If you've been to Palo Alto or East Palo Alto, you may be curious to know what makes this city unique. The city's original inhabitants were Costanoan and Ohlone Native Americans. Later, white settlers and Caucasian ranchers swept the region. Chinese laborers and flower growers predated the arrival of middle-class Caucasians. In the 1950s, the population was mostly white, but by the mid-60s, East Palo Alto was majority African American. Today, the population is multi-ethnic, including a large percentage of Hispanic and Pacific Islander residents.
Palo Alto was incorporated in 1894. The city's municipal charter established a fifteen-member City Council, with responsibilities for specialized issues delegated to appointed committees. The city shifted to a council-manager government in 1950. Appointed committees still advise the City Council on specialized issues, but have no direct authority over City staff. Hispanic/Latino residents comprise approximately 20% of the population, according to the US Census. This group may be of any race or ethnicity.
The Palo Alto police department was located in a stone building at 450 Bryant Street. That building is now the headquarters of the nonprofit Avenidas senior center. The police department has less than 100 sworn officers, ten reserve officers, and professional staff. Because of the city's proximity to Stanford University and Palo Alto University, its crime rate is low. It's also significantly lower than the national average.