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San Benito County Public Safety Articles



Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
One Injured in Caltrain Collision in San Martin

A Caltrain struck a vehicle on the tracks in the unincorporated community of San Martin in Santa Clara County on Monday night, a spokesperson for SamTrans said. 

Image caption: The O Lot Safe Sleeping site at Balboa Park in San Diego on March 22, 2024.
Is San Diego Homeless Camp Ban ā€˜Successfulā€™?

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 ā€¦

Image caption: Inadvertently, the beloved Muppet Elmo called attention to the mental health dangers of being too heavily online.
Lawmakers Now Calling for Regulation of Social Media

Lawmakers in California and other states are now making attempts to prevent the reported harms to children caused by social media platforms. The U.S. Senate got into the act as well, at a dramatic Jan. 31 hearing.

Image caption: A new law seeks to prevent cars from speeding, which causes about one of every three traffic fatalities.
If Drivers Wonā€™t Slow Down, Proposed Law Requires Cars Do It for Them

ā€œIntelligentā€ speed-limiting technology will be required in all new California cars starting in 2027, if a new law authored by San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener passes.

Image caption: Under a new law, homeless people in San Mateo County can be criminally charged for refusing to move to a shelter.
Should Homelessness be a Crime? New San Mateo County Law Allows Charges

In San Mateo County, a new law allows police to charge homeless people with criminal offenses if they donā€™t accept shelter. SCOTUS will soon weigh in with a potential landmark decision in an Oregon case.

Image caption: Los Angeles voters can take a step toward reducing traffic violence with a measure on the March ballot.
Can Traffic Deaths in Los Angeles be Reduced With a Ballot Measure?

With traffic deaths now regularly topping 300 per year, Measure HLA on the March 5 ballot gives Los Angeles voters the opportunity to force their reluctant city to implement new traffic safety measures.

Image caption: California traffic deaths dropped by 12 percent in the first three months of 2023, but road fatalities remain at crisis levels.
Death on the Roads: Traffic Fatality Crisis Far From Over

As the COVID pandemic eased, so did the epidemic of death on the road. Somewhat. But the ongoing crisis of traffic fatalities remains at high levels with early numbers form 2023 appearing to top 4,000 in California.

Image caption: How does social media affect the minds and well-being of children? According to California and other states, not well.
California Sues Meta For Damaging Kidsā€™ Mental Health

California and 32 other states are suing Instagramā€™s parent company, Meta, saying that their apps are damaging to children. Is there evidence for those claims? Hereā€™s why social media is under attack.

Image caption: A ban on assault weapons is just one of 107 California gun control laws.
California Gun Control Laws and Mass Shootings

California has more gun laws than any other state. Here's how it took a series of mass shootings to make the state the toughest in the country on guns.

Image caption: A terrifying incident in which a Cruise car dragged a pedestrian who had been hit by a different car led the DMV to take the cars off the road.
State DMV and CPUC Both Pull Self-Driving Cruise Taxis From Road

A recent incident in San Francisco spurred the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission to suspend the licenses for Cruiseā€™s driverless cars.

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
San Benito County launches new alert system

San Benito County and the Santa Cruz Regional 911 system this week announced the launch of SBCAlert, an automated alert and warning system that will be used to inform residents of vital informationā€”from road closures to emergency incidents in their ā€¦

Image caption: New law represents departure from long-standing mental health treatment practices in California.
Californiansā€™ Mental Health: Newsom Signs Law to Overhaul System

Gov. Gavin Newsomā€™s signature mental health policies allow the involuntary treatment of more Californians with severe mental illnesses. Some fear the new laws will infringe on the civil liberties of people confined against their will.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
PG&E helicopters patrol for trees that pose wildfire risk

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is conducting aerial patrols in areas of Santa Clara, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Scheduled helicopter patrols are part of the companyā€™s Vegetation Management Program to detect dead or dying trees that could ā€¦

Image caption: Gov. Newsom this week signed a law creating a new 11 percent excise tax on gun manufacturers and retailers.
Gun Manufacturers Fear Days Are Numbered in California

Gov. Newsom just signed a tax on firearms and ammunition, among other new gun control laws. Californiaā€™s remaining gun manufacturers wonder if they have a future.

Image caption: Border Patrol policies deliberately channel migrants through some of the harshest desert areas in California, resulting in frequent deaths.
Border Patrol Routes Migrants Into Deadly Imperial Valley Desert

In the Imperial County desert, a volunteer group routinely maintains large barrels filled with water to help migrants traversing the California desert. As rescues increase, the longstanding immigration policies that funneled migrants to such harsh terrain deserve scrutiny.

SanBenitocom logo LOCAL NEWS
Cal Fire training program aims to increase defensible space efforts

The Office of the State Fire Marshal recently established a statewide program to allow qualified applicants to support Cal Fire in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts, says a press release from the California Department of ā€¦

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 Stateā€™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 worldā€™s deadliest wild animalā€”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 itā€™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 easyā€”the hard part comes later.
Many of Robert Kerbeckā€™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 ferociousā€”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.
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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