Police Chief Wes Hensley was placed on leave by City Manager Joe Carlini some seven weeks ago. His status remains pending investigation, and it is unclear if the investigation has even started.

Jones was named acting chief by Carlini at the time of Hensley being placed on leave. Jones is actually the Tulare PD investigations captain and is the longest serving captain within the department, which is why Carlini placed him in charge.

On Tuesday, Capt. Fred Yncla and Lt. Jerod Boatman were also placed on leave – an apparent coincidence, as they were not placed on leave for the same reason(s), Carlini said. According to Carlini, he and Jones discussed situations surrounding Yncla and Boatman, with Carlini deciding Jones should place them on leave status.

“Stuff like this does have an effect on morale,” Jones said, “but I want to stress this will not hinder patrol, or change in anyway [the duties of the department].”

There are more than 75 sworn police officers serving the city and safety is their Number 1 priority, Jones said. The department is currently looking to hire additional officers which has nothing to do with the three officials being out on leave, but rather with other officers who have elected to leave, he said.

Henlsey, Yncla and Boatman have been placed on leave for personnel matters, which remain confidential.

“It’s a process,” Carlini said. “It takes time for investigation.”

Carlini was named permanent city manager of Tulare earlier this year. He had served the city’s public works department for the prior four years.

As city manager, he has 355 employees under him and serves 63,000 citizens, he said.

“If it’s something we need to investigate, I need to investigate,” he said, “I did that as public works director and I do it as city manager.

“I don’t do things on a whim. I am very thorough. I think things out and then make decisions.

“The citizens need to be patient for the investigations to take place.

“Resolutions will be made, and I will stick by those resolutions,” he said.

Council members have expressed they are not at liberty to discuss the issues regarding the police personnel on leave.

Any further questions have been referred to the city’s attorney, Heather Phillips. Phillips returned a phone call leaving a message saying these are private personnel management issues and she could not comment any further. She did confirm, in the past, Chief Hensley’s situation as personnel in nature and not criminal. While Yncla’s and Boatman’s situations are also deemed personnel, per Carlini, it is not yet confirmed that there is nothing criminal in play.

Hensley has served the department for 26 years and was promoted to chief in the summer of 2015. Yncla and Boatman have both served in the department for around 17 years – Yncla being promoted to captain in the spring of 2015; Boatman, promoted to lieutenant also in the spring of 2015, was named Officer of the Year for 2008.

The post Tulare Police Personnel on Administrative Leave – Costing City Thousands appeared first on Valley Voice.

Tulare Chamber of Commerce CEO Ben Brubaker had spent time visiting with other chambers up and down the state, with the intent of learning their practices and outreach programs, he said.

“I started putting it together,” he said.

By putting it together, Brubaker, and staff, reached out to various entities aimed at helping local business, creating Team Tulare which now involves the chamber, Business Finance Center, Small Business Development Center, Tulare Downtown Association and the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County. The group started meeting and developed a plan for Business Walks to occur each month.

Last month the team held its first walk, visiting 56 businesses in a three-by-three block radius, between J Street and L Street, and Cross Street to Tulare Avenue, to see what issues might be of concern in their locale.

“The purpose of the Business Walks is to increase awareness and improve communications between Team Tulare and its partners, including the City and business owners. Our goal is to identify needs, challenges and opportunities for local businesses and to provide services and resources when necessary,” according to the Team’s report given at a recent City Council meeting.

The first walk consisted of 10 team members from each of the team’s entities. Divided into teams of two, each business representative was asked two key questions:

• What challenges do you face doing business in downtown Tulare?
• How can we help your business succeed?

However, Team members listened to any concerns or issues business owners and managers wanted to share, Brubaker said.

In its report, business owners and managers expressed concerns centered on safety and the homeless community, as well as the transit center, destruction of property, and sanitation and trash.

A summary of input and requests included:

• Businesses willingly provided input on issues surrounding overall unsafe feeling of customers, staff and owners – “We are moving,”  “Theft is rampant”.
• Other concerns included the transit center, property owners’ lack of care, communication with the city, and dumpster issues.
• Businesses were appreciative of the visit and for information on the upcoming Business Safety Meeting.

More specifically some business owners expressed concerns of safety with regard to aggressive panhandlers. Some went so far as to say they have to keep their doors locked during the day. Others commented on the homeless community sleeping and using local outside areas, such as planters, for restrooms. These concerns all wrapped around being detrimental for business.

The Team arranged for a meeting to be held between concerned business owners and/or managers and the Tulare Police Department, including its chief, to address these matters. This meeting went beyond the TPD regular Business Watch meetings to help the TPD understand general and specific issues to the specific areas involved, and to help business owners understand TPD roles in assisting them.

Outside of the newly formed Team Tulare, it is and has been part of Julie Franco’s job as TPD community service officer to reach out to businesses and hold regular Business Watch meetings, she said.

For her regular Business Watch meetings, only businesses she has reached out to and been in contact with are invited, she said. However, any business owner is welcome to contact her regarding non-urgent matters.

State Farm agent Renee Soto was one of the 56 businesses visited on Team Tulare’s first walk.

“I support it,” she said. “If the chamber is hearing the voice of the business owner, that’s a very good thing.”

Soto also happens to sit on the chamber board and was planning to walk in the May Business Walk.

“I want to be a part of it,” she said.

“We are definitely seeing our struggles down here,” she added, referring to the downtown corridor.

But the Business Walk is not aimed just at downtown. The May walk is taking them to South K Street and future walks involve a variety of areas throughout town, Brubaker said.

Different walks will be centered on different topics, but business owners are welcome to bring up anything that concerns them and their business.

“There may be issues that no one was really aware of and that we can help solve,” Brubaker said.

“This [Team Tulare] is along the lines in keeping business and improving business already here,” he said.

Although potentially new business owners are also welcome to get involved.

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