The Salinas Police Department received a statewide award Thursday for its work in implementing a community-policing approach.

Salinas won the James Q. Wilson Award for Excellence in Community Policing from the Regional Community Policing Institute - California. Judges consider five categories, including partnerships with the community and other agencies and organizations, results and problem-solving, according to the institute's website.

Officers accepted the award at the California Police Chiefs Association Annual Training Symposium Luncheon, said Adele Fresé, chief of the Salinas Police Department.

"They were very excited," she said.

But a press conference to celebrate the win Friday afternoon at Closter Park was canceled because of forecasts of rain as well as a protest against police brutality planned alongside the police department's event, Fresé said.

"We invited children, we invited family members, we invited people from the greater community in the Closter Park area," she said. "To expose children to a protest might be a bit much and even irresponsible (at a police-sponsored event)."

One of two fliers for the protest referenced the press conference and called for people to "come out and stand with the Salinas Community against police brutality" while the other referenced Brenda Rodriguez Mendoza, 20, who was fatally shot by police during a standoff March 1.

Fresé said she had seen the first flier but was not familiar with the second one.

When she saw "police brutality," she said, she thought it might be referring to a case in another area that galvanized protesters, such as the state Attorney's General decision Tuesday not to prosecute the officers who killed Stephon Clark.

That decision sparked widespread protests and unrest in Sacramento, according to USA Today.

More than 50 people attended the protest at the park Friday afternoon, organized by Luis "xago" Juarez in response to the press conference planned only a week after Mendoza was killed by police, he said.

"This is a call to action for all who know the value, understand the value, of community safety," Juarez said, adding a march on city hall at the next city council meeting is being planned.

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Since she took the helm in September 2016, Fresé has emphasized community policing to improve relations between the department and the community.

Salinas police have focused on "collaboration and problem solving" and showed their results in the application for the Wilson award, Fresé said.

The application listed the department's accomplishments, including:

A focus on Closter Park, including a nearby store that was a front for drug sales and sold alcohol, which were often consumed at the park. It also incorporated additional patrols and enforcement in the area, which led to a 23 percent uptick in reports of crime as more residents contacted police and "subjective reports from residents and patrol officers... that the major problems are gone or reduced."

Drops in homicides, robberies, aggravated assaults and assaults involving firearms of 25 percent, 10 percent, 6 percent and 32 percent respectively.

A renewed commitment to training, especially on the importance and methods of community policing.

Partnerships with various groups, agencies, community members and organizations.

The school resource officers' work in the Santa Rita Union Elementary School district that includes classes for parents in collaboration with nonprofits. They also spent time "hanging out" and "walking about" during school hours, talking with students and also mentoring them.

"While we weren't able to put officers (in schools) throughout the city limits, we were able to make a big difference in that one school district," Fresé said, noting officers "not only work with children, but also work with their parents."

Protest organizer Juarez acknowledged Fresé's efforts to improve relations with the community, but added the police seem to want trust from the community without returning that trust.

"We see she's having a difficult job at that because what happened (March 1) is an indication that it's not working," he said, referring to police shooting and killing Mendoza on East Laurel Drive a week ago.

Salinas police were called out at about 11 a.m. March 1 to the 1000 block of E. Laurel Drive for a disturbance, Fresé has said.

Officers arrived to find a woman, later identified as Mendoza, 20, had barricaded herself in a vehicle after threatening a resident with "something likened to a weapon," Fresé has said.

The standoff lasted for about two-and-a-half hours, with the hostage-negotiation team and Monterey County Behavioral Health communicating with Mendoza, though it was intermittent, Fresé has said.

At one point, she brandished a handgun, Fresé has said.

Three officers opened fire on Mendoza, who died shortly thereafter, Fresé has said.

A gofundme has been set up to cover Mendoza's funeral expenses, said Israel Villa, a member of the community organization MILPA.

MILPA has been vocal against school resource officers in Salinas while advocating against what's called the school-to-prison pipeline.

However, a member of MILPA was arrested on suspicion of inciting a 20-year-old to allegedly attack a 14-year-old at one of their events last year. He has pleaded not guilty and the case is pending.

Salinas police should have given Mendoza, who reportedly was experiencing a mental-health crisis, help instead of "violence," said Carissa Purnell, who attended Friday's protest.

"The best support: wrapping our arms around (those in crisis)," she said.

Police have identified the three officers involved in that shooting as well as seven officers who fired on a man at a Salinas Safeway after he brandished a replica handgun a month before Mendoza's death.

Guadalupe Aguirre Espinoza, 38, survived and later pleaded guilty to brandishing and theft charges.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office is investigating both shootings. Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni did not return a phone call and an email seeking comment Friday.

Mendoza's shooting rekindled memories of 2014, when Salinas police shot and killed four people, Villa said.

"I can already tell you what they're going to say: justified," he said. "... There ain't no justifying that."

The 2014 shootings sparked protests, one of which turned violent when one man was shot and killed while a police officer trying to help him was hit by a glass bottle.

The U.S. Department of Justice reviewed the Salinas Police Department at its request. The DOJ made several recommendations, including having the District Attorney's Office investigate officer-involved shootings rather than Salinas police, which was implemented.

But thinking the officer-involved shootings demonstrate a disconnect between the community policing award and reality on the ground is "wrong," Fresé said.

"It is a police force looking out for their community," she said. "Community policing doesn't mean we're soft on crime, it means we work together."

Joe Szydlowski is a multimedia journalist for the Salinas Californian who covers local government, crime and cannabis. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JoeSzyd_Salinas. He can be reached at 235-2360. Help support The Californian's work to keep you up to date on key news here.