San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar pulled the plug on the Neighborhood District Attorney program and Manteca leaders want it restored — or at least explain why it was stopped.
The Manteca city Council tonight when they meet at 7 p.m. will decide whether to send the DA a formal letter seeking the return of the program or answers as to why it was dropped.
City leaders met with DA representatives in April 2021 to discuss the City of Manteca participating in the Neighborhood District Attorney Program. The purpose of the program was for an attorney from the District Attorney’s Office to be assigned to South County to work with the Manteca Police Department and the City Attorney’s Office on high profile/legally sophisticated quality of life code enforcement matters that may also entail additional criminal aspects. After the program began in Manteca, there was success immediately between all three entities.
In September 2021, without notice to the City of Manteca, the Neighborhood District Attorney from South County was removed from their assignment. Since that time, no District Attorney has covered this assignment for South County.
The proposed letter notes the council respectfully request that the DA’s office reassign a Neighborhood Deputy District Attorney to work in South County, including Manteca. It further states, “ . . . We believe the collaboration between the Manteca Police Department, the Manteca City Attorney’s Office, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is critical in order for the City of Manteca to continue to address criminal problems and legal matters that may arise concerning the transient population within Manteca. For some background, representatives from the City of Manteca (including from the Manteca Police Department and City Attorney’s Office) met with two attorneys from your office in April 2021 to discuss ways that the City and District Attorney’s Office could work together to address quality of life matters in South County, specifically in Manteca.”
“The city representatives were optimistic after the meeting, and they were very encouraged following the results achieved between the Neighborhood District Attorney assigned to Manteca and the Manteca Police Department within days after the program started. With that said, you can imagine the surprise of the City Council to hear that in September 2021 the assigned attorney was being moved to another division, and that your Office would not be replacing them.
“The City of Manteca wants to once again reaffirm that we believe this program is vital for the City; it is a resource that we believe should be provided in order to deal with not only concerns from our constituents, but also allows our city resources to be used efficiently in addressing the issues noted above. If you are unwilling to provide a Neighborhood Deputy District Attorney at this time, we request that you please let us know the reasons for that decision as well as inform us as to what other resources are available to our law enforcement personnel in lieu of that program.”
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
