Santa Cruz Police Welcomes Students and Reminds Residents of Back-To-School Safety

As parents and students get ready to return to school this week, the Santa Cruz Police Department extends a friendly reminder to drivers to follow safety precautions on the roadways. Classes start this Wednesday, August 22nd. Expect hundreds of the City of Santa Cruz youth to be traveling on foot, on bicycles, and in vehicles in the coming weeks.

During this week and next, Santa Cruz police officers are strategically positioned around the City in school zones, to remind residents of the lower speed limits, and to heighten awareness of children on sidewalks.

“We will be visible to remind parents, motorists and everyone in our community that your children’s safety is a priority for us. We will have officers present in the school zones during the morning and afternoon traffic patterns. Our goal is to remind drivers to slow down when children are present and to remember road safety rules,” said Santa Cruz Police Chief Andy Mills.

Chief Mills and officers will be out at our local elementary schools greeting children, and their families as they arrive on the first day. “We want to welcome and celebrate all kids to kick off the new school year. There will be plenty of smiles, high-fives, and words of encouragement as students arrive on campus. Our department values the opportunity engage in positive interactions with our younger citizens," said Chief Mills.

Follow these safety tips to be mindful as the start of the new school year always means more traffic and congestion on city streets.

Before classes start, parents should review the drop-off procedures for their child’s school and be aware of the school’s designated bus and loading/unloading areas. According to the National Safe Routes to School program, more children are hit by cars near schools than any other location.

• No Texting/Talking and Driving! It is never a good idea, and always illegal to use a handheld electronic device while driving

• Plan and Be Patient! Plan to leave earlier than usual to accommodate the extra traffic and be patient with other parents and new drivers.

• Slow Down! School zones speed limits drop to 25 miles per hour

• No Double Parking! This blocks visibility for children and vehicles

• Drop Off/Pick Up on the Same Side of the Street as the School! Don't load or unload children across the street from the school

• Carpool! It reduces the number of vehicles at the school

• Stop for School Buses! It is against the law to pass a school bus when the lights are on

• Yield to Pedestrians! Always stop for children or adults crossing the street and for school patrol officers or crossing guards holding a stop sign 

Traffic Safety Tips for Pacific Avenue Contraflow Bike Lane Drivers, Cyclists & Pedestrians

The City of Santa Cruz Traffic Engineering completed the Pacific Avenue Contraflow Bike Lane. The contraflow bike lane on Pacific Avenue creates a two-way street for bikes, but one-way for motor vehicles.

Today at the ribbon cutting celebration, SCPD Officer Gomez presented the following tips to keep you and other road users safe when you drive, bike or walk. 

Contraflow Lane: Do's and Don’ts for Drivers, Cyclists & Pedestrians available on SCPD YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/pkOKjQ-_lGo
Safety Tips listed below.

BICYCLISTS

• Always ride in the same direction as the bike lane or markings
• Yield to pedestrians.
• Stop at all stop signs.
• Do not block sidewalks.
• Approach intersections cautiously, and assume that turning vehicles do not see you.
• Use lights and reflectors at night to ensure you are visible.
• Choose conspicuously-colored or reflective clothing.
• Before leaving the contra-flow lane, signal and yield to vehicles already in transit.
• Watch out for passengers’ doors.
• Stay on the street. Riding on the sidewalk is illegal in commercial areas.

DRIVERS & PEDESTRIANS
• Expect bicyclists traveling in both directions.
• Do not travel in the green bicycle lane.
• Make sure the lane is clear of bicycle traffic before crossing the lane to enter or exit a parking space
• Drive as if it was a normal two-way street.
• Watch ahead for turning cyclists, and make left turns with care.
• Always use your turn signals. If you don’t signal your turns, bicyclists can’t anticipate them.
• Warn your passengers to check ahead for cyclists before opening car doors.
• When crossing Pacific Avenue on foot use the crosswalks and look for vehicles and bicycles traveling in both directions.
• Do not enter the roadway from between parked cars.
• When entering the roadway, yield to all traffic that is close enough to constitute a hazard.

For more information on the Pacific Avenue Contraflow Bike Lane: 

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Home/Components/News/News/5514/36

SCPD Back to School Safety Tips

Santa Cruz City Schools start this week and that means more cars, bicyclists and pedestrians will be on the streets and sidewalks. To prepare for the busy school commute, here are a few SCPD Back to School Safety Tips and Reminders.

 

The new school year can create traffic congestion on the roadways, so please plan ahead. Leave your home earlier than normal to allow enough time to reach your destination without rushing.  Let’s all do our part to help keep our children safe. It is everyone’s responsibility to know the rules of the road whether walking, bicycling, skating or driving.

School zones are designated 25 mph and it is important that everyone takes extra care

when driving in or near one. SCPD will have additional enforcement patrols around schools during the opening weeks of the school year.

SCPD Reminders for Motorists:
· Slow down. Observe the speed limit in school zones at all times. At Stop signs, drivers must come to a complete STOP and proceed with caution. Be especially careful when driving on neighborhood streets and around school zones.

· Be aware of “no parking” signs, red zones, fire hydrants, blocking or stopping in disabled stalls, crosswalks, driveways and double parking.
· Be alert for children walking and biking as you back out of your driveway or leave your garage.

· Watch for children on bicycles, especially at intersections.

· Stop your car when you see lights flashing on a school bus. Red flashing lights indicate that the bus is stopped and students are getting on or off. Be aware that a child may dash across the street.

SCPD Safety Tips for Pedestrians:
· Always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk and you have to walk in the road, always walk FACING traffic.
· Cross only at corners or marked crosswalks.
· Stop at the curb, or the edge of the road.
· Walk in groups, there is safety in numbers. Groups are more likely to be seen by drivers.
· Before crossing the street, stop and look left, then right, then left again. When vehicles are stopped, make eye contact with the driver to insure they know you are there before proceeding.
· If you see a car, wait until it goes by. Then look left, right and left again until traffic is clear and it is safe to cross.

SCPD Safety Tips for Bicyclists: 

· Wear a helmet.
· Be sure to have reflectors on your pedals, frame, and wheels.
· Be Seen and Be Aware of your surroundings
· Follow the Rules of the Road
- Ride on the right, with the traffic, in single file. Obey stop signs and traffic lights. Never cross a street without looking for cars. Give the right of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks. When crossing the street, children should get off and walk their bikes using the marked crosswalk.

SCPD also encourages parents to share this message with their children. If approached or called out to by a stranger, they should run to a safe place, and tell a trusted adult.

Children should be encouraged to report suspicious behavior, or any behavior in which they feel uncomfortable or confused, to a trusted adult caregiver such as a parent, guardian, teacher, nurse or police officer.

Safe Routes to School information 

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/departments/public-works/traffic-and-parking/bicycle-pedestrian-facilities-and-programs/safe-routes-to-school

To Fight Back or Not During an Attack? Our Thoughts...

The question is often posed to the police department, “Do you recommend people fight back during an attack?”  This is a complex question that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” response.  

This morning's edition of The Sentinel had a line in their article that indicated "police" do not recommend people fight back.  While the comment was not specifically attributed to Santa Cruz PD, in light of the comment in the article and the circumstances of yesterday’s attack, we wanted to make our position clear on this matter.   

Here are our thoughts on this question:

The decision to fight back or not is a deeply personal one that can only be made by the person experiencing the attack.  There is not one universal answer for all people in all situations.  Each person has a different comfort level with their own capabilities to resist or survive an attack.  Each set of circumstances is different and poses unique challenges. We do recommend prioritizing your decision in this way:

1. Survive the attack.  Above all, do what you have to do to survive, and minimize harm to yourself
2. Escape harm.  Get yourself out of harms-way as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
3. Observe.  Finally, be a good witness.  Give the police the information they need to identify a suspect and put together a good case for prosecution. 

 When considering whether to “fight back” consider these points:

• What are the risks and potential harm of fighting versus the risk and harm of cooperating?  
• What are your capabilities and comfort with your fighting skills?  What are you prepared to do?
• What are the suspect’s capabilities?  Are you overpowered or outnumbered? Are they armed or could they disarm you? 

These are decisions that only the person involved in the attack, in the moment can make.  While we wish no one had to experience an attack, the fact is, there are people out there intent on doing harm in our community.  We encourage you to think about these points and consider what you would do if you found yourself in this situation. 

 

Know that the men and women of the Santa Cruz Police Department are working tirelessly to keep our community safe and to solve the crimes that have occurred.

As always, feel free to ask us questions and seek clarification on these matters.  Stay Safe!