Santa Clara County Public Safety Digest

A California law empowers state investigators to check on conditions at ICE detention centers. A new report raises concerns about health care inside them.

Groups that support California crime victims and attempt to reduce gun violence lost millions of dollars in grants when the Trump administration pulled funding.

Residents living near farms can now sign up to be alerted when pesticides will be applied by the a new system recently launched by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

In an April 24 press conference. CalFire unveiled the latest addition to their fleet of firefighting aircraft, a new C-130 Hercules.

Los Alto Hills is considering a new fire hazard severity zone map in compliance with state requirements.

Against the backdrop of a rise in vaccine skepticism, California reported a drop in the rate of kindergartners immunized against measles last year, fueling fears that there may be a resurgence of the once-vanquished disease amid the deadly outbreak in West Texas.

Following the publishing of updated CalFire fire severity maps, Los Alto Hills is moving to update new local file severity zones.

Six conservancies throughout the state will oversee work largely in Southern California and the Sierra Nevada.

The California DMV routinely allows dangerous drivers with horrifying histories to continue to operate on our roadways. Too often they go on to kill. Many keep driving even after they kill. Some go on to kill again.

A new ambulance purchased by the Mountain View Fire Department will be used to transport patients to the hospital instead of contracting with a private ambulance service vendor or taking an engine of of service to handle patient transport.

California’s Public Advocate has been pressing for new utility fire maps since 2023. Utilities are on board — but regulators turned them down.

Following several years of effort, the Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative announced the completion of wildfire mitigations and forest health treatment to over 1,000 acres of open space in Los Gatos and Saratoga.

Mountain View has activated its first automatic license plate cameras.

CalFire released its fourth and final round of color-coded hazard maps. Different colors come with different rules.

After the Trump administration threw out policies dating back to 2011 limiting immigration arrests at “sensitive locations,” California colleges and universities are providing resources to support students, but can’t stop immigration enforcement from entering public spaces. Some advocates say more must be done.

Evacuating the Tahoe basin in summer could take 14 hours, and 99% of properties are at risk — yet new resorts are being built in high-danger fire areas.

California public health officials are closely monitoring two residents who recently tested positive for measles. Officials are on high alert given ongoing measles outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico and abroad.

Read on to learn why environmentalists and nearby residents are concerned that rapid development in the Ravenswood Business District in Palo Alto will fail to properly address contamination in known toxic sites.

California Assembly Bill 247 would significantly raise the hourly wage of inmate firefighters. Read on to learn more.

The City of Milpitas has been granted nearly $5 million by the federal government for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements. Read on to learn more.

Read on for details about efforts underway by the City of Pal Alto to expand, and pay for, its existing safe parking facility to accommodate additional vehicles.

Five years ago, as COVID-19 hit the state, legislators cancelled a hearing to discuss a state audit that found the state’s office of emergency services and at least three California counties weren’t prepared to help vulnerable people during natural disasters.

The governor has proposed spending climate bond money dedicated to wildfire mitigation in various ways. Some lawmakers think a focused strategy would be more effective.

Not currently known as a safe route, Mountain View is considering adding bike lanes to Moffett Boulevard. Read on for details.

Each year, legislation aimed at better wildfire mitigation fails – often due to cost or conflict with environmental regulations.

Concerned about response times, the Palo Alto City Council is working to add a fire engine and staffing to the Mitchell Park fire station. Read on for details.

THE RECENT SPREAD of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles has underscored the importance of Watch Duty, the wildfire mapping app that provides early warning of fires and tracks their spread. And it is also casting a spotlight on the work of two volunteers, Danilla Sands of Mendocino County and Sara Paul of Sonoma County, both of whom play critical roles in ensuring the app has the latest fire information.

A new bill by a Bay Area state senator aims to create a special fund to help clean up so-called forever chemicals in California’s water supply. Senate Bill 454 was introduced by Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, on February 18 and, if passed by the state Legislature and signed by the governor, would create the PFAS Mitigation Fund.

California has known for years that it must pay extra attention to people with disabilities and limited mobility during natural disasters. Will it put the lessones of the L.A. fires to use for the next emergency?

In the days and weeks following the January Los Angeles County wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom and his office moved quickly to manage the response and begin recovery efforts after the blazes were contained. Since then, the governor has been singularly focused on the region, describing his approach as “an extended period of engagement” with L.A. during a press conference in Altadena last week.

AS HOST TO the largest battery storage facility in the world, on a site that just had its fourth fire in four years, the people of Monterey County have grown to realize that Moss Landing is a learning laboratory for California’s green energy transition.

Sunnyvale residents have been waiting for the city to implement its grand plan for a bicycle safety network, but a lack of action has led to mounting frustration.