The Portola Valley Town Council has given the go-ahead to the county Sheriff’s Office to come up with a plan that would authorize citizen volunteers to issue written warnings to hikers who illegally bring dogs on trails in the Portola Valley Ranch neighborhood.
Lt. Ken Jones of the Sheriff’s Office reported to the council September 13 that patrolling deputies had encountered very few dogs on the trails since patrols began in February, but there is anecdotal evidence of dog walking when deputies weren’t there.
Councilman Ted Driscoll said he regularly runs on Ranch trails and has had enough bad experiences when informing dog walkers of the rules that he has more or less given up. “I generally encounter hostility in return,” he added.
“This is serious,” said Mayor Steve Toben, who noted that he has heard of “some very hostile exchanges” that have occurred in the presence of “aggressive dogs.”
Resident Marilyn Walters said dog walkers avoid encounters with deputies by using alternate entries when they see a squad car parked at a trail head.
Deputies can go only so far up a trail and cannot separate themselves from their cars by more than a quarter mile so as to be able to respond quickly and safely to emergencies, Lt. Jones said. Dog walkers know this, Ms. Walters said.
So the council appears to be taking it up a notch by asking Lt. Jones to prepare a program that would deputize volunteers as unarmed “reserve deputies” authorized to give written warnings to dog walkers. Volunteers could also ask for names, Lt. Jones said. The program could start as early as January 2007.
Of the 47 trails in Portola Valley, dogs are not allowed on five — Toyon, Coalmine, Arroyo, Bay Laurel and Old Spanish. The undeveloped areas of the Ranch neighborhood are considered open space and dogs are considered predators that could scare wildlife.
Mindful of the potential for trouble when issuing warnings to dog walkers, Lt. Jones emphasized the importance of schooling reserve deputies on how to avoid confrontation.
To explore the possibility of volunteering as a reserve deputy for the Portola Valley Ranch trails, call Lt. Jones at 363-4990.
