VALLEJO, Calif. (KRON) — The Vallejo Police Officers’ Association on Friday criticized a press release that the Vallejo Police Department issued Monday. That release said use of force incidents by VPD dropped 33 percent between 2020 and 2021.
The VPOA said it was “stunned” by Williams’ statement, calling it “misleading.” The VPOA said it believes the statistic is accurate, but the press release was an attempt by Williams to praise his own leadership.
“Not surprisingly, Chief Williams could not pass on yet another opportunity to mislead Vallejoans and credit himself for something in which he played no role,” the VPOA said.
The VPOA said the report that produced the statistic was done by a former business associate of Williams. The press release credited the decline in use of force incidents to policy, training and/or accountability reforms.
“In the last two and a half years, Chief Williams has placed an emphasis on changes in training and education, communicating clear expectations of active supervision, accountability and transparency, maintaining fair and consistent standards of discipline and conduct, and implementing the principles of 21st century policing while building strong community partnerships,” the statement read.
However, the VPOA said other factors contributed to the decline in use of force, including a reduction in the number of officers in the department. It said the number of sworn officers dropped by 35 percent, ranging from veterans to rookies.
