Dear COTS Supporters,

I'm pleased to report to you that Petaluma Police Chief Patrick Williams became the newest member of the COTS Board of Directors this week.  We are thrilled to benefit from his expertise and knowledge and to strengthen further the collaborative and productive relationship we have with the Petaluma Police Department.  Chief Williams’ vision of community policing--working proactively to avoid crime and blight while forging effective collaborations and partnerships to protect the safety and quality of life of each local resident coincides well with COTS’ vision of providing, oftentimes through collaborations, the kinds of services that enable the homeless to experience genuine life transformation. 

In her position as COTS Director of Programs and Outreach at the Mary Isaak Center, Robin Phoenix has been able to clearly see the rewards our community reaps thanks to Chief Williams' philosophy.  "This Department,” Robin says, “has some of the most compassionate and constructive people I have ever worked with. The culture is to help first. That's the approach that gets the long-term results." 

A key component helping to produce those results is the Petaluma Sober Circle, the latest collaboration between COTS, the Petaluma Police and local healthcare providers.  Working together, the police and COTS have reached out to over 40 individuals. These are the folks who camp in our city, living in misery and adversely affecting the local business community, the environment, their own health, and the quality of life for everyone. Fully half of those individuals have been persuaded to enter treatment and then COTS services. Without a police department so committed to transforming lives, these people would have cycled between our local jails and emergency rooms and the streets.  Robin says that not a week goes by without officers stopping by to refer people to the Mary Isaak Center or to encourage the efforts of those whom they referred earlier.

In addition to his long career in police work, Chief Williams holds a Master's degree in Leadership, which we know he will put to good use in his new leadership role on the COTS Board of Directors. Chief Williams has worked in law enforcement for over 30 years. Prior to coming to the City of Petaluma, Chief Williams served as Police Chief for the City of Desert Hot Springs for many years.

Sincerely,

 

Tom Marcum

President, COTS Board of Directors

Pastor, Petaluma Valley Baptist Church