Positive changes near Free meal have community members and businesses very grateful to EPD

Everytime Eureka Police Department helps someone, it may not make it to a press release. Community members and businesses do notice. This is a shout out to EPD.

EPD officers on a daily basis help people down on their luck access resources. It isn't all about arrests.

Free meal had a group of troublemakers who were intimidating others and causing problems. EPD has helped make that environment a safer place.

People who are already down on their luck or struggling get preyed upon by a few troublemakers. This happens frequently. Guess who is there to protect?  Eureka Police Department.

Thanks to a new cannabis business next door to where free meal is located, tresspassers and troublemakers can now be removed from that private property. A positive change because this business owner has taken interest in that property.  More kudos since the owner lives out of town. There will be high security cameras located at that business.

All these are positive steps in making a problem area in Eureka safer.

EPD Chief Watson told me, "Those efforts have been spearheaded by our new CSET team under Sergeant Leonard LaFrance and commanded by Captain O’Neill."

"Sgt. LaFrance recognized the deteriorating, persistent problems in the area and has been working with the new property owners to address issues associated with the building and surrounding area.  This included having our Crime Prevention through Environmental Design team (CPTED) do a site survey and make recommendation to Saint Vincent de Paul’s Dining Facility and the adjacent property purchased by a cannabis business."

"CSET also identified a group of predatory criminals among the homeless victimizing them and others (a number of the homeless actually asked for our help with this group)."

"Our Old Town Officer, Brian Ross, who is now a part of the CSET team, has also been working to address the crime and disorder issues associated with individuals in that area. Sgt. LaFrance has also been working with SVdP regarding their facility and they have established a good working relationship."