FCPD At-a-Glance

In light of recent events surrounding the tragic death of George Floyd and several other incidents around the country and locally, Police Chief Tracy Avelar provided a message to the community. As she states, "The Foster City Police Department remains committed to providing the necessary training, oversight, and accountability that is paramount to building and maintaining the trust of our community. We will continue to ensure that our officers have an understanding of, and true appreciation for, their authority, limitations and community expectations. Our department is dedicated to the service and protection of all, most importantly the preservation of life."

FCPD's philosophy and value statements can be read here.

In response to questions surrounding FCPD's use of force policies, which are largely generated by the 8cantwait.org website, and as outlined in the Police Chief's message to the community, here’s where we stand:

1. BAN CHOKEHOLDS & STRANGLEHOLDS
   • Both holds have never been permitted, nor are they part of our policy. In addition, we will no longer allow the Carotid Control Hold as a less than lethal option. It is important to note that in over 20 years, our department has never used the Carotid Control Hold.
2. REQUIRE DE-ESCALATION
   • De-escalation is already interwoven into many of our department’s core policies such as Use of Force, Crisis Intervention, Mental Illness, Taser, BolaWrap, as well as our bi-monthly required trainings. 100% of our patrol officers are trained in De-escalation and/or received Crisis Intervention Training. We have added the following language to our use of force policy:
     • It is the policy of this Department that when all of the reasonably known circumstances indicate it is safe, prudent, and feasible to do so, an officer(s) shall attempt to slow down, reduce the intensity, or stabilize the situation so that more time, options and/or resources may become available for incident resolution.
3. REQUIRE WARNING BEFORE SHOOTING
   • Many of our policies (300.4) include issuing verbal warnings prior to the use of force. In situations where a person is fleeing, who an officer reasonably believes will cause death or serious injury if not immediately apprehended, the officer, shall make reasonable efforts where feasible to warn that deadly force may be used.
4. EXHAUST ALL ALTERNATIVES BEFORE SHOOTING
   • Our policy (300.4) states when safe and feasible, under the totality of the circumstances, including split second decisions, officers should evaluate the use of other reasonably available resources and techniques when determining whether to use deadly force, and deadly force is only used when there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury to the officer or another person. AB 392 and SB 230, signed into law in 2019, substantially changed the language of 835a PC. California Police Officers can now use deadly force "only when necessary in defense of human life". The record of that legislation reflects the consideration of the exact language of "exhaust all other means", but that language was found to be legally and practically problematic.
5. DUTY TO INTERVENE
   • Our policy (300.2.1) mandates officers to intercede if they observe another officer using unreasonable force and to promptly report the observations to a supervisor.
6. BAN SHOOTING AT MOVING VEHICLES
   • While our policy does not ban shooting at moving vehicles (300.4.1), it severely restricts shooting at or from a moving vehicle and is only allowed when the driver and vehicle pose a deadly threat.
7. ESTABLISH USE OF FORCE CONTINUUM
   • Our officers are trained on various levels of force similar to a continuum. Our polices (300.3) require officers to use only that amount of force that reasonably appears necessary given the facts and totality of the circumstances known to or perceived by the officer at the time of the event to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
8. REQUIRE ALL FORCE TO BE REPORTED
   • ANY use of force by a member of this department shall be documented. All uses of force are reviewed by a supervisor and manager in adherence to our policy (300.5). Officers are also required to document pointing a taser device and firearm at an individual.

The use of force by law enforcement personnel is a matter of critical concern, both to the public and the law enforcement community. FCPD is extremely proud of the consistent professionalism of our officers, which actually has resulted in zero sustained use of force complaints in at least the last five years.

With a total of 17,416 calls for service in 2019, seven of those instances resulted in reportable use of force by responding officers.

Out of 11,133 calls for service in 2020 to-date, FCPD has had five reportable use of force incidents.

All use of force must and is appropriately documented, reviewed, and investigated by supervisory/command staff per FCPD Policy 300.5 – Reporting the Use of Force.

In 2019, crime statistics led to Foster City being ranked as the 10th safest city in California when compared to cities of like population.

FCPD hires for character. We have an unwavering focus on hiring those that hold the same values, reflect the diversity of our community, and are in the law enforcement profession to truly serve and protect the rights and safety of all.

For FCPD, the staffing levels are at 39 Police Officers, four Senior Community Service Officers, seven Dispatchers, three Records employees, and one Management Analyst.

No national standard exists for how many officers departments should have per capita. That's in part due to the fact that population totals don't fully reflect demands placed on law enforcement agencies or differences across jurisdictions.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report Program (FBI's UCR Program), in 2018 the nationwide average ratio of Police Officers to population is 2.1 officers for every 1,000 people and the California average ratio of Police Officers to population is 2 officers for every 1,000 people (Source: FBI UCR Program). Given this benchmark, a population size like Foster City (with an estimated 33,901 in 2019; Source: U.S. Census Bureau) would have at least 67 officers. 

FCPD's entire Policy Manual is available here. We strive to meet these guidelines and are committed to ensuring that all members of our community remain safe. Providing information online about the way we work and the policies that govern us is FCPD's commitment to transparency. It is a priority for us as we believe that informed residents & public trust in essential in good community policing strategies and maintaining accountability. 

Police officers in the State of California receive some of the most relevant and progressive training in the nation. Here at FCPD, we invest heavily in training for all police personnel and ensure compliance with California's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) requirements.

​​​​​For a list of documents from trainings FCPD has provided over the past several months, please visit here.

FCPD is continuously motivated to improve as professionals and will continue to listen and provide the highest standard of service to our community. We remain committed, now perhaps more than ever, to continuing our partnership with the community and working towards becoming stronger together. 

​​​​​The City hosted a Virtual Town Hall on Community Policing on Monday, June 29 from 6:00 PM-7:30 PM. The Town Hall Meeting was intended to provide an opportunity for honest and open dialogue with the community, specifically around local community and police relations. Please visit the City's Agenda & Minutes page to view the recording. For the benefit of those who joined the conversation, as well as those who were unable to attend but have an interest in this matter, a recap outlining key topics discussed, as well as responses to the questions/statements received is available here.

Any future discussions, as scheduled, will be posted in this section.

FCPD is here for you. As we promise, "Excellent Service—Every Call—Every Contact—Every Day!"

BY PHONE:

• Emergency: 9-1-1
• Non-Emergency: (650) 286-3300
• Records: (650) 286-3300
• Evidence: (650) 286-3312

BY EMAIL:

• General Department Email: police@fostercity.org
• Police Chief Email: policechief@fostercity.org

We value your feedback and suggestions! Please reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to see anything else on this webpage.