as well." Vice Mayor Ruskin said this public meeting had been very informative and "was very important because this was a vital subject. We all want to know that our Police Department is doing a good job, an honorable job, that the citations it issues, and the arrests it makes are legitimate and protect us. And that the policies that it develops and executes are honorable, productive, and protect the community. That's why I believe the Council called for this session. We had an obligation to look at the facts, to have the facts presented to us so we could make a decision in our own minds, as to whether the law was being upheld, as to whether policy was productive of good ends. And to be able to tell the people not only here, but in the community at large, that the Police Department is protecting the people, and that the policies are legitimate. I want to thank the Police Department and the Chief for making such a thorough and detailed and definitive presentation of the facts. I believe there are three key areas to look at. First key area is, are we in keeping with the state law that says we should have no numerical requirements for citations. I believe it is clear that we are within the law as the City Attorney has stated. That what we have are expectations. We do not have minimum requirements. And one of the reasons we have those in place is because as I understand it from the report, the police officers themselves have asked to know what standards they will be measured by ahead of time, rather than after the fact. I think it is also important for our citizens to understand that in regard to the traffic citations issue, the way that the department is performing actually meets the needs of the people as they have expressed those needs. I'm very impressed, for instance, to know that "research conducted by the National Traffic Safety Institute and confirmed by additional research at Northwestern and the University of California at Berkeley" I will paraphrase, has indicated that there is a clear correlation between the issuance of traffic citations and the frequency of fatal and injury accidents. The Office of Traffic Safety in Sacramento recommends to Police Departments statewide that the accepted goal of one moving or hazardous citation per patrol officer each 8-hour shift to positively impact injury and fatal accident rates in the community. So the policy is not merely for one of giving out tickets, what it does is increase the safety and well being of all of us in the community, and the policy itself does not even take that goal as a requirement, but includes it as one element of an officer's performance, and understand that if an officer is engaged in other kinds of activities that goal, that standard, that expectation is not a minimum requirement. Furthermore I think the people of Redwood City and other communities will be very happy to know as I am that in giving out REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 56 FEBRUARY 2,1998 MINUTES Page No. 232 PAGE 17