1/1/2007
Simi Valley Police Foundation Receives Strong Community Support

One of the most important cornerstones of the Simi Valley economy is safety. The city consistently ranks among the FBI's top 10 safest cities with populations of more than 100‚000. A major reason for this is the com­munity’s support of the police department through the Simi Valley Police Foundation.

"I attribute it to having law-abiding citizens who are involved in their community‚&qout; Foundation President Dave McCormick says. "We have people who like to volunteer and plenty of activities to keep kids busy. It's a very well-rounded community."

For years‚ the people of Simi Valley have made generous‚ unsolicited donations to support such programs as D.A.R.E. and the canine unit. The police department also made good use of both the state and federal governments' forfeited asset programs‚ using this money to enhance narcotics enforcement‚ department communications‚ computer equipment and crime prevention programs. In about the mid-1990s‚ the laws governing the forfeited asset programs changed‚ making it more difficult for police departments to collect. Criminals may have also become more sophis­ticated‚ so that large busts were not as common.

To make up for this loss of adjunct funding‚ Former Police Chief Paul Miller proposed establishing a police foundation‚ which the City Council approved in 1996.

The foundation provided a legitimate tax deduction for donations and has been a huge success‚ raising $75‚000 to $100‚000 per year.

"We've been very successful with our annual dinner in February and a golf tournament in August‚" McCormick says. "We also have corporate sponsors and a Business Associates Roundtable‚ which provides opportunities for different levels of giving." Business associates receive a plaque indicating their level of support and are invited to periodic receptions‚ including the chief’s luncheons in the spring and fall. Residents are also encouraged to participate through donations of as little as $25 or by donating time to help with tasks such as envelope stuffing.

As its name implies‚ Simi Valley is in a valley and is not on a major Interstate highway‚ which secludes it somewhat from criminal elements.

"You can't commit a crime and jump right on the freeway‚" McCormick says. Tom Saulnier‚ chair of tourism for the Chamber of Commerce‚ agrees and says the community appeals to visitors from small towns or rural areas who are concerned about crime. Although it is not on the big north-south freeways‚ residents and visitors do have ready access to most Southern California attractions‚ she notes.

Community involvement is the biggest reason for Simi Valley's superb safety record‚ according to McCormick‚ a former chamber president who has been involved with a number of community organizations.

"Kids here don't have much wasted downtime. We have a lot of resources like the park district‚ the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA‚ and there is constantly something going on. It's very nice to see so many parents involved and the business community involved. We're all giving back to the community to make it a better place to live‚ and it makes you feel connected with the community‚" he says.