A Police Chief's Legacy: Pat Miller Retires

In the six years he served as Assistant Chief, Pat Miller was a quiet, effective second-in-command under the far-more-visible Mike Tracy. In the six years since he accepted the Chief's badge, Pat Miller has been an extraordinarily effective leader in law enforcement.

On the first day he took command, Miller clearly laid out the principles he would follow in leading the Ventura Police Department:

• Establish clear goals and objectives
• Create a positive atmosphere
• Let people do their jobs, and
• Collaborate with other City departments

The clear goals and objectives were spelled out in the Department's strategic plan that Miller spearheaded:

• Reduce Crime and the Fear of Crime
• Improve the Quality of Life in Neighborhoods
• Enhance Community and Police Partnerships
• Develop Personnel
• Continued Accountability

Each one of these goals was spelled out in direct outcomes that could be measured and tracked. And the results are impressive. Most importantly, overall crime is down 20% and Gang Crime is down 14% since 2005.

Ventura residents also feel safer. Each year, a professional survey benchmarks key measures of security for our residents. The number of people who feel "safe walking alone" is up 5% and who feel "safe after dark" is up 10%.

To cut crime, Miller has focused on improving response times, which have improved dramatically. Our understaffed Police Department average was able to arrive on scene to a priority one emergency within five minutes less than 60% of the time when Miller took over. Chief Miller set the ambitious goal of getting there within five minutes 90% of the time. With relentless focus, the number has steadily improved. By this August, the department was able to get to priority one calls within five minutes 87% of the time.

Driving down crime has also meant focusing resources. High crime areas were targeted for intervention with specific goals for reducing calls for service by fixing the underlying problems. The result: a drop in police calls of 17% in the targeted areas since 2005.

Chief Miller has built the community partnerships he promised. The Volunteers in Policing program he established has contributed 35,000 hours of well-trained assistance out on the streets. The School District is now paying for half of the successful School Resource Officer program and the Responsible Retailer program has 98% participation.

Chief Miller has constantly stressed accountability -- while empowering his officers to do their jobs. Again, the results are exemplary. Only 1.5% of arrests involve the use of force and 99% of them have been handled within policy since he took over as chief. Resident satisfaction with our Police is up 5% since 2005 and citizen complaints are down 23%.

During tough economic times, Chief Miller has relentlessly focused on delivering "what matters most." The department's reputation for innovative use of technology led Motorola to pilot its latest generation of dispatching computer software in Ventura, generating national attention and delivering hundreds of thousands of dollars of value for our system behind the purchase price.

Chief Miller has been a vocal and tireless advocate for additional crime fighting resources, especially new officers. He is often quoted for noting that with limited resources, "we can do anything, we just can't do everything." Two years ago, he was successful in adding six additional officers to the force along with funding for Downtown foot patrol. But the national recession has forced the City to cut $11 million to balance this year's budget. Continuing the commitment to funding those additional officer positions now depends on whether voters approve Measure A on the November ballot.

What's even more unusual about Chief Miller is his commitment to teamwork across City departments. The Police Department has worked closely with the Public Works Department to eradicate graffiti. Arrests for graffiti vandalism are up 1500% on his watch -- and convictions have resulted in thousands of dollars in restitution fines assessed against irresponsible parents of juvenile lawbreakers.

Chief Miller has distinguished himself as well by his insistence that you can't arrest your way out of a crime problem. He's an eloquent advocate for preventing crime and working with our schools, non-profits, neighborhoods, churches and families to build respect for the law and steer young people toward positive outcomes.

While Pat Miller is known locally for his deep commitment to Ventura and the Ventura Police Department, he is highly sought after nationally as one of America's top experts on homeland security. He serves on the Homeland Security Advisory Council in Washington D.C. which put together a policy paper in 2008 for the next president. Chief Miller met then President-elect Barack Obama while briefing Janet Napolitano, Obama's choice for Homeland Security Secretary.

Chief Miller holds an MPA in Public Administration from Pepperdine University and another master's degree in Homeland Security Leadership Development from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. He's also a graduate of the California Command College. He is a member of the California Police Chief’s Association, California Narcotics Officers Association, National Tactical Officers Association, California Association of Tactical Officers, and California Peace Officers Association.

In 2003, Chief Miller received the California Peace Officers Association’s Award of Distinction for his work in bringing the Crisis Intervention Team Program to Ventura. Every officer on the street undergoes 40 hours of training in handling suspects with mental illness or under mental stress designed to protect their lives -- and the lives of police officers and the public. This common sense approach has been widely copied by other police agencies.

Chief Miller retires after 34 years in law enforcement on Christmas Day. It's a fitting milestone -- for years, he's followed departmental tradition as Assistant Chief and Chief in taking the wheel of a patrol car on the Christmas shift so young officers can spend the holiday with their families. This will be the first Christmas in years that Pat can spend with his wife, children and grandchildren.

He leaves an enviable legacy -- one that his successor is committed to build on.