Santa Clara County Public Safety Digest

For many residents, the most infamous aspect of Milpitas history involves the putrid odor that has spread throughout the city, existing for over 100 years and involving multiple factors.

“This vigil is not a victory lap; it is a call to action,” said Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Alysa Cisneros at the city’s Solidarity Vigil Against Hate on Nov. 15. “We will have created a culture of belonging, when every person feels safe, included, heard and respected.”

According to a new report, a San Jose Fire engine stopped at more than one adult entertainment establishment on the night of Oct. 5, when an infamous video was shot.

State regulators plan to impose a $155.4 million fine against PG&E Corp. over the Zogg Fire, which killed four people in Shasta County. PG&E is already under criminal indictment in the fire, and has pleaded innocent to manslaughter and other charges.

Gas stoves in California homes are leaking cancer-causing benzene, researchers found in a new study, though they say more research is needed to understand how many homes have leaks.

A study by researchers at UCLA and the University of Chicago says that California’s wildfires of 2020 destroyed 4.2 million acres of forest—and erased years of progress the state made on battling climate change.

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, trying to ease an insurance crisis that’s hurt rural California, has announced that all carriers active in fire-prone communities must incorporate his “Safer from Wildfires” program into their premiums.

According to the first in a series of reports to come from a consulting firm hired by California officials, PG&E’s efforts to improve wildfire safety are hindered by aging equipment, damaged power poles and hazardous trees that went undetected by the utility’s crews.

Four of the deadliest stretches of road in California are in Northern California, according to a study by the website MoneyGeek. The report, which analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, includes stretches of freeway in San Jose, Berkeley, Richmond and Sacramento.

One of California’s top elected officials announced steps to limit how developments can be built in areas that are at highest risk of wildfire. Attorney General Rob Bonta released guidelines for local governments to follow when they are deciding whether to approve subdivisions in the “wildland urban interface.”

23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki spearheads the effort to make hazardous Edith Ave/Foothill Expwy intersection safer. Improvements before year’s end are planned by the city and county.

Santa Clara County will soon be responsible for firefighting duties on a portion of the NASA Ames Research Center, replacing services once provided by the federal government. The Board of Supervisors voted to create a new fire protection zone to generate a revenue stream.

Palo Alto dispatchers received a call shortly before 5:30 a.m. about a possible illegal bonfire in the lot at 4190 El Camino Real, near the Arastradero Road intersection.

The California Highway Patrol is marking the two-decade anniversary of the Amber Alert system. Hundreds of abducted children have been found and returned safely to their families following its implementation in 2002.

Dr. Ronald Li, a veterinarian at UC Davis, treated 23 cats rescued from the Tubbs fire in 2017. In addition to the expected traumatic injuries, something else caught Li’s attention. “We noticed clots forming within their hearts,” he said. “But at that time, we didn’t know why.”

Law enforcement veteran brings a quarter century of experience to the role

Senate Bill 1012, a law that will require California State Parks to restrict open fires, has been unanimously passed through the Committee of Water, Parks, and Wildlife. The bill instructs parks to work with the guidelines of local fire departments. The bill could appear before the full assembly in August.

In the past several years, five police officers and two sergeants have left for Santa Clara, union president Ken Kratt said. The latest departure was a veteran officer who resigned last week.

San Jose has more money to spend this fiscal year and officials are prioritizing homelessness, public safety, fighting blight, environmental sustainability and equitable economic recovery.

The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has filed a gun violence restraining order against a 13-year-old—the second time in recent months a Santa Clara County law enforcement agency has used this tool on a minor.

Pacific Gas & Electric pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges in connection with the Zogg Fire, which killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Northern California two years ago. A preliminary hearing was set for January.

The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department participated in the Santa Clara County Gun Buyback at the Milpitas Community Center on May 22, which saw more than 400 firearms voluntarily turned in by residents.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered its legal representative to come up with recommendations for an ordinance banning ghost guns—non-serialized firearms that can be assembled from parts or through 3D printers.

Red flag warning issued for Sacramento Valley; elevated fire conditions expected for Bay Area.

Most people are aware of the human toll of gun violence, but a new report in Santa Clara County is revealing its staggering financial cost. Firearm incidents cost the county $72 million each year.

Deadly Jack Farrell Park gun battle traumatized people but is also galvanizing the community.

Sen. Josh Becker's proposal to require police departments to open up radio communication clears Appropriations Committee.

One person was killed and four others were critically wounded at Geneva Presbyterian Church in the city of Laguna Woods. When deputies arrived, parishioners had the gunman hog-tied and in custody.

San Jose says its plan to manage homeless camps will improve the quality of life for the unhoused population and general public. Advocates and lawyers are dubious, as the city continues to displace people through sweeps.

In a sharply divided meeting, the Los Altos City Council voted to eliminate street parking on El Camino Real in favor of bike lanes. The three councilmembers in favor of the lanes said they had a “moral imperative” to improve safety after a 13-year-old was killed at El Camino Real and Grant Road.

The state auditor blasted the regulators who oversee wildfire safety at California’s major electric utilities, saying they signed off on flawed safety plans. He said the California Public Utilities Commission and the recently formed Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety haven’t gone far enough in demanding safety reforms from utilities.

Local gun owners soon must safely keep their firearms locked away after the Mountain View City Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance on how guns must be stowed in homes or vehicles.