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Santa Clara County Public Safety Articles



San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
SJ Man Gets Six-year Sentence for Selling Fentanyl that Led to Fatal Overdose

Ian Parrish, 28, pleaded guilty in August to selling four pills to a person at a bar in Fremont the previous year, two of which were counterfeit "M30" pills designed to look like Percocet but contained fentanyl. TThe man died …

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 Kids’ Mental Health

California and 32 other states are suing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, saying that their apps are damaging to children. Is there evidence for those claims? Here’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 Cruise’s driverless cars.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Meta Accused by CA and Other States of Luring Children to Instagram, Facebook

Meta was accused of knowingly using features on Instagram and Facebook to hook children to its platforms, even as the company said its social media sites were safe for young people.

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
City prohibits remote comments at council, commission meetings

Due to recent “hateful and hostile” comments delivered at city council meetings in Morgan Hill and throughout the nation, the city on Oct. 20 announced that public comment will no longer be allowed via Zoom at future meetings. The new …

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Police investigate swastika in notebook at Live Oak High School

Morgan Hill Police today investigated a notebook found at Live Oak High School with a swastika and other hateful messages written inside it, and cited a student in relation to the incident. Someone posted a photo of the offending writings …

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

Gov. Gavin Newsom’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 company’s Vegetation Management Program to detect dead or dying trees that could …

Morgan Hill Times 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 company’s Vegetation Management Program to detect dead or dying trees that could …

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. California’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.

Morgan Hill Times 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 …

Image caption: As California's legislative session ends, lawmakers take no steps to address the state's fire insurance crisis.
Legislature Fails to Address California Fire Insurance Crisis

Legislators weren’t able to reach a compromise that helps insurers with wildfire risk while also protecting homeowners. Interest groups hope to find one in meetings this fall.

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
After legal threat, Los Gatos compromises with gun lobby

Town Attorney Gabrielle Whelan said Sept. 5 in her closed session report that the Town Council had met in private to discuss a legal threat from the gun lobby, which asked Los Gatos to delay enforcing its new concealed carry …

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 in a Wildfire
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.