More police foot patrols showing up in downtown Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara police are using more foot patrols once again to deal with nuisance and quality of life issues in specific areas, most recently, in downtown.

Officers Dillon Sandusky and Lucas Signorelli work specific beats that meet on State Street. They’ve teamed up often to use their combined efforts to help solve problems in the area.

Business owners and residents have been concerned about issues linked to homelessness, drugs and alcohol, along with thefts and auto burglaries.

NewsChannel 3 was on foot patrol with the team when they encountered a man police say was intoxicated and unable to care for himself. He was sitting near the doorway of a downtown department store.

The man struggled to answer the officers questions and used aggressive language.

“You are bothering me. I’m sitting here minding my own Goddamn business. You Mother F******. This is a free country,” he yelled out.

He was helped to his feet and police say he had a warrant. The man was handcuffed and taken to jail, verbally challenging officers throughout the custody process.

“I will knock you on your f****** a****, I will,” he said. “Don’t you push me around.”

One of the officers was banged against the wall in the arrest and had bruised hands and a cut.

Signorelli said he has dealt with the man before and it did not surprise him that he would resist.

“It could be a number of things. It could be he’s just angry. I am pretty sure it’s because he is intoxicated,” said Signorelli.

The officers said the man had been contacted earlier in the day by a street outreach team offering help.

“He looks like he’s injured but he’s really intoxicated, drinking beer out of a soda cup which is fairly common also,” Signorelli said.

Many of the contacts are positive and those asked to move along, pack up and go down the street or get recommendations for area shelters.

“I love talking to your average citizen and waving so I like being down here,” said Sandusky.

Becca Vail was at the counter at The Good Cup on State Street when they walked in. She had trouble with a man who refused to leave the day before and came back again another time. A call to the police did not resolve the issue for her.

The street team said they would come by often to work on a solution and asked if she could get a picture of the man. It could be someone they know.

Vail said she has no problem with the homeless in the coffee shop, if they are doing business there.

She also said the police department team of citizen patrols in red shirts have been helpful in reducing certain crimes and troublesome behavior as part of a cooperative effort with beat officers.

“I love when they come in, the guys in the red shirts. They check on us. It’s great,” said Vail.

The issue of homeless people sleeping in doorways is very common. Some business owners have paperwork on file to authorize police to take action at any hour.

One man sleeping in the doorway of a now closed business on State and Cota Streets was buried in his blanket from head to toe. He responded to police and was familiar to them as a transient from Long Beach who said he “liked to travel.” He was given directions to the warming shelter up the street that would be open at night.

Police say they appreciate help from the community volunteers, citizen patrols, and others trying to resolve issues downtown, but uniformed officers should always be called if the situation escalates or is not resolved.

The officers are not out on foot on a specific schedule, and it’s based on other calls for service and staffing.

They do make it a point to check over the street very early each morning, along with the waterfront and lower eastside along with any new places where transient camps are located.

Police are also using the foot patrol in parking lots to reduce burglaries, loitering or drug and alcohol offenses. Most of the lots also have surveillance cameras.

The city has recently adopted a no smoking law. Additional funding for the education and enforcement of that law is also helping with the patrols, and a transport van to jail when someone is arrested so beat officers can stay on the streets.