CUSD board members respond to potential recall
Four members of the Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees are targeted in a recall effort made by the Chico Parents for In-Person Learning group.
The parent group is pushing for a recall of trustees Caitlin Dalby, Tom Lando, Kathleen Kaiser and Eileen Robinson.
The recall effort is fueled by mounting frustration from parents who want their children to be back in school full time and in-person. On Feb. 3, the school board voted 4-1 to keep Chico Unified schools in the modified a.m./p.m. model for the remainder of the year.
“It’s understandable that people are upset and frustrated about the circumstances and everything that we’ve gone through the last year. Everybody is frustrated and tired and wants what’s best for kids,” Dalby said. “I’m happy that the board is working together for the health and safety of our staff. We just need to stay focused with only 11 weeks left of the school year.”
such as missing persons cases or when searching for an individual involved in serious crimes.
“We’ve kind of been discussing this program for the last few years, however, the funding wasn’t there,” Williams said. “The Cioppino Feed (said), ‘Hey, we’ve got this funding, what can we do to help your department?’ That’s kind of how it started.”
The action was brought forth in the Dec. 15, 2020 Chico City Council meeting as part of the consent agenda, requesting the council approve the donation. According to the staff report prepared by Chico Police Chief Matt Madden, the department has traditionally relied on helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft from the California Highway Patrol and Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
The report noted a few downsides with the current situation. For one, availability is limited with both the CHP and BCSO to assist the Chico Police Department. Additionally, the report noted “traditional air operations are dangerous, inefficient, time- consuming, and expensive.”
Drones, on the other hand, are seen as reliable, safer and more efficient. Williams called the implementation of the drone program a “game-changer” for the department. They will be used in a number
of ways, including crime scenes, traffic collisions, search and rescue operations and other searches.
“One, it really helps with officer safety,” Williams said. “If we have someone who runs from a traffic stop, we can set a perimeter around an area that we last saw the subject. If a guy is hunkered down in a backyard, instead of sending in officers immediately, we will be able to send up a drone, find where that individual is at, and then we can better tactically assess that situation.”
Officers selected for the
program will go through an intensive Part 107-type class offered by the FAA and need to pass a test to become a licensed remote pilot. A sergeant will supervise the unit, including the trainings, when the drones are deployed and daily maintenance of the equipment.
“Our first goal is just to get the program up and going,” Williams said. “We have the funds … within the funds, we’ve got to find what is going to get our officers to train within the budget, and the equipment that’s going to best suit the department and the community.”
Williams said he hopes the team will be “fully up and running” by the end of April or early May, allowing the department to begin deploying drones in the field.
“It’s going to really improve our efficiency, it’s really
going to improve our effectiveness,” Williams said. “In regards to it being a kind of regional, or county asset, I would love to see this program grow. I would like to see us get more drones and reach out to the Sheriff’s Office, or any other local police departments and kind of, hopefully, in the long run make this — with other department support — a regional program.
“But, that’s years down the road. I’m just more excited to see this program begin here in the Chico Police Department then expand it in the coming years.”
It is estimated the annual cost of the program will be $1,200, including upkeep and maintenance of the equipment as well as training.