Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Public Safety

The Feds grant Santa Ana $1.2M to hire ten more cops

Posted on by Posted in Miguel Pulido, Public Safety, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Pulido with the police

City of Santa Ana,  Downtown Orange County

Community Alert: CITY OF SANTA ANA AWARDED $1.2 MILLION TO HIRE ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS – COPS GRANT FUNDING ANNOUNCED

SANTA ANA, CA (September 30, 2014) – The City of Santa Ana was awarded with over $1.2 Million for the hiring of ten additional police officers by the federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. The award represents the largest allocation in Southern California and will be used to meet the City’s public safety hiring goals.

“This is great news for the City of Santa Ana,” said Mayor Miguel Pulido. “Public safety is the community’s number one priority and with our new strengthened financial position we will be able to take advantage of this grant and hire much needed police officers. Having recently gone on a ride along with our officers I know first-hand how this funding will make an impact.” Continue reading→

How many Santa Ana residents will be ticketed at the upcoming Ciclovia?

Posted on by Posted in Bicycles, Civic Affairs, Crime, Gerardo Mouet, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Santa Ana bicycle registrations

Gerardo Mouet, executive director of the City of Santa Ana’s parks, recreation and community services agency, told the OC Register this week that “Santa Ana is the county seat and the most urban section in the county. Biking and walking in an urban setting is of growing interest, and Santa Ana is a great place to illustrate this trend to the entire county.”

Mouet is very proud of the fact that Santa Ana will be hosting Orange County’s first ever Ciclovia – an open streets event where the streets will be closed to cars and opened to bikers, walkers and runners. SOMOS or “Sunday On Main Open Streets” is scheduled for Sunday, October 5, 2014 from 9 am to 4 pm.

But here is the problem – the City of Santa Ana has a mandatory bike registration program in place that is run by the Santa Ana Police Department.  If your bike is not registered with the police they can stop you and actually give you a pricey ticket! Hardly any of our residents know about this program.   How many people are they going to ticket at the Ciclovia?   Continue reading→

City seeks public input to make walking and biking safer and easier in DTSA

Posted on by Posted in Bicycles, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Planning, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana DTSA and Transit Zone Complete Streets Plan

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: City of Santa Ana Seeks Public Input with Plans to Make Walking and Bicycling Safer and Easier in Downtown Santa Ana

Public invited to attend 3-day design workshop on September 25-27

SANTA ANA, CA – Imagine downtown Santa Ana as a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly environment that encourages visitors and residents to park their cars and enjoy the city up close! That is the goal for Santa Ana city planners and a team of consultants who are embarking on development of the Downtown/Transit Zone Complete Streets Plan.

Complete Streets provide opportunities for increased physical activity by incorporating features that promote regular walking, bicycling and transit use into just about every street. A benefit that results from this approach would include improvements that make it easier and safer to travel between the Transportation Center and Downtown Santa Ana on foot, by bicycle or public transit. Continue reading→

Why didn’t the OC Vector Control District focus on the homeless in the first place?

Posted on by Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, homeless, Orange County, Orange County Vector Control District, Public Safety, Santa Ana 8 Comments

Homeless

The Orange County Vector Control District has put the spraying of insecticides in Santa Ana on hold due to the ongoing hot weather, as reported on their website.

They are picking on Santa Ana because our city has allegedly had 40 West Nile Virus infections, which is the highest number of infections of any city in the county, according to county data.

But hold on a minute – it turns out that the reason we have had more West Nile Virus infections is not our population at large but rather one specific demographic – the homeless. Continue reading→

Police Chief Rojas blames his own cops instead of dealing with the SAPD’s problems

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, David Cavazos, Paul Walters, Public Safety, Santa Ana 10 Comments

SAPD Chief Carlos Rojas and new recruits

Apparently our article about the low morale at the Santa Ana Police Department struck a nerve.  SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas was reportedly so angry about it that he threatened to fire his police officers.   I was told that he went to the daily briefings and told all of the officers and their supervisors that they have to stop talking to the press.  He said that he had read what they were saying about him and demanded that they stop talking about him or the department or he would personally fire them – and no one could protect them because the police union was on his side.

Rojas reiterated that all media requests had to be directed to his hand-picked public information officer and that he had better not find out who was telling the press about internal issues. He also told them that low morale was their own fault. He said it was not his problem or the department’s problem…it was their own problem that they each needed to take care of themselves. Continue reading→

Santa Ana parents should demand the return of the fired school crossing guards

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Civic Affairs, Education, Politics, Public Safety, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD 3 Comments

Santa Ana pedestrian accidents

Santa Ana parents are demanding that city officials reverse their decision to remove school crossing guards without warning, saying the move is putting children’s lives in danger, according to the Voice of OC.

About 25 crossing guards were removed near Santa Ana schools as of the start of the school year last Tuesday, according to police officials.

But parents from at least one campus protested, and the city has since reinstated a crossing guard, at least temporarily, near Santiago Elementary School, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

The Orange County Vector Control District’s response about spraying in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, Orange County, Orange County Vector Control District, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Please don't spray me

The Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD) has created a formal response to the hundreds if not thousands of emails and calls they have received from Santa Ana residents concerned about chemicals being sprayed in their neighborhoods.  The full response is below.  It is pretty clear that they still want to spray in Santa Ana.

The OCVCD is still harping on the fact that Santa Ana is leading the County in West Nile Virus infections even though there has been only one death in our city due to this disease.  Santa Ana residents have come down with 26 cases of the West Nile Virus – out of some 350,000 residents.  For comparison’s sake 12 residents of Anaheim have come down with the West Nile Virus.  Click here to see the latest updates on Orange County West Nile Virus cases.

Consider that the Orange County Health Care Agency reported, in February of this year, 16 deaths due to influenza.  The common cold kills scores of Americans every year as the elderly often are struck by secondary bacterial respiratory infections.  And the Center for Disease Control says that the West Nile Virus is no reason to panic:

Continue reading→

The OC Vector Control District must consider alternatives to spraying in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Disease, Health and Medical, Orange County, Orange County Vector Control District, Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Why is the Orange County Vector Control District so gung ho to spray chemicals in Santa Ana’s inner city neighborhoods when the Center for Disease Control says that:

Fortunately, most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms. Less than 1% of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness.

There is ample scientific research that indicates spraying these insecticides isn’t a great idea at all.  (See the links below).

But Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero said in an email this week that he wants the spraying to happen.  I spoke to Mayor Miguel Pulido yesterday and he is so far the only Santa Ana Council Member who is fighting the spraying.  That is typical as the rest of the City Council is lazy and won’t spend much time on this – even though my sources say they are all being inundated with calls and emails thanks to our articles.  We need to keep the pressure up!  The contact info for all of the local elected officials is at the end of this post. Continue reading→

Mayor Pulido to discuss mosquito spraying plans with city officials and Vector Control

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Disease, Health and Medical, Miguel Pulido, Orange County, Orange County Vector Control District, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

West Nile Virus Map

Mayor Pulido to meet with city officials to discuss the OC Vector Control District’s spraying plan

By Mayor Miguel Pulido

SANTA ANA – Mayor Miguel Pulido will be meeting on Monday morning with Santa Ana city officials, including the City Manager, David Cavazos, to discuss the proposed spraying of an insecticide in Santa Ana’s neighborhoods by the Orange County Vector Control District.  The intent of the spraying program is to kill mosquitoes so as to reduce the risk of West Nile Virus transmission in Orange County.

Mayor Pulido is concerned about the short public notice about the spraying as the press release announcing the spraying was distributed last Friday and the Vector Control District was planning to start spraying as early as this Monday, September 8, 2014.

The spraying has since been called off temporarily due to unfavorable weather, as disclosed in an updated press release. Continue reading→

Why is Santa Ana the only OC city getting sprayed starting on Monday?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Disease, Environment, Health and Medical, Orange County Vector Control District, Public Safety, Santa Ana 60 Comments

UPDATE: It is time to take down the Orange County Vector Control District

UPDATE: How we stopped the Santa Ana Mosquito Spraying operation

Orange County Vector Control and the City of Santa Ana distributed a press release yesterday about spraying of an insecticide to kill mosquitoes that is taking place only in the City of Santa Ana, starting on Sep. 8 through Sep. 11, 2014.  Why was this news sent out so late in the week, on a Friday?  And why isn’t Anaheim getting sprayed when they have had 42 West Nile Virus cases while Santa Ana has had 31 such infections reported?  And Tustin and Garden Grove have had twice the West Nile Virus fatalities that Santa Ana has had – which is exactly one death.  Click here to see a map showing where the illnesses and deaths have occurred in Orange County. Continue reading→

OC motorcycle safety enforcement operations set for this weekend

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Motorcycles, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Councilman David Benavides

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Operation Aims At Improving Motorcycle Safety

SANTA ANA, California (September 5, 2014) – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operations on both Saturday, September 6th and Sunday, September 7th in an effort to lower deaths and injuries.

Extra deputies will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes are more likely to occur. They will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle accidents. Examples are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, or making illegal turns, which California collision data reveals are the primary causes of motorcycle-involved crashes. Continue reading→

Register now for the 5th Annual AlertOC regional test

Posted on by Posted in Emergencies, Orange County, Public Safety Leave a comment

Alert OC

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

Register Now For the 5th Annual AlertOC Regional Test

SANTA ANA, Calif. – (September 3, 2014) – On September 23, 2014 over two million Orange County residents will receive a call to test AlertOC. This is the fifth annual regional test of the system and will include 25 participating cities and the County’s unincorporated areas.

Residents are encouraged to self-register their email addresses, cell phone numbers and other alternate numbers to be a part of the regional test. The key feature of AlertOC is the ability for residents to register more than one contact method at a specific address. Registrations of cell phone and alternate numbers increase the potential of reaching the greatest number of community members as rapidly as possible. This enables landlines, cell phones and e-mail addresses to be incorporated into a single notification system. Continue reading→

Back to school safety tips from the SAUSD School Police

Posted on by Posted in Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Santa Ana School Police

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 29, 2014

Contact: Sergeant Manuel Chavez, 714-558-5535; Deidra Powell, Chief Communications Officer , 714-673-4995

Back to School Safety Tips

School Begins September 2, 2014 in Santa Ana

The Santa Ana School Police Department would like to remind everyone that as summer draws to a close, back-to-school season is in full effect. It is important for parents to stay up-to-date on the proper safety precautions and share this information with their children to keep them safe throughout the school year.

Safety should be a priority for every family as 56,000 Santa Ana Unified School District students return to classrooms this fall. Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are some tips to make sure your child safely travels to school.  Continue reading→

Santa Ana teen missing since Wednesday, August 20

Posted on by Posted in Public Safety, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Pedro Guadarrama

A Santa Ana family is looking for their missing 16-year-old son, Pedro Guadarrama.  He stands 5’6″ and weighs 170 pounds.  He was last seen on Wednesday, August 20, 2014.

For some reason the SAPD has not been very helpful in trying to find this young man, according to a family friend.  Pedro suffers from a mental condition and he was apparently released from a local hospital when he disappeared. Continue reading→

Free Haz Mat and Underground Storage Workshops for local business owners

Posted on by Posted in Business, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Health and Medical, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

OC Health Care Agency Haz Mat and UST Portal Open Lab Training in Santa Ana

The Orange County Environmental Health Division is offering free training to Santa Ana business owners and operators. This agency regulates businesses that use or store hazardous materials at their facilities. These businesses include gas stations, auto repair shops, dry cleaners, manufacturing facilities (and any other type of industry where hazardous liquids, solids or compressed gases are used/stored).

They are required to submit a Hazardous Material Disclosure and Business Emergency Plan annually.  Historically, these documents would have been submitted to Santa Ana Fire (then the Orange County Fire Authority). There have been many changes in the past couple of years and now the OC Health Care Agency implements these programs.

The OC Health Care Agency will be hosting free workshops in Santa Ana, on September 9, 2014, for business owners and operators to help them navigate the complex requirements associated with the hazardous materials forms and underground storage tank programs. Continue reading→