Transparency

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Over the last several years, there has been a recurring conversation, including questions and concerns, that has surfaced about how policing in America should be. In Mountain View, we believe in honoring and recognizing our diversity and we believe in making every effort to not only acknowledge challenges in our community, but working together to build one another up and move ever forward, together.

Over the years, we've heard those concerns, and we wanted to take a moment to provide additional information on the questions we receive regarding how your Mountain View Police Department operates, from training, including topics such as implicit bias, crisis intervention and de-escalation, and use of force, to budget, who we hire, and more.

Transparency and trust in our community with regards to how we protect and serve you is top of mind for us – we understand that the more we are able to open our doors to you on all levels, the more we can connect, communicate, and work together. The information provided here is a compilation of information you may find in other areas of our website, including our annual report, our policies and practices page, and more.

Arrest Data by Race

Trust with our community has been and will continue to be of paramount importance to the Mountain View Police Department. We are unequivocally committed to enhancing our partnership with those who call Mountain View home, particularly as we explore areas where we can be more transparent about our practices, our daily work, and our long-term goals for ensuring that this city remains a safe and inclusive place for all who choose to live, work, and visit here.

This time in history has met us at our doorstep, and we are ready and willing to engage with our communities of color in new and creative ways to increase our ability to honor and recognize our diversity. We realize this time comes with challenges; we intend to meet these challenges with integrity, attentiveness, and grace to move forward in unison with all members of our community.

The Mountain View Police Department has provided and continues to provide, among other topics, implicit bias training, de-escalation training, and other relevant education to our diverse staff, and we acknowledge the need for continuous learning and improvement in this area.

We also believe that sharing police contact data is merely a starting point in our path forward together, and we recognize that data alone does not tell a complete story. We believe that additional analysis is necessary to gain a true understanding of the impacts police officers have on communities of color in order to address any disproportionate findings. This is why we feel it is important to collaborate with external academic partners to gain a better understanding of policing data and identify areas for improvement. We look forward to having open-minded and open-hearted dialogue with the community to enhance racial equality across all of our community contacts.

In November 2020, the City Manager’s Office and Police Department jointly partnered with Stanford University and hired a research fellow to examine all of MVPD’s traffic stop data from 2014-2020. View the summary of results from the research fellow.

Bias Trainings and What to Expect from MVPD

Expectations

We firmly believe in working every day to ensure that we are serving Mountain View residents in the ways they expect of us – with a high level of integrity, trust, and compassion. The safety of our community is our highest priority, and we take our promise to uphold that effort seriously. Our core values guide us in what we know you expect of us, but also what we expect of ourselves, both on and off the job. All matters of personal and professional misconduct are taken seriously.

Racial or bias-based policing is strictly forbidden. We are committed to providing law enforcement services to the community with due regard for the racial, cultural or other differences of those served. It is the policy of this department to provide law enforcement services and to enforce the law equally, fairly and without discrimination toward any individual or group.

Training

We believe in treating all community members with respect and dignity. We take the topic of anti-bias training seriously, and we continue to explore ways in which we can further evaluate how we can best learn and adapt to how we understand how bias plays a role in our society.

To that end, here are just some of the trainings that our department regularly undertakes to learn how we better understand on our biases and how that may play a role in policing:

Fair and Impartial Police Training: This topic of training has been added as part of our department’s Continuing Professional Training program. This training addresses through lectures, videos, and discussion groups the issue of bias and challenges officers to recognize and acknowledge their biases and how that impacts their perceptions and behavior. This is regularly incorporated into other aspects of training, including de-escalation training.
Principled Policing and Procedural Justice: Expanding on our training of unconscious biases, the department expanded the training program in 2018 to include teaching policing approaches that emphasize respect, listening, neutrality, and trust (Procedural Justice) while also addressing the common implicit biases that are barriers to these approaches (Implicit Bias). This training is repeated every two years.

Related Policies

Budget

Over the past several months, we have listened as community members have considered how funds can be reallocated from the police department into other community services and priorities, including housing, schools, and more. In the past several years, officers have been increasingly tasked with navigating complex social issues, among them mental and behavioral health, substance abuse, the homeless crisis, and more. At MVPD, we have increased our partnerships and training in these areas to equip officers with the skills and resources to manage situations involving these factors. For example, more than 50 percent of our officers have received additional training in crisis intervention communication skills, for incidents where de-escalation and additional mental and behavioral health training can assist in reducing the emotional and psychological stress that can come with a crisis, be it one involving an individual dealing with mental health concerns, a domestic dispute, etc.

In addition, our Neighborhood and Event Services Unit is a two-person team that directly responds to quality of life concerns as we continue to see a growing housing crisis in Silicon Valley. This team’s top priority is ensuring that those who are homeless or unstably housed in Mountain View get connected to the help they may need, be it through community-based organizations (CBOs), county services, or other avenues through faith-based groups. This team consists of two officers and a Community Service Officer. This unit now works directly with CBOs including Community Services Agency, the Day Laborer’s Center, and more to help assist in connecting people with housing and food needs, medical and dental care, etc. As the needs of our community are further reassessed, and as we continue to have a dialogue about the role of police in our community, we will update you on how, and if, this specialized team will continue in its capacity.

That being said, we are open to constructive conversations about other avenues for managing these challenges in our community.

As it stands, current funding for MVPD supports not just personnel costs, but also avenues for us to be able to go beyond the fundamentals of policing with tackling crime and enforcing the law. With our budget, we are able to also invest in ways in which we can better respond to our rapidly expanding community safely, with empathy and compassion for all, and with the best understanding possible of the needs of those who call Mountain View home.

City’s Budgetary Process

For more on the City’s budgetary process visit the City's Budget and Analysis page.

Review and Adoption Process of the Current Budget

Learn more about the review and adoption process of the current budget.

Conduct and Complaints

Our department, and our community, expects Mountain View Police personnel to provide considerate, professional services to all. Every employee should treat community members and colleagues with the utmost regard, to work and act with integrity both personally and professionally, to provide exceptional service, and to work to always be present and engaged with the Mountain View community.

We believe in conscientious policing from those who work at MVPD. We appreciate and welcome your feedback, positive and negative, which helps us ensure that we are conducting ourselves in a manner that is best representative of the mindset of those in our community. Should you wish to make a comment or complaint, or to learn more about the administrative investigation process, see our Employee Complaint Process.

How the Complaint Process Works

A complaint may be filed in person, in writing, by e-mail, or by telephoning the Department. Complainants making a complaint in writing are encouraged to be completed on a Personnel Complaint Report available at the Police Department or online.

An administrative investigation of an officer is governed by a variety of State laws and Department policies. The investigation shall proceed with due diligence. Upon completion, the report is forwarded to the employee's commanding officer. A review board comprised of Department supervisors, command officers and a representative from the Human Resources Division and Police Officer’s Association recommends a finding for each allegation. The Police Chief then reviews and assesses the findings.

Sustained - The act occurred and that it constituted misconduct.
Unfounded - The alleged act did not occur, are frivolous, or did not involve department personnel.
Not Sustained - There is insufficient evidence to sustain the complaint or fully exonerate the employee.
Exonerated - The act was justified, lawful and/or proper.
No Finding - The complaint was dropped, the complainant did not cooperate, or the employee resigned prior to the process’ conclusion.

Sustained allegations can result in discipline to include training, reprimand, suspension, demotion and/or termination. State law prevents the Department from disclosing the specifics of any disciplinary action, but the Department will notify the complainant of the disposition for each allegation in the investigation. For further information, please contact the Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit at (650) 903-6339.

Related Policies

De-Escalation and Use of Force

The care and safety of our community remains top of mind for Mountain View Police personnel. Every day, officers have numerous interactions with community members, with a vast majority of those interactions remaining peaceful. We understand the magnitude of the weight with which we undertook our oath to protect and serve all people, and we acknowledge that in the course of their duties, there may be occasion to use reasonable force. Officers are trained to inherently understand their authority in a situation, as well as their limits.

We recognize, respect, and value all human life and we firmly believe in dignity without prejudice to anyone. Vesting officers with the authority to use reasonable force and to protect the public welfare requires monitoring, evaluation and a careful balancing of all interests. We emphatically believe in exhausting all options before having to resort to the use of force, and we are major proponents of crisis intervention techniques, as noted above.

Reporting Use of Force

Mountain View Police are required by law to document all use of force incidents, to include uses of force and threats of force (Policy 300.7). The department provides data regarding all officer-involved shootings and incidents involving use of force resulting in serious bodily injury to the California Department of Justice.

De-Escalation

De-escalation is interwoven into the department’s operations and is included in the department’s policies for crisis intervention, conducted energy devices (Tasers), mental illness, and civil disputes. De-escalation techniques are included in various continued professional training topics.

To continue to maintain our commitment to serve at the highest level of understanding the needs and desires of our community, de-escalation training is regularly integrated into aspects of our training curriculum.

The topic of de-escalation has been embedded in several training courses in the Continuing Professional Training program for more than a decade. This topic is heavily incorporated into trainings that involve arrest scenarios and control courses (meaning how police officers work to calm combative subjects as well as how to move up and down a continuum of care and consideration for a subject). In addition to training, there have been cross discipline scenarios that have de-escalation as part of the training environment and discussion.

State training, which our officers must conduct in order to continue to serve Mountain View, also incorporates de-escalation tactical communication courses, which officers must re-train on every two years.

Related Policies

Diversity

We have roughly 81,000 residents within city limits, but our population actually grows to more than 100,000 during the day due to the influx of individuals who work at the various companies that are based here in Mountain View. Based on the last Census:

Our City Breakdown

White: 56%
Asian: 26%
Hispanic: 21%
Black: 2%

Our Police Department Personnel Breakdown

White: 57%
Asian: 19%
Hispanic: 19%
Black: 4%

Definitions for each race category from the US Census Bureau.

To help us be better engaged with our community, we have more than a dozen officers who are official translators in languages including Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, Portuguese, German, and American Sign Language.

To best encourage a diverse applicant pool, we attend hiring fairs at colleges, high schools, athletic events, and more to speak with those who may be looking to pursue a career in law enforcement.

Our MVPD team consists of people who have a wide range of interests, from what they majored to in college (psychology, English, law, business) to their previous careers before they joined us (personal trainer, tech sector, paramedic, veteran, etc.).

There is no one person that is “traditionally” the make-up of a police officer, and every bit of your background helps build a better officer for the future.

Related Policies

Policy 368: LEP Services

Hate Crimes

Hate has no place in our community.

At the Mountain View Police Department, we take the investigation of all alleged hate crimes incredibly seriously. What is a hate crime?

According to the California Office of the Attorney General, a hate crime is "a crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victim's real or perceived protected social group. You may be the victim of a hate crime if you have been targeted because of your actual or perceived: (1) disability, (2) gender, (3) nationality, (4) race or ethnicity, (5) religion, (6) sexual orientation, and (7) association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics."

More information on this topic can be found on the state Attorney General's website.

Starting in 2023, California law requires all police departments to post monthly statistics on reported hate crimes in their jurisdictions. A copy of our department policy on our procedure for investigating hate crime reports can be found here. Below is a breakdown by month of hate crimes reported in our community:

2024

January: 1
February: 1

2023

January: 0
February: 0
March: 0
April: 0
May: 2
June: 4
July: 1
August: 1
September: 0
October: 1
November: 0
December: 0

Hiring

A Step-by-Step Look at the Hiring Process

Once an application is submitted and accepted by the City of Mountain View, and once POST requirements are confirmed to have been met, all potential hires will be required to go through the following steps:

Candidates will complete Pre-Employment History Questionnaire (PHQ). The PHQ contains question-specific responses in several categories that cover a candidate’s educational and employment history backgrounds, among other topics.
The Oral Board interview will be conducted by a panel of three department and/or City employees to assess your personal accomplishments, job motivation, instrumentality, interpersonal skills, continuous learning orientation, and oral communication skills. (Only those candidates who pass the interview will be scheduled for further testing.) Those candidates who successfully pass the panel interview will be invited for a more personal interview with the Chief of Police.
The Background Investigation begins with completion of a Personal History Statement (which requires compilation of extensive biographical information), completion of additional questionnaires, fingerprinting, and an interview with the Personnel Services Sergeant and a background investigator. The investigation will also include checks of employment, police, financial, education, and military records and interviews with family members, neighbors, supervisors, co-workers, and friends.
Candidates who successfully complete the background investigation will be given a conditional job offer. Upon acceptance, they will be scheduled for a polygraph examination. The Polygraph examination is conducted to confirm information obtained during the selection process.
In order to move forward in the selection process, a candidate must be found to be free from any physical, emotional, or mental condition, which might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of a peace officer. A thorough Medical Evaluations will be administered at this time. The medical evaluation also includes a Psychological Evaluation that consists of written tests as well as an individual oral interview and evaluation by a City psychologist on factors related to successful performance in the difficult and stressful job of Police Officer. The information evaluated includes the written psychological tests as well as the background findings.

If an officer is new to the profession, they must successfully complete the state required Police Academy training prior to returning to the Mountain View Police Department.

If and when they graduate from the Police Academy, officers will then be required to go through in-house training, where they will spend several weeks learning department policies, practices, and understanding the expectations of the department. Then, new officers will be paired with a Field Training Officer (FTO), to spend roughly three months learning best practices of patrol work. During that time, officers are evaluated not just on their work, but on their character.

Should they pass the Field Training program, officers will be put on a probationary period for one year.

Officers that are hired from another agency (called laterals), are required to go through the same in-house training, field training, and probationary period as new officers.

On average, a new officer to the Mountain View Police Department will not be patrolling the streets on their own for roughly two years after they are hired to ensure they meet the high standards we, and you, have for those who protect and serve the City of Mountain View.

Hiring Standards and Process

The Mountain View Police Department is committed to being representative of the community it serves.

We hire for character – we want those who come to serve our community to uphold the standards and expectations not just of us, but of our community.

On average, it will take roughly 6 months for an officer to complete the hiring process with the Mountain View Police Department. This is due in large part to the rigorous requirements officers must pass in order to be under consideration for a position.

Hiring Requirements

Must be 21 years of age.
Must possess a valid California driver’s license.
Graduation from a U.S. high school, G.E.D. or equivalent from a U.S. institution, and completion of a minimum of 40 semester or 60 quarter units from an accredited college (college units must be completed by the time of application.)
The City of Mountain View requires that a Police Officer candidate be a United States citizen, or that a non-citizen be a permanent resident alien who, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is eligible and has applied for citizenship.
- During the selection process, each non-citizen is required to prove that USCIS accepted his/her application for citizenship prior to the date the Police Officer written test was taken.
- California State law requires that citizenship be granted within three years after the employment application date. For information regarding citizenship requirements, contact the USCIS.
Must be able to read, speak and understand English.

Related Policies

Policy 1000: Recruitment and Selection

Additional Considerations

Mountain View Police Department Officers are entrusted with the responsibility of keeping our city safe from crime and corruption. Therefore, a history of ethical and moral behavior is of the utmost importance. Your background will be looked at very closely. Candidates who have a history of unethical or immoral behavior will not be hired. You will be subjected to an intensive background evaluation, which will include, but is not limited to, the following:

Your past behavior and the choices you have made must demonstrate positive traits that will support your candidacy for Police Officer and reflect favorably on your character.
You must have a history of lawful conduct.
You must possess high standards of honesty and integrity as demonstrated by your dealings with individuals and organizations. Falsifying, misrepresenting, or omitting information on any document during the selection process will be closely scrutinized.
You must respect the rights of all people and have an appreciation for the diversity that characterizes the citizens of Mountain View. A history of domestic violence, physical altercations, or discourteous, abusive, or violent treatment of others may indicate a lack of self-discipline, and unwillingness or inability to cooperate, or a disregard for the rights of others.
You must have a history of making responsible choices regarding the use of drugs and alcohol.
Your employment and military (if applicable) histories must demonstrate motivation and a success-oriented attitude needed to succeed as a Police Officer.
Your financial and driving records must demonstrate responsible decisions and appropriate behavior.

Mental Health

Over 50 percent of our officers are trained in crisis intervention, exceeding the national standard of 20 percent.

In addition to our training for our officers, MVPD has a long-standing Crisis Intervention Team, which receives additional training and gains additional expertise in helping to de-escalate scenarios ranging from mental health crises, to domestic disputes, and more. On average, at least one member of the Crisis Intervention Team is on every patrol team and/ or available to be deployed to a scene from the department any hour of the day, any day of the week.

In addition to our training, officers regularly work to understand how mental health can play a factor in emerging issues in other areas of life, from substance abuse to unstable housing, to societal pressures ranging from school to social media.

The Mountain View Police Department is committed to providing a consistently high level of service to all members of the community and recognizes that persons in crisis may benefit from intervention. The Department will collaborate with mental health professionals to develop an overall intervention strategy to guide its members’ interactions with those experiencing a mental health crisis. This is to ensure equitable and safe treatment of all involved.

Related Policies

Officer-Worn Cameras

Officer-worn cameras, more commonly known as body cameras, assist officers in the performance of their duties and help to ensure that there is an additional layer of accountability both for law enforcement personnel and the community they serve. This program has been in place at MVPD since 2015.

All uniformed officers, including those on patrol and those in our Traffic Unit, are required by policy to wear these devices and to activate them in accordance with our policy, which can be viewed below.

Related Policies

Policy 449: Use of Audio and Video Recording Devices

School Resource Officers

Our school resource officers have been on campuses serving as an extra set of eyes and ears for student and teacher safety for over 20 years.

We take great pride in developing relationships with students. In fact, it’s one of our greatest priorities. We know them by name, and we like learning about their hobbies and interests. We know these students are someone’s son or daughter, and that interactions with them matter. We want them to know that we too want them to succeed in life.

When we are called for a criminal matter to a campus, our ultimate goal is to have the student learn – not to have punitive punishments. We understand that more often than not, there is much more going on than what we see on the surface. Our goal is to get to the root of that, and make sure the student is safe, both on campus and at home.

We value and respect the growth that students face, both inside the classroom and in the community, and we are proud to partner with our school districts to be able to offer programs such as Dreams and Futures, Cops that Care, and more so that our next generation of children can learn, live, and grow in a healthy environment, surrounded by support.