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Santa Cruz County Public Safety Overview



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National Night Out is an annual community event that strengthens police-community partnerships. Neighborhoods host festivals, parades, and other events while police officers demonstrate safety procedures.

California Local Pin Marker Local Public Safety Digest

Police Chief Finds No Violation in Cyclist Arrest

04/15/2024

An initial review of body cam footage indicated no violations of department policy or the law in the arrest by multiple officers of a lone Black cyclist on the Santa Cruz Westside, according to the police chief.

E-Bike Ordinance Delayed After Community Feedback

04/10/2024

A proposed ordinance limiting use of e-bikes on sidewalks and walkways in unincorporated parts of the county was delayed by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors until its May 14 meeting following feedback from residents.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
U.S. Army Corps Seeks Public Input on Pajaro River Levee Environmental Study

The agency responsible for the rebuild of the Pajaro River Levee has completed an environmental assessment for Reach 6 of the project, and is seeking public input before finalizing it.

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Low-Impact Camping Ordinance Raises Questions in Fire Zone

The Low Impact Camping Ordinance drafted by the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission took some rural residents by surprise. On one hand, people are already renting out camping sites on their private properties, sometimes with negative impacts on neighbors, sometimes …

Image caption: The O Lot Safe Sleeping site at Balboa Park in San Diego on March 22, 2024.
Is San Diego Homeless Camp Ban ‘Successful’?

A new bill would make it illegal for homeless residents to camp in certain places, such as near schools, throughout California. Its authors say such a ban has had great success in San Diego. But a closer look at that …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
‘Bleak’ Outlook for Santa Cruz County Budget

A proposed budget for 2025 cuts money for road repairs. Storms in 2023 caused about $140 million in damage to county-maintained roads, county staff said. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> The financial toll of natural …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Everyone Should Be Safe

The UCSC Campus Mobile Crisis Team is the first of its kind on a University of California campus. The CMCT provides an empathetic, non-police response to emergency calls regarding mental health crises on campus. Following a series of police killings …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Capitola on the Mend

The Wharf House Restaurant and the Boat and Bait Shop on the Capitola Wharf were torn down and toted away over the past few weeks as part of major repair and rebuilding of the historic landmark.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
Big Basin Redwoods State Park Update

California State Parks staff continues to move forward with the Big Basin Redwoods State Park Facilities Management Plan (BBFMP). Site planning and design considerations are in the works with the Reimagining Big Basin project team engaging stakeholders and the public …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
County Supervisors Adopt E-Bike Rules

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a new ordinance that prohibits E-bikes from most places where pedestrians walk, with some exceptions.

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
Rep. Panetta, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership Host Broadband Expansion Roundtable in Boulder Creek

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, recently convened a community roundtable on the expansion of broadband and cellular service in Boulder Creek.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Progress highlighted on homeless services in Santa Cruz

Housing Matters Chief Impact Officer Mer Stafford speaks in front of pallet shelters for unhoused residents at the Housing Matters campus on Coral Street in Santa Cruz in January. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
SANTA CRUZ >> Santa Cruz …

Featured

A Pyrocumulus cloud generated by the Dixie Fire in July, 2021.
What is Fire 'Containment?' That and Other Terms, Explained
What does it mean when firefighters call a fire "contained?" Here's a brief guide to commonly used fire prevention terminology.
States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained
Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health.
California will soon be getting a new hotline number as an alternative to 911 for mental health crises.
988, the New Mental Health Emergency Number, Explained
Here's the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
How Not to Feel the Burn
These groups help residents preserve their property, health and life.
Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era
As climate change causes more extreme and unusual weather, we need a new set of terms to describe the various phenomena
Though it’s the most famous, the San Andreas Fault is just one of more than 500 active faults in California.
Battening Down for the Big One
Making it through the earthquake is easy—the hard part comes later.
Many of Robert Kerbeck’s neighbors in Malibu Park lost their homes in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which left behind lots where only chimneys still stood.
Give Your Home a Fighting Chance
Wildfires are larger, more frequent, and more ferocious—so be prepared.
Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners
The state tries persuading insurance companies to cover homes in fire zones.
With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork
With CERT training, ordinary civilians can play critical roles in protecting their communities.
Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service hone their skills at various local events.
Listening Skills
With the CZU fires in mind, volunteers in the Santa Cruz Mountains are taking emergency communications into their own hands.
Workers clean up after flooding in Capitola Village.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps
Keep these online resources handy in case of floods, fires, quakes and other disasters
View of the flooded San Lorenzo River Park Benchlands in Santa Cruz, California on New Year's Eve 2022.
Communicating During Disaster and Crisis
Recent lessons learned over days of local disaster.
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