A Look at April Traffic Stats

As April comes to a close we wanted to give you a look into some traffic information. The data below is valid through Sunday the 29th. Here are some citation stats:

Speeding citations: 58
Failure to obey sign/signal: 23
Failure to stop at stop sign: 24
Wrong way/one way: 2

Here are some stats associated with traffic collisions:

42 total traffic collisions - 8 were collisions with injuries.

Each month we try to look at various stats and present them to the community - in the past we've shown bike theft stats, party/noise stats, calls and arrests downtown and more.

Citizen's Police Academy Photos

Courtesy of Brad Kava - Patch.com. Chief Kevin Vogel and Deputy Chief Steve Clark played the "bad guys" for the class. This was a high-risk car stop where one of the occupants was armed.

Most Wanted: Week of April 26

Santa Cruz Police Department Most Wanted: Week of April 26

Name: Michael Donohue
Description: 55 years-old, 5-11, 160, blond hair and blue eyes

 Details: Mr. Donohue is a convicted sex offender but has not registered since 2005. He has an outstanding warrant for his arrest. If you know where Mr. Donohue is, please call 831.420.5820 or 911.

Shoulder Tap - Alcohol to Minors - Operation

On April 24, 2012 between 5:00-10:00 pm, Santa Cruz Police Department alcohol unit officers and state Alcoholic Beverage Control officers participated in a shoulder tap alcohol enforcement operation. A minor decoy stood outside of eight businesses that sell alcohol and tried to get adults to purchase alcohol. In all, sixty-five patrons were approached by the decoy and four people were cited for purchasing alcohol. One additional subject was arrested for public intoxication and for theft of the money provided to him by the minor decoy.  

The arrestee, Michael Robinson, a 42 year-old Santa Cruz resident, had agreed to purchase alcohol for the decoy. However, he instead left the store (in the 600 block of Front Street) without purchasing the alcohol or returning the money to the decoy. He was stopped in the store’s parking lot (near the river levee) by Santa Cruz Police Department officers and arrested for petty theft (of the money) and public intoxication. The money was recovered.

Funding for these operations comes from a state ABC grant.

Help us Locate this Suspect

Santa Cruz Police are looking for Jose Palafox in conjunction with a stolen vehicle and evading arrest case from Friday evening. You can read more about the case here. If you have seen Mr. Palafox, please call SCPD Investigations at 831.420.5820 or 911 for an officer response.

Jose Palafox 

Santa Cruz Police Announces Release of Android App

Building on last year’s award-winning release of the first consumer-focused iPhone app in the country, the Santa Cruz Police Department developed an expanded mobile app for the Droid system. Working with the same team of UC Santa Cruz graduates that developed the iPhone app, who have now founded a company focused on police apps called mobilePD, the department built a free mobile application that is available via Google Play (the old Google Marketplace). 

The improvements made to the Droid app include changes to the scanner feed and the addition of Facebook and Twitter - all will be available soon as an update to the iPhone app. Nearly 10,000 local residents have downloaded the iPhone app.  "We are proud to be recognized for creating a statewide model for enhancing communications and facilitating transparency,” mobilePD CEO Kushyar Kasraie said. “We believe technology can play a significant role in building stronger communities."

The mobile app will provide access to the police department's scanner feed, online crime maps, videos, photos, Facebook, Twitter and departmental blog. In addition, consumers will be able to submit crime tips from their mobile phone and view Nixle alerts.

• Tips: Provide crime tips right from your mobile phone
• Maps: View real-time crime maps of activity occurring in your community
• News: Get the latest news written directly by the Chief, department officers and staff
• Video: Watch videos from our SCPD YouTube channel
• Photos: View SCPD's most wanted and browse through albums of images from recent police  events
• Alerts: View trusted, instant alerts directly from Santa Cruz Police (integrated with Nixle)
• Scanner: Wondering why the police are in your neighborhood? The live scanner feed will tell you 
• Social Media: View our Facebook and Twitter feed

Late last year the Santa Cruz Police Department won the Helen Putnam Award of Excellence from the League of California Cities for the iPhone app. The award was for technological innovations and the department was the only law enforcement agency in the state to be selected. The development of the app comes on the heels of other Santa Cruz Police web-based systems including Nixle, online crime reporting and the crime mapping service.

Santa Cruz Police Conduct Shoulder Tap Operation

On the evening of April 17^th, Santa Cruz Police Department alcohol unit officers participated in a shoulder tap and general alcohol enforcement operation. A minor decoy stood outside of five businesses that sell alcohol and tried to get adults to purchase alcohol. In all, three people were cited for purchasing alcohol for minors.  One was of the cited adults, was also arrested for an outstanding felony narcotics warrant out of Los Angeles County.

Funding for these operations comes from a state ABC grant.

Most Wanted: Week of April 18

Name:             Caitlin Reisinger
Wanted For:    Felony warrant for theft 
Description:     22 years-old, 5’ 5”, 120 lbs, brown hair and hazel eyes. 

                               

Caitlin Reisinger is currently wanted for a felony arrest warrant for theft by use of stolen credit card numbers.  Her current whereabouts is unknown; however she frequents Santa Cruz and the Bay Area.  Reisinger is known to color her hair and she wears wigs to conceal her Mohawk style hair cut.  If you see Ms. Reisinger or know her whereabouts, please call 911.  You may also leave a tip by calling (831) 420-5995, or via the SCPD iPhone app or website.  

                        

Identity Theft Warning

Over this past weekend, the Santa Cruz Police Department has seen an exponential increase in reported fraudulent credit card transactions. The Santa Cruz Police Department is currently investigating a number of identity theft cases in which unknown suspect(s) used victims VISA/MasterCard credit/debit cards to make purchases through the internet. Investigators are working to see if there are local ties to the cause of the increase in identity theft cases or if they are related to the resent Global Payments breach, in which more than 1.5 million financial records were breached.

The Santa Cruz Police Department recommends that you monitor your bank/credit accounts for fraudulent activity. If fraudulent activity is discovered and you are a City of Santa Cruz resident, please use our online reporting system at santacruzpolice.com to file a police report. If you are not a City of Santa Cruz resident, please contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report. Additionally, contact your bank to report the fraudulent activity and request a new credit/debit card and/or account number.

Please have the following information available in order to make a thorough report:

Victim Name
Victim Address
Victim Telephone Number
Victim Account Number
Victim Bank Account Number
Victim Card Account Number
Fraudulent Charge(s) Date/Time – Exact as according to their statements.
Notations or comments in the charges field of their statements

To Leave ANONYMOUS information regarding this incident, please call our TIP LINE at (831) 420-5995.

Police Volunteer Patricia Whitlock Honored by City

Santa Cruz Police Department volunteer Patricia Whitlock was honored by the City Council this week for outstanding service with the department. She received an award as part of National Volunteer Week at this week's City Council meeting - Chief Vogel, Deputy Chief Clark, Sergeant Harms and other staff were on hand to show their appreciation. Ms. Whitlock plays an integral role in helping with the department's PRIDE Program and other community outreach programs including the Citizen's Police Academy.

The Police Department Volunteer Program was created by Chief Vogel as part of a slate of initiatives to have greater collaboration and participation with our local community. Community members interested in volunteering with the department can reach out to the City's CitySERVE program by clicking here.

Ms. Whitlock was featured on the department's blog last summer - click here to learn more about her!

The People Behind Community Services

Sergeant Mike Harms and Officer Joe Hernandez oversee the department's Community Services Section. Along with a team of volunteers they help organize the Citizen Police Academy (English and Spanish), PRIDE Program, Teen Public Safety Academy and dozens of community outreach events. Here is a little more about them:

Sergeant Harms began his law enforcement career in 1995 with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department.  He spent two years as a Correctional Officer working in the Main Jail, Medium Security Facility and Jail Farm settings.  He was hired by the Santa Cruz Police Department in January 1997 as a Police Officer.  As an officer he worked in Patrol, in the Downtown Unit, as an F.T.O. (Field Training Officer), and also as a Motorcycle Officer.  He also spent several years in the Investigations Bureau as a Persons Crimes Detective until he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2006.  Sergeant Harms returned to the Operations Division as a Patrol Field Supervisor and in 2007 took over Supervision of the Downtown Unit (DTU).  Sergeant Harms is currently assigned as the Supervisor of the Community Services Section.    

Aside from his regular duties, Sergeant Harms is a Team Leader on the E.S.U. (Emergency Services Unit), a Certified Motorcycle Training Officer, a P.O.S.T. certified Driving Instructor and Department Taser Instructor.  Sergeant Harms holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from San Jose State University.

Officer Joe Hernandez began his law enforcement career with the Santa Cruz Police Department as a Patrol Officer in the Operations Division.  Officer Hernandez immediately focused his efforts toward dealing with gang issues within the city of Santa Cruz.  Officer Hernandez has had the opportunity to work several different assignments within the Department such as, Beach Flats Foot Patrol, Street Crimes Unit, Santa Cruz County Anti Crime Team, the Gang Task Force and as a Detective.

Each of these assignments included extensive work in narcotics, prostitution and other gang related activities.  Officer Hernandez has also testified as a recognized Gang Expert in Santa Cruz County Superior Court. 

Sergeant Harms and Officer Hernandez are now assigned to the Community Services Section of the Santa Cruz Police Department to work on intervention and prevention programs for at risk youth among other duties.  

Santa Cruz Police Officers Chris Vigil and Eileen Fincutter Recognized for Outstanding DUI Enforcement Efforts by OTS and MADD

Santa Cruz Police Officers Chris Vigil and Eileen Fincutter were recognized today at an award ceremony in Monterey for their DUI enforcement efforts.  This is the second consecutive year that Officer Chris Vigil has been recognized and honored for this achievement.  The recognition ceremony was a collaborative effort by the State of California Office of Traffic Safety and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).  The ceremony honored police officers from around the Central Coast for taking impaired drivers off of our streets and saving innocent lives that may have otherwise been lost when these impaired drivers become involved in deadly traffic collisions. 

Officers Vigil and Fincutter were among 28 honorees from Santa Cruz County law enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, Capitola Police, Scotts Valley Police, Watsonville Police, Santa Cruz Police and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.  In addition to the honorees from Santa Cruz County, there were 39 honorees from Monterey and San Benito County law enforcement agencies.  

This was a heartfelt ceremony that included a very sad testimonial by MADD Assistant State Executive Director Brenda Frachiseur who lost her uncle in a horrific drunk driving accident when she was very young.  We are honored to have Santa Cruz Police officers Chris Vigil and Eileen Fincutter among the 67 honorees from the Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Tri-County area.  Please join the entire staff of the Santa Cruz Police Department in congratulating Officers Chris Vigil and Eileen Fincutter.

Jay Leno Did a Segment on our Predictive Policing Program!

Jay Leno did a segment on the department's predictive policing program - you'll have to watch it to see the joke...  Click here for the link.

Most Wanted: Week of April 10th

Santa Cruz Police Most Wanted: Week of April 10th 

Suspect:         Manuel Salazar

Description:    36 years-old, 5’ 5” 120 pounds, black hair and brown eyes. 

                      Santa Cruz City resident.

Note:               Manuel Salazar is currently wanted on a felony arrest warrant for failing to register as a sex offender. If you know where Mr. Salazar is, please contact Santa Cruz Police Investigations at 831.420.5820 or leave a tip via our website, iPhone app or on the tip line: 420-5995