Public Safety Grant to City Stirs Debate

City officials are divided over what to do with $14,000 in Citizens Options for Public Safety funds.

The annual $100-million giveaway to cities and counties throughout the state has city officials looking for ways to spend Villa Park’s share.

Councilwoman Patricia Bortle said she would like to hire part-time community service officers to help direct traffic around school zones.

With Serrano Elementary and Cerro Villa Middle schools opposite each other on Serrano Avenue, traffic on the street becomes extremely congested in the mornings and afternoons, she said.

“The traffic congestion exists for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon, when school gets in and out,” City Manager Fred Maley said. “That’s what the idea was: . . . to alleviate the last-minute dash of parents dropping and picking up their children from school.”

But Councilman Russell Patterson said he would rather give the money back to the taxpayers.

“I’m not happy to have Barney Fife-Deputy Dog out there,” Patterson said. “Approaching citizens in vehicles is a difficult task for peace officers. I don’t like this whole thing. I don’t like spending money that we don’t need.

“We’re trying to find a way to spend the public’s money,” he said. “I wish there some way to give it back.”

“It’s coming every year,” Maley said. “We bought the radar trailer last year,” freeing up a police officer from that duty.

Patterson said he would be more interested in hiring a police officer who could issue traffic citations, but the $14,000 doesn’t come close to paying for another full-time officer.

City officials can hold the funds over and add them to next year’s allowance, but the city already has $8,000 available from last year’s stipend.

“Obviously, we can’t give [the COPS funds] back,” said Carol Grabbe, a Villa Park resident. “I’d rather see us put the money to good use.”

Grabbe, who helps direct traffic at Fairhaven Elementary School in Santa Ana, said she liked the idea of hiring a community service officer.

“The parents don’t pay attention to us,” she said.

Bortle suggested that residents let the council know how the money should be spent by contacting the city’s hotline, (714) 998-0205, or by e-mail through the city’s Web site, https://www.villapark.org.

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Chris Ceballos can be reached at (714) 966-7440.