Vallejo residents call on CHP to patrol city road

VALLEJO — Like many places, the city of Vallejo is struggling with a police shortage amid rising crime. On Saturday morning, a group of residents gathered to ask the state for protection, not for the city, but for a stretch of the state-owned private road.

There have been so many carnivals at the intersection of Sonoma Boulevard and Lemon Street that the burnt rubber has nearly erased the white stripes of the crosswalks. Farther into Sonoma, sex workers openly ply their trade in the downtown area. The north end of Sonoma Boulevard has become a frequent scene of high-speed police chases, often ending in tragedy.

“We have another highway. It’s not as famous as Highway 80. It’s not as famous as 780 or even 37. But it’s a highway!” said Vallejo City Councilwoman Cristina Arriola.

Sonoma Boulevard is part of California State Route 29, and the protesters said the state needs help maintaining order on the road. They formed a loud, honking caravan of cars through town, ending at the CHP Golden Gate Division headquarters.

“We have a freeway that runs through our city that is neglected,” Arriola said. “And I don’t believe in the slogan ‘understaffing’ these days. I don’t believe that. I think they could do with a handful of officers patrolling a street that is desperately needed. It’s very dangerous.”

Arriola said she is tired of hearing Governor Newsom send hundreds of CHP officers to protect Oakland and San Francisco from urban crime, especially now that Highway 29 in Vallejo remains unprotected.

“Our police department is actually understaffed,” she said. “We have 21 officers in Vallejo for a city of 125,000.”

The group said they also have to fight against public apathy. People have become desensitized to the sounds of gunfire and sideshows every night and many have given up thinking Vallejo can do better.

“There’s a lot of research that shows where you live has a huge impact on your mental health,” said resident Zoe Olvera. “And living in a city where you don’t feel safe driving on the road has an impact on me and my partner — my family. My parents worry about me all the time.”

“It’s PTSD, you know, for a lot of people,” Mishel Adolph said. “I mean, you have to change your lifestyle. Everybody’s on edge because we don’t have any protection and we’re not even asking the CHP to protect us. We’re just asking them to protect that corridor.”

They are asking that a small group of officers, perhaps four, be assigned to patrol up and down Sonoma Boulevard. They believe that seeing a black-and-white patrol car in the area would have a real impact — more than anything in Oakland or San Francisco.

“I love this city, but it’s embarrassing to think that I wouldn’t want to invite my grandpa to come here,” Olvera said. “I’d be afraid that he would drive and he’d get hijacked or shot or something. It’s incredibly unsafe.”

Residents say they only want help until police levels are restored to a reasonable level and are only asking the state to protect the road that is truly theirs.