Santa Cruz Police

Traffic Detours - Delays near UCSC UPDATE

2012-03-01T11:30:00.002-08:00

UPDATE - 3:15 PM

UCSC protestors say protest will be over at 7 pm. If so, we will re-open roads and end detours soon after that time. More info at ucsc.edu/advisory

11:00 AM Traffic detours are now in place near UCSC. Drivers can expect detours at the following locations:

High/Cardiff
Bay/Meder
Western/Empire Grade

We expect traffic delays in area around campus throughout the day. Updates can be found on the UCSC website by clicking here.

Traffic Advisory - UCSC Protest on March 1st

2012-02-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

We wanted to alert residents to possible traffic delays throughout the western portion of the city tomorrow (March 1st) due to a planned protest at UCSC. The University has put together a website for updates - you can click here to view it. The protest is expected to last throughout the day - we will provide updates when possible via our Nixle alert system. The delays will most likely impact the areas closest to campus and feeder streets to campus.

Arrest Made in Westside Tire Slashing/Vandalism Cases!

2012-02-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

On February 27, 2012 the Santa Cruz Police Department Property Crimes Unit, with the assistance of the Santa Cruz District Attorney’s Office, obtained a felony arrest warrant for Daniel O’Reilly. The $100,000 arrest warrant is for felony vandalism and was brought about from DNA obtained at the scene. Santa Cruz Police Investigators had submitted DNA from the scene to state DOJ for analysis and obtained a match to Mr. O’Reilly.

On February 24, 2011, Daniel O’Reilly was arrested on multiple charges, including felony possession of a dangerous weapon, by the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office. This arrest was unrelated to our case. Santa Cruz Police Investigators learned of his arrest and interviewed Mr. O’Reilly at the County Jail. He was subsequently arrested on our cases for felony vandalism the warrant.

SCPD Most Wanted: Week of February 27

2012-02-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of February 27

Suspect: Mark Garroway

Description: 35 years old, 5’ 11” 175 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes.

Santa Cruz City Resident

Mark Garroway is currently wanted on one outstanding warrant for Domestic Violence and his failure to appear in court for the case.If you know where Mr. Garroway is, please contact SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip via our iPhone app or website.

Minor Decoy/Underage Drinking Operation

2012-02-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Santa Cruz Police Department ran a minor decoy/underage drinking operation. Specifically, the department used a minor to ask people to purchase alcohol. In all, 67 people were asked by the decoy (the decoy went to five separate alcohol establishments) and four ended up purchasing alcohol for the decoy. All were cited. In addition, one individual was cited for having an open alcoholic container in public. The department receives funding from a state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) grant for these operations.

Please Help us ID These Two Suspects UPDATE - ARREST

2012-02-21T13:04:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: Thank you to those that have submitted tips in this case. Police have identified one of the women as Nicole Puchi of Watsonville. Ms. Puchi turned herself in on Friday afternoon. Officers are still working to identify the others that were involved.

ORIGINAL: The two women in the photos below used a stolen credit card at a few stores in Santa Cruz and one in Capitola. If you know who they are please contact Santa Cruz Police Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip on our website or iPhone app.

SCPD Most Wanted: Week of February 20th

2012-02-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of February 20th

Suspect: Justin Schenk

Description: 23 years-old, 5’ 8” 145 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes.

Santa Cruz City resident.

Justin Schenk is currently wanted on one outstanding warrant for Driving a Motor Vehicle while intoxicated (DUI), which was a result of a DUI accident in March, 201. He failed to appear in court. If you know where Mr. Schenk is, please call SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip on our website or iPhone app.

Learn More About the Online Police Reporting System

2012-02-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the Santa Cruz Police Department has an online reporting system?

The Coplogic system is designed to simplify the process of making a report for crimes occurring within the city limits. You can make a report from any computer that has Internet access at a time that is most convenient for you. With the online reporting system, you don’t have to call dispatch, explain your reason for calling, or wait for an officer to call you or respond to your location to take the report. For certain crime reports, you can enter the information yourself and get a crime report number quickly and easily. You can even print a copy of your police report from your computer.

Last year, the online system processed 1,859 reports saving an estimated $75,000 in personnel costs.

The Coplogic system accepts crime reports for Petty and Grand Theft, Auto Burglary, Vandalism, Vehicle Tampering, Harassing Phone Calls, Hit and Run reports with no suspect information, and Identity Theft. You can even submit digital images along with your report.

The online reporting system is only right for you if you are not reporting an emergency, the crime occurred within the city limits of Santa Cruz, there are no known suspects and you have a valid email address to receive a copy of the report.

If all of those factors are present, try the easy-to-follow instructions on the Santa Cruz Police Department website and make your report from the convenience of your keyboard.

Mobile Fingerprint Identification - What Is It And How Is It Used?

2012-02-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Mobile Fingerprint Identification pilot project has been in use by the Santa Cruz Police Department since the fall of 2010. The project is part of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System administered through the Sheriff’s Office. The system allows officers to access local fingerprint records to confirm or verify identity. So far, the system has helped to identify a number of individuals who have attempted to give false identification to officers. In the last 6 months, officers have used the device 48 times and returned 26 hits on individuals. Those persons usually have active warrants or parole and probation conditions they are trying to conceal. The ability to quickly identify individuals in the field is incredibly valuable to officers. With an increase in active parolees and probationers out of custody with AB 109 realignment, this tool is increasingly important.

The mobile unit is used by officers to take a fingerprint at the scene. The information is transmitted back to a server, via a secure cellular line. The server then compares the fingerprint to existing files for an identification of the person. The return includes a mugshot and identification information on the person fingerprinted. The returns usually take 1 minute or less.

The cost of the unit and cellular line are being paid by funds administered through the Remote Access Network Committee, established through SB 720. These funds are paid via a $1 vehicle registration fee. Future development will include access to statewide and Federal fingerprint databases.

Buyers Beware: Underage Alcohol Stings

2012-02-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Buyers Beware:

If you are approached outside a store by an underage person asking you to purchase alcohol for them…Beware! It is quite possible that “teen” is working undercover with the Santa Cruz Police Department Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) officer. In addition to refusing the request to buy alcohol, pick up the phone and alert the police to this activity. If it is not our decoy, we want to know about it!

Underage drinking is a significant problem in many communities. Preventing underage access to alcohol is a major goal of the police department’s ABC program. The Santa Cruz Police Department recently received a grant from the State that will pay for additional officer time to conduct compliance checks of alcohol sellers, and conduct stings such as the minor decoy. Individuals caught providing alcohol to minors face a citation or jail for a misdemeanor offense.

Fines are steep starting out with a $200 base fine and additional penalty assessments topping the $600 mark. Over the past week, three individuals were caught up in the sting and cited for providing alcohol to a minor.

We’re asking everyone to do their part and help us keep alcohol out of underage hands.

SCPD Most Wanted: Week of February 14th

2012-02-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of February 14th

Suspect: Priscilla Lynn Mendez

Description: Age: 25 years old, 5’ 8” 145 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes.

Santa Cruz City resident.

Note: Priscilla Lynn Mendez is currently wanted on five outstanding warrants, 2 felonies and 3 misdemeanors, which were a result of an arrest in November, 2011 for multiple drug charges and ultimately her failure to appear in court. If you know where Ms. Mendez is, please contact SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip via our website or iPhone app.

Police Officer Eric Coffey Completes Field Training Program

2012-02-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Lt. Bernie Escalante, head of the department's Field Training Program, wrote about a recent graduate from the program. Here is what Lt. Escalante had to say:

In late January, Police Officer Eric Coffey completed his four-month Field Training Program. P.O. Coffey is now patrolling the City of Santa Cruz as a solo beat officer.

The Field Training Program is established as an in-house training program for trainees that have graduated from the Police Academy. These trainees still need to show their ability to apply what they have learned in the classroom to the field. The program is at least four months long and is broken down into four different phases.

Daily observation reports are completed on the trainees. These reports grade their ability to perform as a solo beat officer in Santa Cruz. During the program the trainee completes twelve written exams and numerous skills tests. The focus on the program is two-fold: to be educational but also simulate the real world stresses and decision making that are part of working in law enforcement. Police trainees are evaluated by a minimum of four different Field Training Officers throughout the program. The Field Training Officers put in countless hours and a tremendous amount of patience, trying to teach each trainee and make them as safe and successful as possible.

Although P.O. Coffey has successfully completed the Field Training Program, his work is not done. As part of his probationary period (12 months from start date) he will now be required to complete a Neighborhood Portfolio Exercise. This exercise teaches the officers to find a problem within the city and find resolutions to the problem by utilizing their resources. This exercise instills problem solving and community-oriented policing philosophies into the officers. PO Coffey will present his exercise to members of the command staff of the Police Department, members of the city council, city manager’s office, and members of the community.

Lastly, P.O. Coffey will be required to complete an oral board prior to his release from his probationary period. The oral board consists of members of the Field Training Program such as, the Field Training Commander, Sergeant, and Officers. This is a high stress exercise to judge the officers skills that include decision making ability, judgment, knowledge of the law and department policies and procedures.

As you can see this is a difficult and comprehensive process - P.O. Coffey is to be commended for completing the key phase of the Field Training Program.

Get to Know Your Neighborhood Group: Lower Seabright Neighbors

2012-02-09T06:38:00.003-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department values its relationships with local neighborhood organizations. Today we wanted to feature another local neighborhood - the Lower Seabright Neighbors.

Santa Cruz Police: When were you founded?

Lower Seabright Neighbors: We have been in existence for approximately 12 years.

Santa Cruz Police: What is the general area covered by your group?

Lower Seabright Neighbors: Our designated area is from the corner of Pine and Seabright to East Cliff - along the rail road tracks, then down Buena Vista to Pine/Seabright. We cover a relatively small territory.

Santa Cruz Police: What are some of your neighborhood’s accomplishments?

Lower Seabright Neighbors: We have been successful with eliminating the campsites along the railroad tracks. Any new people are reported to the Parks and Recreation Department, who help clear them out. Another focus has been our attempt to tidy up our curbsides and alley-ways. We have worked with owner-occupied and absentee landlords/ladies on alley debris, garbage collection of orphaned cans and proper storage. We "haunt" the street sweeper when we hear him coming on Friday mornings, and quickly move our cars to get the most out of the sweeper's visit. We figure that if we have a pleasant curb-side appeal, then we convey the message: "We care and we keep an eye on our neighborhood". We are really good at coming together when needed; we look out for each other and we love our City sponsored Block Parties!

Santa Cruz Police: Have you partnered at all with our department?

Lower Seabright Neighbors: Over the years our group has had a lot of interactions with the police. There have been peeping toms, rapes, problem patrons from the many bars, the impact of 4th of July fireworks, a series of burglaries, and fireworks going off at random times throughout the year. The police have had meetings us and together we have created a calmer neighborhood. Whenever we have a heightened criminal situation and have requested extra police patrol we have noticed there has been a response to the extra need with police cars driving through our streets-- which calms us and makes criminals nervous.

Santa Cruz Police: What things you would like to see improved?

Lower Seabright Neighbors: There are a lot of great City Service resources available to the neighborhoods unfortunately they don't get enough attention. Maybe there is a way to highlight them more? In our neighborhood we have a lot of absentee house owners; it would be great to have multi-layered outreach to point out that they are a part of our neighborhood even though they don't live here.

Santa Cruz Police: How people can get involved with your group?

Lower Seabright Neighbors: To become a member of our group, send a request to: lower_seabright@googlegroups.com - Get to know your neighbors, take time to schmooze!

How Do you Access Reports of Criminal Investigations?

2012-02-08T06:34:00.002-08:00

Do you need a copy of a police report? Trying to understand what information you may, or may not, obtain can be confusing and frustrating. The Santa Cruz Police Department Records Section put together this helpful primer to answer your questions.

Access to Reports of Criminal Investigations

Police reports are public records. Anybody should be able to get a copy, right?

Under the California Public Records Act, reports of law enforcement investigations are exempt from public disclosure. Disclosure of specific information contained within the report is required only to specific persons, such as crime victims and their representatives.

If the report can be released to me, can I come to your lobby and get the report while I wait?

It depends on the nature, length and content of the report. Your request may be completed by front desk personnel while you wait or it may require time for review by a detective, the prosecuting attorney and/or the city attorney.

Portions of my report copy have been blacked-out. Why is this?

The CPRA and other laws may permit, or even require, the withholding of those parts of the report that contain certain types of information if the release of the information would:

· jeopardize the successful completion of the investigation, including prosecution

· cause harm to a person involved

· reveal medical information protected under HIPAA

· reveal the identity of juveniles involved

· reveal the identity of a suspect who has neither been arrested nor cited

· etc.

What if I’m not entitled to access the report but it contains information that I need?

We may have other public records that could provide the information you need. Sharing a bit of information about your purpose, though not required, can be very helpful for us in identifying other public records that will fulfill your needs.

Santa Cruz Police Partners with Hope Services

2012-02-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department Community Services Unit, and officer Brian Warren, teamed with Hope Services to create a public safety announcement. You can watch the video below:

Emergency Services Unit Completes Four Operations in January

2012-02-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Lt. Bernie Escalante, the team leader of the Emergency Services Unit (ESU), put together an overview of the team's January operations.

During January, the Santa Cruz Police Department ESU Tactical Team participated in four separate operations. These operations showed the continued need for an in-house specially trained and equipped tactical team.

Within the same day the team served search warrants at two different locations within Santa Cruz. These two search warrants were for gang related indicia. The search warrants were based on a criminal investigation involving two gang members who were seen on video footage challenging people to fight, displaying hand gestures representing their gang, and distributing marijuana to a juvenile. Significant gang indicia was located at both of these locations providing the team with key gang intelligence.

In the third operation, the unit served a narcotics-related search warrant in Santa Cruz. This location has a history of weapons, video surveillance and other protective measures. This search warrant required extensive preparation. The search warrant was based off of a lengthy narcotics investigation completed by the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team. The search warrant was for methamphetamine and the sales of methamphetamine. A moderate amount of methamphetamine was found at the location. In addition, the team located several fake guns at the location. In all, three suspects went to jail.

In the last operation the team was called upon to resolve a barricaded subject wanted for felony domestic violence on his pregnant girlfriend. After several attempts to negotiate with the barricaded male suspect inside his motor home, the Tactical Team was able to breach several windows on the motor home and make contact with the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody after a brief struggle with officers.

All four of these operations were a representation of the excellent skills and tools that the Tactical Team operates with. You can learn more about the ESU team by clicking here.

Can You Help us ID These People? UPDATE

2012-02-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Thanks to your tips the woman in the green jacket has turned herself in to detectives. Investigators are working today to obtain more information about the cases.

The woman in the green jacket used a stolen credit card from a residential burglary in Santa Cruz. The woman in the black jacket accompanied her at the store. We are asking for your help in identifying either of these people.

If you recognize them, please call Santa Cruz Police Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip via our iPhone app or website.

Thank you!

Get to Know Your Neighborhood: Garfield Neighbors

2012-02-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department works closely with neighborhood organizations to ensure open lines of communication with our residents. We reached out to one such group, the Garfield Neighbors, to learn more about them. We hope this will be the first in a series of getting to know your local neighborhood organizations so you can become involved.

Santa Cruz Police: Tell us a little about Garfield Neighbors

Garfield Neighbors: Garfield Neighbors is comprised of highly engaged residents who live near Garfield Park and are dedicated to improving neighborhood safety. We’re a results oriented organization and as we’ve built a track record of achievement our membership has grown. Today over 225 unique households are members. As the group’s administrator, I work with a steering committee that helps prioritize which issues get our focus. Weekly newsletters summarize criminal activity reported over the three most recent weeks and other public safety-related items specific to our neighborhood. The information is culled CrimeMapping.com, the SCPD’s Media Release Log, the SCPD’s Press Releases, The Sentinel, and feedback/suggestions contributed by our members. Throughout the week neighbors can post information on our Facebook page to make others aware of suspicious behavior.

Santa Cruz Police: What is the general area covered by the organization?

Garfield Neighbors: Most of our focus is on Garfield Park, The Circles, and The Almar Shopping Center. However, our weekly newsletters touch on public safety issues in the geographic area bordered by Mission Street, West Cliff Drive, Swift Street, and Bay St.

Santa Cruz Police: What accomplishments have you seen?

Garfield Neighbors: We have significantly reduced illegal camping and drug activity in our neighborhood. We’ve also convinced Safeway to be aggressive in addressing criminal behavior on their property. In January of 2012, 55% of police reports filed in our neighborhood originated from The Almar Shopping Center.

4) Santa Cruz Police: What partnerships have you built with SCPD?

Garfield Neighbors: We are very thankful for the outstanding support Garfield Neighbors receives from the Santa Cruz Police Department. We work closely with Lt. Colleen McMahon, Officer Ken Deeg, and Deputy Chief Steve Clark. Along with the rest of the department, they’ve helped make our neighborhood a better place to live.

5) Santa Cruz Police: What things would you like to see improved?

Garfield Neighbors: Recycle theft is emerging as a significant concern. Thieves used to pilfer though garbage and recycle barrels on trash day, but increasingly they are entering side yards any day of the week.

6) Santa Cruz Police: How can people get involved?

Garfield Neighbors Just send us an e-mail at GarfieldNeighbors@gmail.com.

Community Services Proving Child ID and Fingerprinting Today

2012-01-31T10:01:00.000-08:00

The Community Services Section, headed by Sgt. Mike Harms and Officer Joe Hernandez, are in Harvey West Park today at the Kids Cottage doing child ID and fingerprinting today starting at 10:00 am. The public is welcome to go down for the kits or to contact Sgt. Harms at 420.5873 to set up an event at their school or other location.

PRIDE Program Begins Another Year

2012-01-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

Class four of the PRIDE program has begun. The PRIDE Program (Personally Responsible Individual Development in Ethics) is overseen by Sgt. Mike Harms and Officer Joe Hernandez of the department's Community Services Section.

Working in conjunction with Santa Cruz City Schools and the County Office of Education, the program is a multi-faceted approach to early gang prevention for local intermediate school-aged kids.

The nine-week program is designed to educate, mentor and guide troubled youth in the decision-making process. Through guest speakers, trips and activities, participants will focus on positive and negative impacts of decision making. For example, during the course on bad decision making, participants may hear from former gang members, drug users and gang investigators. They will tour a state prison, police department and even a local morgue.

The second part of the program focuses on positive decision making. Speakers in this section will highlight successes as a result of avoiding gangs and drugs. These speakers will include successful sports players, business people, police officers, elected officials, educators and others. Upon completion of the program the teens will participate in a formal graduation with local police officials, family and friends.

The program is modeled after a successful program in Southern California that has shown participants to improve school test scores, graduation rates, engage in less violent or negative behavior and avoid gang/drug use.

For more information you can contact Sgt. Mike Harms at 420.5873

French Science Magazine to Highlight SCPD

2012-01-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

The French Science Magazine "Sciences et Avenir" will be in Santa Cruz today and tomorrow to meet with the Santa Cruz Police Department and Dr. George Mohler regarding the predictive policing program. The magazine will meet Crime Analyst Zach Friend, Lt. Bernie Escalante and Deputy Chief Steve Clark to view the program. There has been interest from law enforcement agencies in France to implement predictive policing. The magazine will also be reaching out to LAPD regarding their current test of the program. The magazine will be highlighting the department and program in a few months.

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of January 24

2012-01-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of January 24

Suspect: Justin Paul Gorman

Description: 28 years old, 5’ 7” 145 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes.

Santa Cruz City resident.

Justin Paul Gorman is currently wanted on two outstanding warrants: felony possession of a controlled substance and possession for sales. Both are a result of an arrest in October, 2011 and his failure to appear in court. If you know where Mr. Gorman is please contact SCPD Investigations 831.420.5820 or leave a tip on our website or iPhone app.

A Tribute to Michael Tomasi

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Michael Tomasi

(Photo courtesy of Maria Grusauskas - Santa Cruz Patch)

Michael Tomasi was a Vietnam Veteran who served in the United States Army. He regularly attended Santa Cruz City Council meetings and could be found frequently sitting on the steps in front of the Santa Cruz Police Department. When police department employees drove past the front of police headquarters, it was not uncommon for Mike to stand at attention and give a salute of respect. Many from the police department returned the salute, showing their respect for Mike. The Santa Cruz Police Department and its employees considered Mike a friend, as did others at City Hall. Mike was hospitalized in early December after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. On Monday January 16^th, Mike passed away at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Palo Alto after a courageous, six-week battle for his life. Mike was 63 years old.

Mike was known for his often-colorful speeches that he gave regularly during public comment and oral communications at Santa Cruz City Council meetings. Mike both complimented and criticized when he spoke before Council, often in the same sentence. He began nearly every speech with his familiar introduction of himself, “I’m Mike Tomasi, A-Battery, 6^th Battalion, 14^th Artillery, a walkin’ talkin’ miracle from Vietnam, the greatest forward observer in the history of the United States and a real live hero. I hold my hand up for freedom. Within this freedom, the Constitution of the United States and all twenty-seven of it’s amendments. And if we don’t stand up for our rights, we will fall never to get up again. I close my fist for compassion, understanding and evaluating what’s happening around me. And last but not least, I come to you with no bombs and no guns. The only thing I come to you with is the truth and all the love I can throw at you.”

Mike had the good fortune of receiving visits by several Santa Cruz City employees during his hospital stay, including Chief Kevin Vogel, Deputy Chief Rick Martinez, Principal Management Analyst Zach Friend, Sgt. Jack McPhillips, Councilmember Lynn Robinson, Administrative Assistant to the City Manager Suzanne Haberman and Joe Hall from Economic Development and Redevelopment. The police department would like to extend a sincere thank you to Lynn Robinson and Suzanne Haberman for the unwavering friendship and support they provided to Mike.

Mike brought a unique personality and character to our community that we will never forget. He was buried at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella on Friday January 20^th. Thanks to Lynn Robinson and community member Michael Bethke, Mike was buried with his beloved “Vietnam Veteran” hat that he was seen wearing regularly. Lynn Robinson and Michael Bethke delivered Mike’s hat to the funeral home this past Thursday.

Crime Stats Recap: DUIs in 2011

2012-01-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

Over the last two weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department looked at crime data from 2011. We took a look at party/noise calls, bike thefts, injury accidents, violent crime, stolen cars and downtown arrest stats. Today we will conclude with a look at DUI arrests in 2011. The following provides an overview of DUI arrests (it is not a complete list as some charges aren't captured in this list - but this provides a baseline number of DUI arrests).

2011: 165
2010: 166
2009: 199

Battle of the Badges Blood Drive - Results!

2012-01-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone that participated in the first Battle of the Badges Red Cross Blood Drive. The Santa Cruz Police Department and Santa Cruz Fire Department battled to donate blood to the Red Cross.

Sgt. Mike Harms, who oversaw the program for the department, noted it was a great success with Red Cross reps and volunteers stating it was one of their better drives. So what were the results?

The goal of the blood drive was 40 units of blood. Combined, the Police and Fire Departments (and public safety supporters) collected 46 units of blood!

It pains us at the Police Department to say that the Fire Department won the “battle” with 22 units while Police Department came in with 21. The remaining 3 donors did not state who recruited them - so we can all easily assume the police recruited them! Regardless, it was a positive event and we look forward making this an annual partnership. Congrats to the Fire Department!

SCPD's Predictive Policing Featured on KQED

2012-01-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

KQED did a feature story on the department's predictive policing program. You can click here to listen to here. Their write up about the program is below:

The city of Santa Cruz has pioneered an innovative policing tool. Predictive policing uses a sophisticated computer model to analyze crimes and anticipate where they may happen next. We talk to two of the developers of the tool and to a crime analyst with the Santa Cruz Police Department about the promise of predictive policing, and other mathematical approaches to identifying crime hot spots.
Host: Michael Krasny

Guests:

George Tita, associate professor of criminology, law and society at UC Irvine, director of the Masters in Public Policy Program, and member of the Mathematical Simulation Modeling of Crime Project
Jeff Brantingham, professor of anthropology at UCLA and member of the Mathematical and Simulation Modeling of Crime Project
Zach Friend, crime analyst for the Santa Cruz Police Department

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of January 17

2012-01-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of January 17

Suspect: Jennifer Rae Harris

Description: 41 years old, 5’ 5” 150 pounds, red hair and hazel eyes.

Santa Cruz City resident.

Jennifer Rae Harris is currently wanted on two outstanding warrants, felony grand theft and possession of stolen property, which were a result on an arrest in January, 2007 for the mentioned charge and ultimately her failure to appear in court. If you know Ms. Harris' whereabouts please contact SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip on our website or via our iPhone app.

K-9 Unit Sees Positive Changes Ahead in 2012

2012-01-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

Lt. Larry Richard, Commander of the Santa Cruz Police Department's K-9 Unit took some time to provide an overview of the Unit. Here are his thoughts:

2011 was a year of changes to the Santa Cruz Police Department’s K-9 Unit. We saw the retirement of “Jax” who was a great K-9 partner to Officer Karina Cecena and an asset to the community. We chronicled his long journey to retirement. Since that time, we have added two new K-9’s, “Layko” and “Lobo” to the team. “Layko” is a Belgian Malinois and “Lobo” is a German Shepherd. Their handlers, Officers Jose Garcia and Saul Rodriguez, have been busy training with their partners in many facets of police K-9 handling. In addition to the new K-9’s and handlers, the Unit has introduced a new K-9 Unit Supervisor, Sergeant Warren Barry. Sergeant Barry’s name is familiar in K-9 circles as he was a former handler with SCPD. Sgt. Barry's police K-9 “Dani” passed away in 2011 and was honored by the City Council and Police Department for his service. As a Unit, we look forward to 2012 and introducing our newest K-9’s to the community.

K-9 Commander, Lt Larry Richard

Downtown Arrests: 2011 Recap

2012-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Over the next two weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department will be analyzing crime data from 2011. Last week, we took a look at party/noise calls and bike thefts. This week we've looked at the number of injury accidents in our city, the total amount of Part 1 violent crime incidents stolen/recovered cars in 2011. Today we take a look at downtown arrests. We see that downtown arrest numbers were down 16% from 2010.

These numbers provide a simple indication of crime in the downtown area. The most common arrest in the downtown area is for public intoxication.

2011 -- 1,011
2010 -- 1,210
2009 -- 1,064

SCPD Most Wanted: Week of January 12th

2012-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of January 12th

Suspect: Meisha Galpren

Description: 20 years-old, 5’ 6” 155 pounds, blond hair and blue eyes.

Santa Cruz City resident.

Meisha Galpren is currently wanted on two outstanding warrants, one felony possession of dangerous drugs and one misdemeanor theft, which were a result of an arrest in December. She subsequently failed to appear in court. If you know where Ms. Galpren is, please call SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip on our iPhone app or website.

Stolen Vehicles - How Many Were Recovered? 2011 Recap

2012-01-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department will be analyzing crime data from 2011. Last week, we took a look at party/noise calls and bike thefts. This week we've looked at the number of injury accidents in our city and the total amount of Part 1 violent crime incidents in 2011. Today we take a look at stolen cars. First, how many cars were stolen in Santa Cruz in 2011? Second, we look at how many stolen cars that were recovered. As with all numbers at this stage they are preliminary - but it provides a good look into stats from 2011.

Stolen Vehicles:

2011: 185
2010: 180
2009: 145

Local Stolen Vehicles that We Recovered:

2011: 182 (98%)*
2010: 179 (99%)
2009: 145 (100%)

In addition, we recovered vehicles that were stolen from other areas (not included in these totals).

*This number may increase as it includes cars stolen at the end of December.

Violent Crime Stats: 2011 Recap

2012-01-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department will be analyzing calls-for-service in 2011. Last week, we took a look at party/noise calls and bike thefts. Yesterday, we provided an overview of the number of injury accidents in our jurisdiction. Today, we are taking a look at violent crime data from Part 1 crimes provided in Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). UCR data is provided by all agencies as a comparison tool. It includes crimes against property (like burglary) and crimes against people (such as a robbery). Here are the stats (with a comparison to 2010):

                     2010                  2011             % Change
Homicide         6                       1                    -83%
Rape              31                      24                  -23%
Robbery        120                    113                 -6%
Agg. Assault 396                    343                 -13%

Overall Part 1 Violent Crime Change from 2010-2011 = -13%

You can see more UCR Data on our website by clicking here.

Injury Accident Stats: 2011

2012-01-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department will be analyzing calls-for-service in 2011. Last week, we took a look at party/noise calls and bike thefts. Chief Vogel has made providing open crime data to the community a priority. Today, we pulled numbers on the number of injury accidents in Santa Cruz. These include all documented injuries (minor to major) suffered in accidents in 2011. For comparison, we also pulled numbers on 2009 and 2010.

2011: 222
2010: 205
2009: 212

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: January 5th

2012-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of January 5th

Name: Juan Mendoza Cruz
Wanted For: Carrying a Loaded Firearm, Resisting Arrest, Gang Enhancement
Description: 25 years-old, 5-06, 120, brown hair and brown eyes

Mr. Cruz is a known and documented gang member. In 2010, Mr. Cruz was carrying a concealed and loaded firearm when he was stopped by Santa Cruz Police Department. He resisted arrest and was able to evade police. A warrant was issued for his arrest. He is to be considered armed and dangerous. If you see Mr. Cruz please call 911. You can leave a tip via our iPhone app or on our website.

Bike Theft Stats: 2011

2012-01-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department will be analyzing calls-for-service in 2011. Yesterday we took a look at party/noise calls. Today, we pulled numbers on bike thefts in Santa Cruz. Bike theft is one of the most frustrating crimes in our area (many of us at the PD have personally experienced bike theft). In 2011 we saw an increase in the number of bike thefts in our community (over 1-per-day) from a historic average of .65-.85 per-day.

2011: 396 thefts

Tips For Protecting Your Bike:

Keep the bike locked (even when just running in for a short errand)
When locking your bike use a proper heavy-duty lock and lock the bike correctly
Write down the serial number
Take a photo of the bike to help the community and police find the bike
If stolen, immediately report it (with photo and serial number) to the police
Register/license the bike

2011 Party/Music/Noise Calls Overview

2012-01-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department will be analyzing calls-for-service in 2011. We wanted to open up the data to the community so you can see what types of calls we received during the year. It's important for us to provide you with a transparent look at issues that face our area. Today we are looking at noise calls (which include music and loud/unruly party calls). We broke down the calls by beat (you can click here to see what beat you live in).

Beach: 221

East: 697

Central: 520

D.Town: 278

West: 1,331

TOTAL: 3,047*

*Note that all numbers are preliminary at this point

2011 Online Crime Reporting Overview

2012-01-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

In 2009 the Santa Cruz Police Department launched an online crime reporting feature - a way our community could more conveniently report certain crimes. Over the last few years the program has grown in popularity, both increasing the convenience for residents (as they no longer need to wait for an officer to respond to their report or can do it 24 hours/day without issue) and saved costs for the agency in police response. The online system, which can be seen here, allows residents to make a report in English or Spanish for the following crime types (when no suspect information is known):

Lost Property
Hit and Run
Theft
Vehicle Burglary or Tampering
Vandalism
Identity Theft
Harassing Phone Calls

All of the reports are approved and analyzed by police staff, just like a report written by an officer.

In 2011, over 1,850 reports were filed this way - most commonly for theft, vehicle burglary and minor vandalism. This equates to approximately 15% of all crime reports.

It is estimated that these reports saved the department approximately $75,000 in staff costs (and a few thousand hours of saved time) for officers that would have traveled to the scene for the report or taken time to input the information that residents are inputting. This time can now be dedicated to investigation of these crimes and more physical presence of the officers on the street.

Lastly, it's important to note that some of these crimes wouldn't have been reported at all if it weren't for the online system. Some residents have told us that the convenience of the system encouraged them to report - providing key data for crime analysis to help guide where the department's resources are allocated.

New Year's Eve Information

2011-12-31T11:27:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department is preparing for New Year's Eve and will have additional officers on hand throughout the evening to proactively enforce all laws - especially alcohol-related violations. As has been the case in previous years, there will be some minor road closures and a safety enhancement (triple fine) zone in the downtown area. A map of the road closures and zone can be found here.

The safety enhancement zone is currently in effect and will be until tomorrow (January 1st) at 5:00 am. We encourage everyone to designate a driver for the evening!

Update on Takeover of 75 River Street

2011-12-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

Throughout the past 4-weeks, Santa Cruz Police Department investigators have worked tirelessly to identify those responsible for the takeover and vandalism of the vacant building located at 75 River Street on Wednesday November 30, 2011. Much of the information regarding the identity of those responsible for the illegal entry and takeover was the direct result of information provided to SCPD by concerned community members after viewing photographs of the individuals responsible for participating in this incident.

Thus far, Santa Cruz Police Investigators have identified 13 individuals who are suspected of being responsible for planning, organizing and participating in these unlawful acts. The names and other identifying information for these 13 people have been submitted to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office and arrest warrants have been requested in conjunction with this case. We expect to begin making arrests as soon as the warrants are issued. This is the first wave of names that have been submitted for arrest warrants. As this investigation progresses, we expect to identify additional individuals who are responsible and we intend to hold them accountable for their unlawful actions as well.

The Santa Cruz Police Department would like to thank the community for their assistance in helping identify those responsible for this illegal takeover. We would also like to encourage anyone who has information on the identity or whereabouts of anyone who was involved in this incident to contact Santa Cruz Police Investigations at (831) 420-5820. You may leave an anonymous tip at (831) 420-5995. You may also submit a tip using our iPhone app, or via our website by clicking here.

Sincerely,

Kevin Vogel
Chief of Police

Predictive Policing 5 Month Overview

2011-12-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department is five months into the groundbreaking predictive policing study. We plan a full evaluation, with professors at Santa Clara University and UCLA, in January. But we've done a preliminary look at the first five months of data.

The program predicts hot spot locations based on seven years-worth of historical data. It is updated daily and suggests patrol deployment based on a combination of historic and current data.

So, is it working?

In the first six months of 2011 before we started the project we were on pace to set a record for the number of burglaries in our city. Since we have implemented the program we are now averaging 20% fewer burglaries than in the first six months.

How does this compare to 2010?

Compared with the same 5 months in 2010 we've seen a 11% decline in the number of burglaries. December (the six month of the study) has historically been problematic for burglaries. Vehicle burglaries tend to rise near the holidays (meaning the holidays have a higher than average monthly burglary rate). This was not the case last year but has been the case in 6 of the last 10 years.

We are interested to see if the program can continue to reduce the overall number of burglaries in our city and we will provide the full analysis compiled by the professors (which will hopefully be completed at some point in late January). Chief Kevin Vogel, Deputy Chiefs Rick Martinez and Steve Clark and Crime Analyst Zach Friend will work with Professor George Mohler and Professor Jeff Brantingham on the final analysis.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

From the Santa Cruz Police Family to yours, Happy Holidays!

May 2012 bring you and your family nothing but the best in health, safety and happiness.

All the best-
Kevin

Kevin Vogel
Chief of Police

Know This Suspect? He's Using Stolen Credit Cards

2011-12-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

The person in these photos is suspected of using stolen credit cards at two different gas stations recently. If you know who he is please call Detective Damon Williams at 831.420.5839 or leave a tip on our website or on our iPhone app. Thank you!

SCPD Most Wanted: Week of December 22nd UPDATE: ARRESTED

2011-12-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: On January 3, 2012 Mr. Follett was arrested. Thank you for your help!

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of December 22nd

Name: David Follett
Wanted for: Bank Robbery
Description: 26 years-old, 5-07, 145 lbs., Brown Hair, Hazel Eyes, Resident of Prescott, Arizona

Details: A bank robbery was committed in the City of Santa Cruz on November 17, 2011. Through an exhaustive investigation, Santa Cruz Police Detectives identified David Follett as the suspect in the bank robbery. Detectives obtained a $100,000 warrant for Follett’s arrest. Follett is believed to have fled to Arizona after the robbery.

Help Us Identify This Burglar

2011-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

We need your help in identifying the suspect in these photos. He is wanted for breaking in to a local bike shop.

If you recognize this suspect, please call Detective Damon Williams at 831.420.5839. You can also leave a tip via our website or on our iPhone app.

KSBW Offers Kudos For The Finesse Shown By Police and Sheriff's Deputies

2011-12-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend, KSBW President and General Manager Joseph W. Heston's editorial piece focuses on the manner in which the Santa Cruz Police Department, along with other local law enforcement agencies, handled the Occupy movement in Santa Cruz. The editorial characterized our handling of the Occupy situation in Santa Cruz as a "shining example" when compared to clumsily handled situations in other jurisdictions. KSBW offered, "Kudos for the finesse shown by police and sheriff's deputies for how they handled a potentially ugly situation with Occupiers." We appreciate that KSBW took the time to examine our situation in Santa Cruz and report on it in a thoughtful manner. Please take a few minutes to watch the editorial by clicking here. If you prefer to read the text version of the editorial, please click here.

SCPD/City Schools Jeopardy Challenge Winners!

2011-12-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department joined the final four schools, Gault, Bay View, Westlake and De La Veaga elementary schools in the Jeopardy-style challenge on December 14th at the City Council Chambers. Chief Kevin Vogel, Deputy Chief Rick Martinez and Deputy Chief Steve Clark partnered with Councilmember Ryan Coonerty to judge the challenge. The schools and students did an outstanding job - Lillian Greene from De la Veaga ended up the ultimate challenge winner. Special thanks goes to the Community Services Section including volunteer Patti Whitlock, Sgt. Mike Harms and Officer Joe Hernandez for organizing the event. Here are some photos from the event!

Sounds of SCPD: Holiday Edition

2011-12-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

It's time for the next edition of Sounds of SCPD. This time we are doing holiday music. Now, we walked through the building and actually didn't hear any holiday music so we decided to ask people what their favorite holiday music was. Some didn't want to admit they listened to holiday music - others started showing holiday playlists on their iPods. Here is a sampling...

Chief Kevin Vogel (the classics)

Baby It's Cold Outside - Dinah Shore/Buddy Clark
Cherry, Cherry Christmas - Neil Diamond
Sleigh Ride - Andre Kostelanetz

Deputy Chief Rick Martinez (the 80's mix) -

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) U2
Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC
Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas - Sinatra

Apparently it isn't Christmas unless you have Run DMC in the Martinez household.

Deputy Chief Steve Clark (classic and 80's)

The Music of Christmas - Steven Curtis Chapman
Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Sprinstein
Please Come Home for Christmas - Vonda Shepard

Bonnie Stow - (50's and 80's)

Last Christmas - Wham
Blue Christmas - Elvis

Police Spokesman Zach Friend (80's but timeless)

Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi

It's not Run DMC but it's hard not to have Charlie Brown on during the holidays.

SCPD Most Wanted: Week of December 15th

2011-12-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Department Most Wanted: Week of December 15th

Name: Randolph Howe
Wanted For: Prowling
Description: 52 years-old, 6-00, 170, Brown Hair and Blue Eyes, Santa Cruz Resident

Details: Mr. Howe has a warrant for his arrest for prowling. He failed to comply with terms of his conditional sentence, by not reporting for confinement. If you see Mr. Howe please call 911 for an officer response or call Police Investigations at 420-5820. You can also leave a tip via our iPhone app or on our website.

New Year's Eve Road Closures and Safety Enhancement Zone

2011-12-15T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department is preparing for New Year's Eve and will have additional officers on hand throughout the evening to proactively enforce all laws - especially alcohol-related violations. As has been the case in previous years, there will be some minor road closures and a safety enhancement (triple fine) zone in the downtown area. A map of the road closures and zone can be found here.

The safety enhancement zone will be in effect from December 29th at 5:00 pm - January 1st at 5:00 am. We encourage everyone to designate a driver for the evening!

SCPD Joins with Toyota to Prevent Catalytic Converter Thefts

2011-12-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

Today the Santa Cruz Police Department joined with Toyota of Santa Cruz on a catalytic converter education and theft prevention campaign. Deputy Chief Steve Clark reached out to Toyota after a rash of catalytic converter thefts in our community to see what could be done for customers to prevent thefts. Toyota created a program to help secure the converters for Toyota owners for free through the month of December. In addition, customers can reach out to Toyota of Santa Cruz for information about catalytic converters and ways to protect them from theft. Converters are stolen and then sold to junk and scrap yards for their valuable metals. Here are some photos from today's event:

Battle of the Badges: Red Cross and SCPD and SCFD Blood Drive

2011-12-13T06:16:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department and Santa Cruz Fire Department will be participating in the Battle of the Badges: a blood drive for the Red Cross. Details of the blood drive, in January, are below. All are welcome to join!

BATTLE OF THE BADGES BLOOD DRIVE

Santa Cruz Police vs. Santa Cruz Fire

Depot Park Freight Building - 119 Center Street

Saturday, January 14, 2012 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

To schedule your appointment you can log on to redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code: battlesc
You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS. Identification is required to donate blood.

SCPD Partners with City Elementary Schools on a Jeopardy-Style Challenge

2011-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

Over the past several weeks the Community Services Section of the Santa Cruz Police Department has been hosting a Jeopardy-style game at each of the four Santa Cruz public elementary schools. A champion from each campus has been selected to represent their respective school in a final Jeopardy game scheduled for December 14, 2011 in the Santa Cruz City Council Chambers. Mayor Ryan Coonerty and Chief Kevin Vogel will be co-hosting the event. The finalists will be competing for a small cash prize to be awarded to their school, as well as to earn bragging rights for their schools. All students, teachers, staff, family and friends are invited and encouraged to attend. The program helps build connections between the Santa Cruz Police Department and local schools in an educational and supportive environment. The events have been organized by Sgt. Mike Harms and Officer Joe Hernandez of the Community Services Section.

Jeopardy-Style Challenge with Local City Elementary Schools

December 14, 2011 - 4:00 PM
Santa Cruz City Council Chambers

809 Center Street

Department's iPhone App Nominated for Award

2011-12-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

The Santa Cruz Police Department's iPhone app has been nominated for the 2012 GovFresh award. Here are details from GovFresh:

Every day, tech-minded citizens across the country are doing good by their communities, literally geeking out about how they can help re-define the relationship government has with its citizens, using technology as a democratic tool to collaboratively empower both.
So much is happening in the civic technology community – website redesigns, new websites, open data initiatives, apps, camps, developer contests, and more – it’s hard to get a perspective on or truly appreciate the collective work of these dot-dogooders both inside and outside government.

You can vote for the department's app by clicking here. Thanks!

San Lorenzo Park Benchlands Illegal Encampment Has Ended - Six People Arrested

2011-12-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

On Thursday December 8th, the Santa Cruz Police Department, along with other local law enforcement agencies, arrested six people and ended the illegal encampment at the San Lorenzo Park Benchlands. This action, led by the Santa Cruz Police Department, follows a nuisance abatement order that was issued by the City of Santa Cruz last week. The people responsible for the illegal encampment were given until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday December 7^thto remove themselves and their property from the park. The nuisance abatement order was challenged in Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon by an attorney representing this group. The attorney attempted to seek a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the City from enforcing the nuisance abatement order. On Wednesday afternoon, a Superior Court Judge conducted a hearing on this matter and issued an order denying the application for a temporary restraining order which cleared the way for the nuisance abatement order to take effect as scheduled. As of 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, a number of those participating in the illegal encampment chose to leave the park, however many decided to stay.

This morning at approximately 7:15 a.m., a contingent of 90 police officers and deputies from the Santa Cruz Police Department, Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, UCSC, cities of Watsonville, Capitola, Scotts Valley and State Park Rangers descended upon the San Lorenzo Park Benchlands to clear out the illegal encampment that has existed there for two months. When police arrived, there were a number of people in the park in violation of the nuisance abatement order. The police department gave a series of warnings over a loudspeaker advising people to leave the park immediately. Some people vacated the park, however several remained. After waiting more than 10 minutes, police swept through the park in a slow, deliberate manner. During the sweep, six people were arrested for failing to leave the park and other various charges, including resisting arrest and threatening a police officer. One person was arrested for a felony drug possession warrant. Many of the people who were seen in the park before the sweep were anarchists, such as those responsible for the May Day riot downtown in 2010. Those arrested by the Santa Cruz Police Department include the following individuals:

Gabriella Ripley Phipps

Alfonso Martinez

Patrick Wilhelmy

Amanda Senseman

Christina Foster

Unknown woman who refused to identify herself

Gabriella Ripley Phipps was the lead negotiator with police for the group that took over and occupied the vacant building at 75 River Street last week for three days.

In addition to the six arrests, more than12 tons of trash were removed from the park by City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff.

The Santa Cruz Police Department would like to thank the community for its patience in the manner in which we chose to address the illegal encampment over the past two months. We have watched how other jurisdictions have handled these types of incidents and learned valuable lessons along the way, which we used to our advantage in our strategic planning efforts to address the illegal encampment and occupation of the San Lorenzo Park Benchlands.

Finally, we cannot thank the community enough for their support during this time and their calls of encouragement of how we handled the illegal encampment. I personally share the frustrations of many that this was a completely unacceptable way to garner attention to their vague cause. It is a pleasure to be able to return San Lorenzo Park to this community so that it may be used for its intended purpose, a neighborhood park that creates a safe and inviting environment for everyone to enjoy.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Kevin Vogel

Chief of Police

November Citywide Crime Stats Released

2011-12-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Today we posted the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) information for November. The quick version? Violent crime is down significantly and property crimes are down in two of the four measured categories. UCR data measures the following crime types:

Homicide
Sexual Assault
Robbery
Aggrivated Assault
Burglary
Larceny
Auto Theft
Arson

We've seen a strong uptick in burglaries and larcenies (petty theft) this year. The implementation of the predictive policing program has reduced the total growth in those crimes the last five months. We expect the year to end higher than last year in those two crime types.

Click here for this and other statistical crime reports from our agency.

Additional Photos - Need your Help with Identification

2011-12-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken by local media outlets (Patch and Sentinel). If you can identify any of the individuals please contact SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip via our iPhone app or website.

Help us ID These People from the 75 River Takeover

2011-12-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

We need your help identifying any and all of the people in these photos. The photos were taken by Bradley Stuart. If you can identify someone please contact SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip via our iPhone app or on our website.

We will post additional photos as we collect them. Thank you for your help!

Notice Provided to San Lorenzo Benchland Encampment

2011-12-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

The following notice was provided to those camping in the San Lorenzo Park Benchlands as part of the Occupy Santa Cruz protest. Our department is hopeful that the campers will respect the notice and leave the location peacefully with minimal trash and impact left on the park. The notices were provided last night and will be provided again today.

EVACUATION NOTICE

- On November 30, 2011 the City Parks and Recreation DEPARTMENT Director, Pursuant to Santa Cruz Municipal Code Chapter 4.16, administratively declared the San Lorenzo PARK Benchlands encampment to constitute a public nuisance and authorized abatement of that nuisance.

- Accordingly you are hereby directed to cease and desist all camping activity on THE SAN LORENZO PARK BENCHLANDS PROPERTY ON or before 5:00 p.m. on wEDNESDAY, December 7, 2011 and to thereafter not enter onto THAT property between SUNSET and SUNRISE on any day of the week or to re-establish an encampment on thAT property at any time OF DAY OR NIGHT.

- All persons participating in an encampment on thAT property after the date and time set forth above will be cited or arrested and thereafter prosecuted.

- All camping equipment and personal property left on thAT property after the date and time set forth above will be deemed abandoned. ABANDONED Perishable and unsanitary property will be disposed of immediately. Other ABANDONED property will be taken into custody and held by the Police Department at 155 Center Street. Upon positive proof of ownership, that property may be re-claimed by the owner within ninety (90) days of the Department’s possession of the property. After ninety (90) days, the Department will dispose of the property.

- Please be advised that the Homeless Resource Center’s Winter Shelter Program is now in service. Homeless individuals requiring daily overnight shelter through this program at the National Guard Armory in Delaveaga Park should contact the Homeless Resource Center at 115 Coral Street in Santa Cruz or telephone the Center at (831) 458-6020.

- Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

SCPD Most Wanted: Week of December 5th

2011-12-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of December 5th

Suspect: Patrick McDonald

Description: 26 years old, 5’ 10” 165 pounds, brown hair and green eyes.Santa Cruz City resident.

Note: Patrick McDonald is currently wanted on two outstanding warrants.

Patrick McDonald’s warrants are for possession of dangerous drugs, issued by the California Department of Corrections. He also has a warrant out of county and is a suspect in a Santa Cruz Police Department case.If you see Mr. McDonald, please call 911 for a police response or leave a tip on our iPhone app or website. You can also call Investigations at 420.5820

75 River Street - Takeover Has Ended

2011-12-04T00:33:00.000-08:00

On late Saturday night, after over 72 hours of difficult negotiations, Occupy Santa Cruz ended their takeover of a vacant bank building at 75 River Street. Our goal was to have a peaceful resolution to this illegal and unproductive action and we were successful in that endeavor. Thankfully, the group was able to show the maturity that had been lacking in the first three days of the takeover.

It is our intent to work with the District Attorney's Office to identify those that are responsible and hold them accountable for the trespass. In addition, we will be reviewing the costs associated with the takeover to see if there is any way we can recoup some of the public funds that were spent during the last few days. Clearly, as chief, I would prefer our resources be dedicated to more pressing issues than people that blatantly disregard reason, property rights and common sense. I can't make it clearer that no one has a First Amendment right to break into someone's property, commit acts of felony vandalism and ignore the law. Their actions were senseless and childish and diverted our limited resources. In addition, it placed our officers in needless danger; something that I find completely unbelievable.

We had worked hard to develop a Plan B to protect people and property and were fortunate that we were able to end this through the skilled work of our negotiators. It was difficult, especially given the lack of a central figure in the group to negotiate and their initial greeting of expletives and slurs about police; not exactly the best basis for friendly negotiation. Within hours, they stopped answering phone calls on the cell phone we provided and continually provided us with unreasonable desires and no time horizon for vacating a space they had no right to be in. The sense of entitlement and disregard for the law is appalling. To say the least, it detracts from whatever their initial message was to have such an escalation of action. Some were quoted in media outlets showing their willingness to be arrested and their lack of interest in negotiation. Others were shown harassing the media or police that were there to speak to them. No longer can we trust that their intentions are purely political protest or other reasonably protected First Amendment actions. We witnessed anarchists, like those involved in the May Day riots, openly participating in the initial takeover and saw some quoted that were willing to face any sort of police action in order to defend their "right" to illegal takeover of the building.

We cannot thank the community enough for their support during this time and their calls of encouragement of how we handled the takeover. I personally share the frustrations of many that this was a completely unacceptable and over the top way to garner attention to their vague cause. I plan to continue the conversation about these issues with the community in the coming week.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Kevin Vogel
Chief of Police

Update on Takeover of Vacant Building at 75 River Street

2011-12-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give you an update on the issues we've been facing with the Occupy Santa Cruz takeover of the vacant bank building on River and Water. It's important to me to share information with you on our philosophy regarding the takeover and also let you know some of our concerns for safety.

On Wednesday afternoon, without communication or notice to our agency, a group of approximately 30-40 people took over the vacant bank property at River and Water. Within a short period of time another 150 or so people gathered outside in support of the illegal action. We are extremely concerned over this action and view it as a significant escalation over their activities for the last 6 or so weeks. We've attempted to maintain open communication and dialogue with the Occupy Santa Cruz group and always support one's First Amendment right to peacefully protest. However, you in no way have a First Amendment right to break into a building and squat on private property. We agree with many of you that have contacted us that this is a complete disregard for private property rights and we're deeply troubled by many of their comments that show remarkable entitlement and lack of interest in serious dialogue.

During the evening we attempted, with the limited staff we had on hand, to secure the front door so no additional people would enter the building. We wanted to provide a notice of trespass and start a formal dialogue with those responsible. However, we were met with threats, encouragement from those within the building to those outside to break through our line and a fortification of the entrance. Our officers observed anarchists, such as those that we believe were engaged in the May Day riot downtown, within the agitated crowd. We knew that there would be no way to ensure the safety of our officers or the protesters if we stayed.

Our first interest is in dialogue to end this peacefully. Yesterday we went down there with a cell phone and provided it to Brent Adams, someone that has been in the media as a leader or representative. We are well aware that if we are forced to go in to clear out the building that officers and protestors may be hurt. This is not our interest or intent. But we also will not let them stay in this location. It is completely unacceptable that they are blatantly disregarding the law and we know that the longer this goes on the more confrontational it can become. Please be assured that we are developing contingency plans to protect people and property.

Naturally, no one is really coming forward as responsible for this but the following people (at the bottom of the email) have been speaking on behalf of the group and we'd encourage you to contact them if you have concerns. As always, feel free to reach out to our agency with your concerns or comments and we appreciate your continued support.

Sincerely,

Kevin Vogel
Chief of Police

People that have been speaking on behalf of the group to the media or others:

· Paul Johnston

· Steve Pleich

· Brent Adams

· Desiree Foster

· Gabriella aka: “Wildcat” (no last name given)

· Mindi Lawrence

November Party/Noise Calls

2011-12-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

In November the Santa Cruz Police Department ran 169 calls-for-service associated with parties and loud music/excessive noise in the city. How did those calls break down? Here are the calls by beat:

Beach -- 16
Central -- 30
Downtown -- 19
East -- 38
West -- 66

Not sure where the beats are? Click here for a map.