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A San Jose man allegedly killed a male victim during a fight at a downtown Morgan Hill bar early in the morning May 20.Morgan Hill police arrested Joseph Haley, 32 of San Jose, at about 10:15 a.m. May 20 on suspicion of homicide in relation to the incident that happened at the M&H Tavern, 17365 Monterey Road, MHPD Sgt. Carson Thomas said. Haley is accused of causing injuries that resulted in the victim’s death, though police declined to specify if any weapons were involved.Officers responded to the Tavern about 1:35 a.m. on a report of a man lying on the ground and bleeding from his head in the back parking lot, Thomas said. Officers located the man who was suffering from “major head trauma.” The victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Police determined that the victim and suspect had been involved in a “physical altercation” that resulted in the victim’s death, Thomas said.“Based on witness statements and video surveillance footage (from the Tavern), we determined that (Haley) was involved in the physical altercation, which we believe led to the victim’s death,” Thomas said.Although authorities have not yet released the victim’s name, his employer identified him as John Flood. Flood worked at The Hill restaurant and bar “off and on” for about eight months, according to The Hill owner Dustin Evanger.A sign on The Hill’s door the afternoon of May 20 said the restaurant was closed for the day to observe Flood’s death.However, The Hill, located at 17330 Monterey Road, plans to host a memorial wake for Flood 9 p.m. Thursday, May 21. Staff will pass around a bucket for donations to the Wounded Warrior Project, according to an announcement on The Hill’s Facebook page.M&H Tavern owner Susan Hall expressed her “deepest sympathy” for the family of the victim, whom she does not know.She noted that bar staff and management have cooperated fully with police. The bartender on duty “immediately” called 911 when he heard the commotion and saw the victim on the ground.“We make every effort to keep it a friendly atmosphere so people can have fun,” Hall said.Hall did not know if the victim and suspect had been patronizing the Tavern before the altercation began.The incident is the first homicide in Morgan Hill since June 2013, when Michael Sheppard allegedly killed his live-in girlfriend Bertha Paulson at the Morgan Hill Apartments mobile home complex on the 17800 block of Monterey Road.Anyone with information about the May 20 incident can call MHPD at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867.

Sitting against the back wall of a local bar and grill, I waited

While some types of crime are on the rise in Morgan Hill in the last year, the 2016 MHPD Annual Report shows the city remains safe, as the most serious categories of offenses are in decline.And while Morgan Hill, like other cities and counties in California, is challenged by recent state reforms that make it harder for local jurisdictions to keep potentially violent suspects in check, Police Chief David Swing said the local department is making strides in keeping the community safe by increasing engagement with the public and being more proactive in identifying criminals and preventing threats.“The report illustrates the work being done, and the quality and quantity of work being done by the men and women in this department, and I’m very proud and honored to be able to lead them,” Swing said.The latest MHPD Annual Report was distributed to the public last week. The document gives an overview of what federal authorities classify as “part 1” crimes—which as a whole are decreasing in Morgan Hill—and it lists some of the department’s accomplishments, new initiatives and other statistics.Part 1 crimes “are defined as offenses that are more serious crimes by nature and/or volume,” the report states. These include theft, vehicle theft, burglary and violent crimes such as homicide and assault. In Morgan Hill, theft makes up the highest category (49 percent, or 418 incidents) of all Part 1 crimes, followed by assault (22 percent). Burglary and vehicle theft each account for 13 percent of the local Part 1 volume. Robbery makes up about 3 percent of the total, or 21 incidents. There were no homicides in 2016, and three reported incidents of rape.  Most cities in Santa Clara County, including Morgan Hill, have seen a decrease in Part 1 crimes when 2016 totals are compared to those of 2015, the report states.“We enjoy a relatively low crime rate in Morgan Hill,” Swing said. “Our residents are served by a group of dedicated professionals, many of whom live in South County—so they have a personal commitment” to local safety.However, Swing added it is “concerning” to see increases in residential burglaries, which are also on the rise in other Bay Area cities. These incidents are up to 111 in 2016 from 100 in 2015, but are down from a peak of 164 incidents in 2013.Another growing trend in Morgan Hill is the recovery of firearms from criminal suspects, Swing said. So far in 2017, officers have confiscated 11 guns as evidence during traffic stops or searches. That’s on pace to significantly surpass the 19 firearms recovered in 2015, and 18 confiscated in 2016. In 2014, MHPD officers recovered seven firearms from “people arrested for other crimes.”“Clearly, the increased presence of firearms is a real threat to our community, and to our officers’ safety,” Swing said.And in yet another growing trend, more suspects arrested in Morgan Hill are from other communities, Swing said. In 2016, he said more than half the people arrested here list their residence in another city.Reforms make it harderSome new state laws approved in recent years make it more difficult for local police departments to reduce crime in California. These include Proposition 47, which was approved by the voters in 2014 and reclassified certain nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors.This requires local police to issue citations for theft suspects, for example, who would have “earned a trip to county jail” before Prop 47 was approved, Swing said.The chief listed two of many examples of how this has impacted safety in Morgan Hill in recent months. In an incident earlier this year, officers contacted a suspect in possession of drugs—once a felony, but a misdemeanor under Prop 47. An officer gave the suspect a ticket and let him go.A little while later, the suspect walked into downtown Morgan Hill, and tried to snatch a purse from a customer who was eating on the outdoor patio of a busy restaurant, Swing said. A witness gave chase to the suspect, and police caught up to him and made an arrest.“Pre-Prop 47, that person having lunch in Morgan Hill doesn’t experience the theft of her purse,” because officers would have detained him for the drug possession, Swing said.Another state law that has allegedly made it easier for criminals is AB109, an effort passed in 2011 to reduce the state’s prison population by moving repeat, nonviolent offenders to county jails. Many law enforcement experts have argued this law has placed more criminals—including some violent ones—back on the streets.Less is known about the impact of Proposition 57, which was just approved by voters in November 2016. This proposition makes it easier for judges to release nonviolent criminals on parole.Swing added that at least one study, conducted by Stanford University, ties a statewide increase in auto thefts to these state reforms. In Morgan Hill, police are seeing more vehicle thefts, as well as stolen cars being used in other crimes.Traffic and other numbersTraffic accidents, often overlooked as a public safety issue, increased by a big margin in Morgan Hill in 2016. Police and emergency personnel responded to 283 accidents in 2016, compared to 209 in both 2014 and 2015, according to the annual report.Strategies to decrease the number of collisions, implemented by the MHPD traffic unit and patrol officers, include “directed traffic enforcement, responding to traffic complaints, community outreach campaigns and safe driving education,” the report reads.The annual report also notes that 50 percent of all police reports filed by MHPD officers result in an arrest. That percentage is higher than Gilroy, Palo Alto, Campbell and other similar size cities in Santa Clara County, according to the report.Engagement is keyThe 2016 annual report touts the effectiveness of some new programs instituted at MHPD in the last couple years.One of these is the reinstatement of the department’s Street Crimes Team, which was approved by the council earlier this year. This unit has just recently sprung back into action, tackling gang activity and violent crime, as well as “quality of life issues throughout the community,” Swing said.The Street Crimes Unit is also addressing local homelessness, Swing added. These officers will work with other local agencies and nonprofits to connect homeless people to services that can eventually move them into long-term housing.The report lists other community engagement efforts MHPD has participated in over the last year: Shop With A Cop, Safe Trick or Treat, Coffee With a Cop (next installment coming up May 19 at Peet’s on Cochrane Road) and vacation home checks performed by the department’s Volunteers In Policing program.