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Santa Clara County Public Safety Articles



San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
SJ Police Union Defends Action of Mayor’s Bodyguard, Criticizes NAACP Leader

One day after the downtown altercation, NAACP chapter President Rev. Jethroe Moore sent an email to acting Police Chief Paul Joseph critical of the arrest of the alleged attacker.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
As May Approaches, Cal Fire Offers Fire Prevention Tips

With the month of May beginning this week, with its warmer weather, lower humidity and drying vegetation, Cal Fire is urging Bay Area homeowners to do all they can to protect against fire.

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Bathrooms May Soon Have Sex Trafficking Signs

A local official wants to put an end to sex trafficking in San Jose.
San Jose Councilmember Bien Doan wants to create a sex trafficking awareness campaign in public restrooms throughout the city. Notices would be posted by bathroom mirrors …

Image caption: This 6,000 square foot structure, a two-boiler system, will help dispose of dangerous biomass by burning wood chips to boil water, providing heat to buildings in Northstar Village.
Transforming Waste Wood from Wildfire Hazard to Energy

For the good of Tahoe Truckee forests and communities, funders & local leaders rally to support Northstar Community Services District wood energy facility.

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County Wants State to Stop Trauma Center Closure

Santa Clara County leaders are calling on state officials to stop a for-profit hospital from closing one of the county’s only trauma centers.
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to send a report to the state on the …

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 ‘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 …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose to Launch Smarter 311 App to Handle Vehicle Complaints

San Jose is updating its 311 app that tracks resident complaints to more efficiently address thousands of requests about abandoned vehicles.
The 311 app is designed to be a one-stop shop for residents to report a variety of issues including …

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
County Attempts to Eradicate ‘Aggressive’ Mosquito Species

Authorities in Santa Clara County are trying to eradicate an “aggressive” species of mosquito before it can become established, a spokesperson for the county said April 11. 

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Sunnyvale Wants a Better Mobile App for Reporting Problems

Sunnyvale is in the market for a better way to have residents flag issues in their neighborhoods online.
The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously, with Councilmember Omar Din absent, to request bids on a management system residents can …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Silicon Valley Cities Work With Transit Agency on Safer Route to School

A partnership between multiple cities and a Silicon Valley transit agency is going to construct a long-needed safer route for students biking and walking to school.
The Homestead Safe Routes to School project aims to make traveling to school easier …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
East San Jose Trauma Center Closure Could Break County Hospital System

The closure of East San Jose’s only trauma center puts the entire Santa Clara County public hospital system in jeopardy and threatens the survival of east side residents suffering a heart attack, stroke or other catastrophic medical event.
That was …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Not Diverting 911 Calls to Mental Crisis Hotline

San Jose is struggling to divert 911 calls related to mental and emotional distress away from police, despite the county adopting the 988 mental crisis hotline two years ago to handle those situations.
A recent report shows county mental health …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Pushes to Expand Police Alternative for Mental Health Crises

Weeks before the San Jose City Council sat down to discuss this year's budget, advocates and residents sounded the alarm about gaps in mental health services and asked officials to expand access to a non-police response program.
Councilmembers on Tuesday …

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
Supervisors Push Back Against AT&T Plan to Wriggle Free From Landline Responsibilities

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has approved a proposal from supervisors Joe Simitian and Cindy Chavez to formally engage the California Public Utilities Commission about AT&T’s application to withdraw as California’s “Carrier of Last Resort.”

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County May Fund Safe Parking for Homeless Residents

Santa Clara County officials may help finance San Jose’s multimillion-dollar safe parking efforts and set up more sites on unused public property for the region's homeless residents.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed on Tuesday to look into both possibilities …

Metro Silicon Valley logo LOCAL NEWS
Cannabis and Driving High Standards

Blood-alcohol tests often aren’t really conclusive when it comes to determining whether a person is too impaired to drive. Many people who are over the legal limit are probably perfectly fine to drive, even if doing so might get them …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County deputy overtime contributes to ballooning deficit

This year, a multimillion-dollar deficit won't just threaten Santa Clara County's essential public services — it will force county leaders to reckon with a decade-long overspending crisis in the Sheriff's Office.
Since 2013, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office has …

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 Won’t Slow Down, Proposed Law Requires Cars Do It for Them

“Intelligent” 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.

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.
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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