Posted by who needs this, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Feb 27, 2008 at 10:55 am

Atherton does not need to spend the money on "new facilities". I agree with the person who commented "whaton earth does the the police dept need more space for...to collect all the newspapers they pick up?" Put the money elsewhere. Bring in the Sheriff's Office to provide services. They do it for Woodside, Portola Valley, Ladera, and most of West Menlo...certainly that would be more than good enough for the tiny little Atherton with no real crime to speak of. The money saved would be astronomical!!!!!

Posted by Here we go again, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Feb 27, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Whatever happened to that offer from one of our residents to build a new town center plus senior housing? Sure sounded like a good idea? Of course, since the council didn't think of it, they didn't like it.

Posted by truth, a resident of the Menlo Park: Belle Haven neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2008 at 3:01 pm

The Sheriff does not facilitate West Menlo, the Menlo Park PD does that.

Posted by Ms. Eerie, a resident of the Menlo Park: University Heights neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Actually, the Sheriff's office does have jurisdiction here in West Menlo -- except for traffic acidents occuring at intersections, which are under the jurisdiction of the CHP, for some unfathomable reason.

Posted by Sid, a resident of the Menlo Park: other neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2008 at 4:47 pm

The confusion might be the result of two areas being known as west Menlo. The area within Menlo Park city limits east of Sharon Heights and west of (I'm guessing here) Allied Arts is known as west Menlo Park. But the unincorporated areas of the same general region (sometimes islands surrounded by incorporated tracts) are collectively known as West Menlo. The Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over the unincorpartated West Menlo.

Posted by truth, a resident of the Menlo Park: Belle Haven neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2008 at 6:49 pm

thanks, Sid, you are 100% correct.

Posted by Charles Marsala, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Mar 1, 2008 at 11:53 am

To clear questions and concerns raised above.

In 2006 Atherton did a study of residents attitudes toward the police deptartment; 97% were satisfied and 82% were very satisfied. These numbers were the highest ever recorded by the surveying company for a police study. 93.6% opposed eliminating the police deptartment and 89.3% strongly opposed eliminating the police deptartment.

It is clear vast majority of residents want an Atherton Police Deptartment. We have two elections for council this year and anyone wanting to run on a platform of moving public safety to the sheriff's office can run and see how that plays with the voters.

Residents value the services police provide and frequently write council members to acknowledge that the police arrived quickly enough to save the life of someone who had a stroke or heart attack.

Specialists in the the police force for Identify Theft have solved cases quickly. Home alarms wired directly to the police station have lead to arrests of burglaries before the suspects could leave the property.

School Resource officers, Drug specialists and other officers work with the ten schools and are trained should any large scale emergency happen.

With several major streets in town: drunk driving, speeding,and traffic accidents need to be prevented.

The trailers our police, public works, and building department staff members work out of are worn and the town will either need to buy new trailers are build a facility.

The neighbors around town hall would like to see the existing trailers gone.

The brainnstorming idea to build a senior center on top of the police station was interesting but was not feasible. There is less than 1.5 acres available to build on. Current Council Chambers and the Train Station would have to stay as well as the access roads to them. What land is left is barely enough to build for Town needs.

Unless the town wanted to rezone and allow 4 story structures then there would not be enough space to have any senior housing on the land. I do not support rezoning.

The ecomonic committment needed for the project would have committed the town's land for 75 years. I could not support that position.

Ten years ago an idea that was not from any current council member was to have a second floor that could be rented out. I am not sure how I feel about that. We have to have resonable limits to traffic in the central Atherton residential neighborhood. If the neighbors become satisfied and comfortable with it, and town residents see it as a way to pay for the building then just because it was not a current council member's idea, I would think it would be supported.

Charles Marsala

Council Member

Posted by howling, a resident of another community, on Mar 2, 2008 at 11:27 am

Oh Charles...the only reason the residents want their precious little police force is they know they will not receive tickets and/or get arrested for DUI. The Police are told not to cite residents and to drive home residents who are drunk but to arrest the ones who do not live in "Athertonia". This is why they "poach" in areas that are not within the Town borders to make their arrests. I know...I used to work there before I left for a "real" agency. Oh sure, the alarm goes to the PD...big deal. It is not like they are so busy that the response will not happen if the get the call from an alarm company. As for the schools...the only school that ever has any problems is Menlo-Atherton High. That is where all other crime stats come from other than DUI stats and the occasional wreck. Charles...get real.