Law enforcement services

Spoke during public comment on the Sheriff vs. Los Gatos-Monte Sereno law enforcement item.

Spoke during public comment on the Sheriff vs. Los Gatos-Monte Sereno law enforcement item.

Spoke during public comment on the Sheriff vs. Los Gatos-Monte Sereno law enforcement item.

Monte Sereno's mayor said his town has been pleased with Los Gatos police services for 30 years, praising the qualitative, community-based model.

Urged the council to separate the FY 26-27 Sheriff contract decision from the longer-term model question, and to sign with the Sheriff while details are worked out.

Asked for more data on startup costs, calls-for-service comparisons, and a ten-year cost analysis of both providers before deciding.

A 18-year resident who's had good experiences with the Sheriff; urged answers on 911 response times and surge capacity before any change, citing the 2020 fire evacuations.

A downtown wine shop owner of 23 years said his customers are comfortable with the Sheriff and want that continuity kept.

Urged renewing the Sheriff contract for 26-27 to allow more study time, and asked about diversity training and Los Gatos' own budget challenges.

President of the Deputy Sheriff's Association asked that the human impact on deputies who've served Saratoga be considered in the decision.

Appreciated the comparison work but asked for response-time data, historical context on the 70-year-old decision, and community surveys on safety priorities.

A Saratoga Woods resident active in neighborhood watch and ALPR adoption; said 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' but urged Los Gatos to honor the community relationship if chosen.

A former deputy and HOA president cited rapid Sheriff response to incidents in Saratoga Oaks and said the city isn't ready to make a change.

A 44-year resident who said results favor the Sheriff but the decision is really about budgets — urged staff to demand granular, apples-to-apples data.

Speaking for the West Valley Muslim Association, praised both departments and suggested comparing outcomes like response times and case handling rather than models.

Called the Los Gatos proposal 'a cash grab and a power grab,' raised transparency concerns about Flock camera training records, and warned beach traffic could hurt response times.

A 30-year Saratoga Woods resident focused on Flock cameras — said they reduce and solve crime, and urged the county to let the Sheriff use them again.

Said this is a law enforcement issue, not a camera issue — the Sheriff knows the residents and streets, and response times in the hills can't be risked.

Praised the deep trust and relationship with Sheriff deputies and warned that longer response times could be a matter of life and death.

A 50-plus-year resident who's had minutes-fast Sheriff responses; suggested looking at city salary tables as a place to find savings.

A 40-year resident leaning toward staying with the Sheriff, but suggested scrutinizing budget items like the orchard and trails maintenance for possible savings.