Santa Clara County Public Safety Articles

Suwanna Kerdkaew, formerly the department's deputy chief of administration, replaces former chief Tony Bowden, who retired after being on injury leave.

The modern gun control movement started in California. Surprisingly, it was the work of Ronald Regan and the Black Panther Party. Here’s what happened.

The City of Gilroy will make property owners liable for the illegal use of fireworks under a new ordinance that moved forward March 21. The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the fireworks host liability ordinance. “Host” is broadly …

Work is expected to get underway soon on a pair of intersections along Church Street that city officials say will improve the safety for both pedestrians and drivers. Under the current configuration, motorists encounter stop signs on the east and …

In San José over the past five years, 57% of all traffic fatalities happened during the dark hours of the day, with over 30% of those incidents caused by speeding.

CalFire this week announced the appointment of George Huang as Unit Chief of the Santa Clara Unit, which is based in Morgan Hill. Under the city’s partnership with CalFire, Huang will also serve as the chief of the Morgan Hill …

Making it through the earthquake is the easy part. The hard part is surviving in the chaos that follows.

Ongoing roadway and public works construction projects throughout downtown Morgan Hill might be frustrating to motorists, but city officials say the results will be worth it when complete. Valley Water’s Upper Llagas Creek Flood Control project and the Hale Avenue …

Nearly all of Gilroy’s 192 miles of public sidewalks are in good condition. But the roughly six miles of walkways that need to be repaired would cost the city $7.7 million over a period of 15 years. The Gilroy City …

Enforcement of the ordinance, first of its kind in the U.S., will likely only come in connection with criminal investigations.

Though they are elected officials, county sheriffs have less accountability than any other law enforcement officials. Here's why, and what California is doing about it.

Healthcare workers and others in “high-risk” settings must receive their Covid-19 vaccination booster by Jan. 24, the Santa Clara County health officer announced Dec. 28. Under the new local health order, workers must be up-to-date on their vaccination (both fully …

The climate change era has created a whole new set of terms for a wide variety of storms and other weather phenomena. Here are some of the most important.

California homicide spiked by 31 percent in 2020. The shocking increase has continued into 2021. Here are several theories that attempt to explain the state’s suddenly rising murder rate.

The Gilroy Police Department will be conducting a checkpoint on Dec. 17 to look out for impaired drivers. Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make …

Omicron is a new variant of the COVID-causing coronavirus that has now arrived in California and is causing fears of a new pandemic wave. What is it? Why are people so worried? And what, if anything, is California doing to …

California residents can turn to these public and private entities to help prepare for wildfires and protect their property.

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

A new California law to lower speed limits, AB 43, is part of an overall effort, called ‘Vision Zero,’ to eliminate traffic deaths completely. Here’s what the law does, and why it can make a difference.

The pesky mosquito can be deadly as well as annoying. Here’s how local governments in California have been waging war on mosquitoes for more than a century.