When Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal heard from residents that there had been an uptick in crime recently, he promised them that he would do something to try and get a hold on the situation and see what more can be done.
And he stayed true to his word.
Today at 2 p.m. Dhaliwal is scheduled to sit down with Lathrop Police Chief James Hood to go over the recent crime reports and citizen complaints and figure out a way that will not only solve the current issues facing the city, but address future ones as summer – where crime typically spikes due to warm weather, lots of people being away from their homes and more people generally being outside – fast approaches.
“It’s about being proactive and doing what we can so that we aren’t reactive with these kinds of things,” Dhaliwal said about the upcoming meeting. “Working with Lathrop Police Services to address these issues is an opportunity that will benefit the residents and hopefully put us on the right track.”
And simply sitting down with Hood – who has been a highly-active part of the community, often addressing issues regarding police services at crime when pressed at Lathrop City Council meetings – wasn’t all that Dhaliwal had planned when it came to addressing the rising concerns of some residents who have seen the uptick in property crimes and other issues.
While he announced the get together last week on his personal Facebook page, on Monday Dhaliwal posted his personal cell phone number to allow for any constituents who have issues they want raised at the meeting the opportunity to put them on the record – allowing people who can’t attend regularly-scheduled city functions the chance to be heard.
In addition to working closely with elected officials, Hood has been a constant presence in the community through his regular coffee sessions that are open to the public to allow for people to get to know their law enforcement officials and share any concerns that they have. He has also been visible at other community gatherings as the face of the department, and has championed both the junior and citizen’s police academies as ways to get the community more familiar with the way law enforcement operates in Lathrop and what they can do to get involved.
Dhaliwal said that he would inform the public of the developments from the meeting, and remained optimistic that he would be able to quell any concerns that have arisen – bringing answers to help put the statistics into perspective, and inform constituents on what is being done to combat any rise that he hopes is only temporary.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.