New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Public Safety

The O.C. Register touted Irvine’s safe city ranking but ignored Santa Ana’s

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Blogs, Crime, Democratic Party, irvine, Latinos, Media Links, Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

OJ Blogger Greg Diamond ripped Santa Ana’s safe city ranking but was silent about Irvine’s ranking

My colleague, Sean Mill, wrote a post earlier this week regarding the lack of attention paid by the O.C. Register, and in particular by their Santa Ana beat reporter Andrew Galvin, to the recent Forbes ranking of Santa Ana as the “4th Safest City in the U.S.” The Register briefly noted Santa Ana’s ranking in an article about the FBI crime data that was used by Forbes. But we found that the Register wrote an entire article on Dec. 13, touting a similar story, when the City of Irvine was ranked as the Safest City in the U.S. by an obscure entity (as compared to Forbes) – CQ Press.

The Santa Ana ranking was heavily criticized by the Liberal OC’s Chris Prevatt and by Orange Juice blogger Greg Diamond. Neither of them had anything negative to say about Irvine’s ranking, and Prevatt’s colleague, Dan Chmielewski, even wrote an entire post praising Irvine’s ranking. Diamond and Prevatt were silent about that too. Continue reading→

Why did Register & Galvin ignore Santa Ana’s Forbes safe city ranking?

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Sean Mill Posted in Civic Affairs, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana 22 Comments

Pick up the print edition of the Orange County Register or visit their website online and you will certainly come across article after article focusing on negative issues pertaining to Santa Ana. In what can only be described as biased reporting against our city and our city leaders, the Register and its staff appear to be treating Santa Ana like their personal punching bag. It has only worsened since we elected an all-Latino city council and the old guard led by Dave Ream left town.

I thought that perhaps things would improve when Andrew Galvin began writing his column entitled The Santa Ana Register but he too seems to like taking swipes at our city and our leadership team led by Chief Paul Walters and the great council majority. Sure Galvin has written some positive pieces like the one about Santa Ana Public Works Executive Director Raul Godinez IIbut those are few and far between. Continue reading→

Santa Ana resident charged with accepting bribes as a prison guard

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Westminster 1 Comment

Orange County District Attorney & Seal Beach Police Department Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 28, 2011
Contact: Sgt. Steve Bowles, Public Information Officer, Seal Beach Police Department, Office: 562-342-7391
Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff Orange County, District Attorney, 714-347-8408, Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami Spokesperson Orange County District Attorney, 714-347-8405, Cell: 714-323-4486

Case # 11WF2999: CITY JAIL GUARD CHARGED WITH ACCEPTING iPAD AND OTHER BRIBES IN EXCHANGE FOR ALLOWING INMATE PROHIBITED CONTRABAND AND UNAUTHORIZED PERSONAL VISITS

WESTMINSTER – A detention center officer at the Seal Beach City Jail has been charged with accepting bribes,including an iPad and money, in exchange for allowing an inmate prohibited contraband and visitor contacts. Jose Alday,32, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of an officer receiving bribes, one felony count of possession for sale of a controlled substance, and one misdemeanor count of possession of controlled substance paraphernalia. Continue reading→

Assoc. of O.C. Deputy Sheriffs raising $100K for deputy’s injured son

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Charities, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Picture courtesy of the O.C. Register

Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs
Media contact: Kimberly Edds, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Phone: 714-357-4654
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 28, 2011

Bring Jimmy Pequeno Home

Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs helping to raise $100,000 for deputy’s injured son

LAKE FOREST, CA, December 22, 2011 – Jimmy Pequeno, the 18-year-old son of an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy, remains in a coma after being badly injured in a car accident on July 1. Jimmy, a senior at El Toro High School, suffered multiple brain traumas, broken bones and other injuries. He has endured numerous surgeries and procedures in his fight towards recovery but six months later he has yet to regain “full consciousness.” Continue reading→

SAPD to conduct DUI checkpoint this Friday night, at 2100 W. McFadden

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Bars, Civic Affairs, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Thursday December 22, 2011
Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, December 23rd, 2011. It will begin at 7:30

NEWS RELEASE: SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, December 23rd, 2011. It will begin at 7:30PM and is scheduled to conclude at 1:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 2100 W. McFadden Avenue, in the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

City Council reacts to Forbes article that named Santa Ana 4th Safest City

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 3 Comments

Thursday December 22, 2011, 8:18 AM
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Advisory: Santa Ana City Council Reacts to Recent ‘America’s Safest Cities’ Article by Forbes

SANTA ANA, CA (December 22, 2011) – On December 15, 2011, Forbes published ‘America’s Safest Cities,’ which ranked the City of Santa Ana 4th in the entire country. In order to find the 10 safest cities in America, Forbes looked at cities with a population exceeding 250,000. The article then ranked the cities’ using their violent crime and pedestrian fatality rates to arrive at the final ranking. Continue reading→

Santa Ana named 4th safest U.S. city, by Forbes

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Paul Walters, Public Safety, Santa Ana 35 Comments

Santa Ana has been selected as the fourth safest city in the United States of America, by Forbes.

To find America’s 10 safest cities, Forbes looked at metropolises with populations above 250,000. They then ranked them by violent crime rates—the number of violent crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents in 2010, as reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Continue reading→

Anonymous “Save Santiago Creek Alliance” opposes finishing bike trail

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Bicycles, Green, Nature, Neighborhood Associations, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Santa Ana 31 Comments

A new website of people who are against finishing the Santiago Creek bike trail, called the “Save Santiago Creek Alliance,” is purporting to represent resident’s of Santa Ana’s Casa de Santiago, Fisher Park, Floral Park, Morrison Park, Riverview, and West Floral Park neighborhoods – but not one name appears anywhere on the website. It is completely anonymous.

I did get an email today from a fellow named Ronald E Salem. He claims to be the “interim director” of this mysterious anonymous organization, but his name is not to be found on their website. I did find his Facebook page. This guy is definitely part of the 1%. His profile picture (see above) shows him piloting a yacht. Nice. He appears to be a psychologist with a family counseling practice based in Glendora.

It is terribly dishonest for these people to use the word “Alliance” in their name, given that the major proponents of finishing the Santiago Creek bike trail are the Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance. Continue reading→

SAUSD Police Department welcomes new district safety officers

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David Valentin, Chief of Police, (714) 558-5829

Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department Welcomes New District Safety Officers

SANTA ANA, CA – December 15, 2011- During a hiring ceremony on Thursday, December 15, 2011, the Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department welcomed three new District Safety Officers. The newest members will join a team of 35 civilian District Safety Officers who proudly and professionally serve the students, staff and entire SAUSD community. Continue reading→

SAPD to conduct DUI checkpoint in Santa Ana on Friday, Dec. 9

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Advisory: The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, December 9th, 2011. It will begin at 7:30P

SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, December 9th, 2011. It will begin at 7:30PM and is scheduled to conclude at 1:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 1900 W. 1st Street, in the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Support the Santa Ana Police Officers Association’s fundraiser on Feb. 4

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Charities, Entertainment, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Santa Ana Police Officers Association is comprised of sworn and non-sworn Santa Ana Police Officers, retired police officers and reserve officers of the Santa Ana Police Department. We are all dedicated to our common goal of making our community a safer environment in which to live and work. To accomplish this goal, we need your help.

For 40 years, the Santa Ana Police Officers Association’s main fund raising event is the Annual Comedy/Magic Benefit Show held on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at Santa Ana College – Phillips Hall. The show starts at five o’clock in the evening. Proceeds will support local youth athletics, the Santa Ana Police Explorer program, which involves the youth in law enforcement, and the Santa Ana Police Widows and Orphans Fund which will help the families of Santa Ana Police Officers injured or killed in the line of duty. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana won’t have to outsource its police department

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Paul Walters, Public Safety, Santa Ana 3 Comments

It is looking like the City of Santa Ana is going to outsource its fire department, to the Orange County Fire Authority, saving over ten million per year. Some of my readers are asking why we can’t just negotiate those savings with the Santa Ana Benevolent Firemen’s Association. My sources at City Hall are telling me that the union won’t cooperate.

So why not outsource the award-winning Santa Ana Police Department too? Simple. The Santa Ana Police Officers Association is cooperating and savings are expected to be over ten million a year – and quite possibly as high as thirteen million a year. It doesn’t hurt that our Chief of Police, Paul Walters, is also now our Acting City Manager! He knows his police budget better than anyone.

How important are our police, to our community? Well, a recent study identified that communities get a lot of bang for their buck, when they hire police officers. Here is a recap of that study, from an L.A. Times editorial by Greg Ridgeway and Paul Heaton, published on Nov. 22 of this year: Continue reading→

SAPD DUI checkpoint to be set up east of the Art Walk tonight

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Bars, Crime, Public Safety, Restaurants, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Those who are planning on going to the Downtown Santa Ana Art Walk tonight better be careful as the Santa Ana Police Department is going to be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint tonight, east of the downtown area, at 7:30PM – it is scheduled to conclude at 1:30AM.

A lot of out of towners like to go to the Art Walk and get plastered. That might be a bad idea tonight. Be sure to use a designated driver. And if you have any immigrant friends who are not licensed to drive, don’t let them get behind the wheel! Continue reading→

City of Santa Ana issues windstorm advisory for tonight

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Public Safety, public works, Santa Ana, Weather 1 Comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Press Advisory: Significant Windstorm Event Preparation

The weather service is predicting a significant windstorm event effective 12/1/11, at 12 AM through Friday. Winds are predicted to potentially be in the 60-80 mph range, however Santa Ana may see lesser wind speeds. Public Work’s main objective during night time hours will be to clear the Right of Ways of major debris, clear city debris from private property and to make the affected areas safe.

Staff has met to prepare for this event as follows: Continue reading→

SAPD DUI checkpoint set for Nov. 26, at 2100 S. Main St., in Santa Ana

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Bars, Crime, Public Safety, Santa Ana 5 Comments

SANTA ANA POLICE TO STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, November 26th, 2011. It will begin at 7:30 PM and is scheduled to conclude at 1:30AM. It will be conducted in the area of 2100 S. Main Street. Continue reading→