Quick Take
A new Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report found that the Watsonville Police Department handcuffs, detains and transports more people for misdemeanors, such as theft, trespassing and DUIs, than other local law enforcement agencies.
The Watsonville Police Department detains and transports more people for minor crimes such as theft, trespassing and DUIs than other law enforcement agencies in Santa Cruz County, the county’s government watchdog found in a new report.
The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury, a state-mandated, volunteer-led government watchdog group of 19 members, reviewed more than 50 misdemeanor arrests that occurred in May 2024, according to a report released on Wednesday. It did not review misdemeanors where people were taken to jail, a hospital or a sobering center, as that is a common practice among local law enforcement agencies.
Rather than releasing people with a citation for a misdemeanor, the grand jury found that Watsonville police officers were more likely to take arrestees to the police department. In comparison, other law enforcement agencies within the county were more likely to release people with a citation for similar misdemeanors.
While handcuffing is discretionary — officers make their decisions based on the situation — the grand jury found that Watsonville police officers tend to overuse handcuffs, even when a person is released with a citation.
For DUIs, according to the report, people suspected of being under the influence of alcohol are usually handcuffed and taken to the Watsonville police station for further breath or blood testing to confirm blood alcohol levels. The person suspected of driving under the influence may be released if there is a “responsible party,” such as a family member, available. If not, they are transported to a jail, hospital or sobering center.
The civil grand jury recommended that the police department install certified breathalizers in every patrol car, so that multiple sobriety tests can be conducted in the field and to minimize the need to handcuff and transport people to the police station for further testing. The watchdog group recommends that the department complete this task by the end of the year.
The report also recommends the department update its training materials and provide more training on the “cite and release” method to help reduce the number of people being arrested and taken to the police station.
The grand jury also noted that the department should work on its deescalation practices, such as approaching each situation in a peaceful manner, and recommend it require this type of training, despite Watsonville police saying all of its training includes “some sort of de-escalation-type scenario.”
While the report primarily critiqued the department’s handling of misdemeanor arrests, the civil grand jury believes the law enforcement agency is “truly concerned about the safety of everyone in Watsonville,” and noting that the attitude “that ‘everybody is treated with dignity and respect’ coming from the top at the WPD is a good step towards improving community relations.”
The Watsonville Police Department says its administrative team will “thoroughly review the report” and its recommendations, according to a statement released on Wednesday. The department said it will be preparing its response to the civil grand jury within the next 30 days.
“Our mission, here at the Watsonville Police Department, has always been and continues to be the safety and well-being of our community,” said the statement. “We remain committed to building trust, reducing trauma where possible, and maintaining strong relationships with those we serve, while also prioritizing the health and safety of our officers and staff.”
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.