For the citizens of Hollister, it is officially Miller time.
Jeff Miller was sworn in as the new police chief Friday after a
tumultuous interviewing and selection process.
But enough on that. Let’s move ahead and address the present and
plan for the future.
For the citizens of Hollister, it is officially Miller time.
Jeff Miller was sworn in as the new police chief Friday after a tumultuous interviewing and selection process.
But enough on that. Let’s move ahead and address the present and plan for the future.
Miller got off to a good start without hesitation. With Interim Chief Larry Todd as his unofficial tour guide, Miller made the rounds Monday and met with many Hollister officials.
He stopped by the Free Lance and we were impressed with his intelligence, candor and personality.
But now the hard part begins. As reported last week and the week before, methamphetamine and other drugs are all over town. A few busts will help but they’re hardly a solution.
Increasing gang activity is alarming on several fronts. A neighborhood, or even an entire town, can be fractured and terrorized in a short period of time by organized criminal activity at any level.
Credit card and check fraud have shown up locally. Just being able to safely walk around downtown at night has been questioned.
We don’t want to sound the alarm without reason, but law enforcement officials will tell you that Hollister is at a crossroads for crime.
If we want our valued quality of life in this town to continue, then the criminal element and its devastating effect on everything that makes this a great place to live must be addressed and stopped.
And criminals don’t slow down due to budget cuts and less patrols or resources. They can thrive on it. They don’t fear excuses. They fear an alert citizenry, organized law enforcement and solid prosecution.
Enter the new chief. We don’t expect any one person to reverse a wave that has crashed into cities of similar size across the nation, let along the state of California.
But we do expect open communication from the police chief and the department that he oversees and represents, expertise in technical and management skills – and a clear vision for a safe Hollister that will be respected and believed.
Jeff Miller has a critical and formidable task ahead of him.
The Free Lance is optimistic that he is the right person to lead the way in keeping Hollister a safe place to live and work.
We will watch his progress with fairness and diligence.
