Santa Cruz County Local Public Safety News Articles and Digest

Public Safety Homelessness Resilience Housing Housing Matters

Progress Highlighted on Homeless Services in Santa Cruz

02/29/2024
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Santa Cruz city leaders on Wednesday said 121 unhoused people moved into permanent housing in the city since 2022, and hundreds more were served by homeless service programs. They also renewed calls for more city money to address homelessness because millions in one-time funds are expected to run out in July.

From The Pajaronian...

Business, Economy & Jobs Public Safety Resilience County of Santa Cruz

Supervisors Grill AT&T Over Landline Service Plan

02/29/2024

Supervisors and resident cite public safety in bid to keep their copper landlines. AT&T claims that people living in rural areas where there are no other viable options will be able to keep their landlines.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Public Safety Transportation

Capitola Intersection Approved for Upgrades

02/26/2024
At its meeting Thursday, the Capitola City Council unanimously approved a "quick build" project at the Bay Avenue and Hill Street intersection consisting of reversible, adjustable bicycle and pedestrian safety enhancements.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Public Safety Water

State Lawmakers Advocate for Pajaro River Levee Project

02/25/2024
U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Zoe Lofgren, and U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, urged the prioritization of the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project in a letter to the Biden administration.

From City on a Hill...

Public Safety Education Transportation

Students Voice Safety Concerns at Second TAPS Town Hall

02/16/2024
Following December’s fatal loop bus crash that killed bus driver Dan Stevenson, students were finally able to address administrators.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Public Safety Resilience

Landline proposal sparks outrage, concern for rural Santa Cruz County

02/10/2024
The California Public Utilities Commission is reviewing an application from AT&T California to be relieved of its decades-old obligation to provide landline service in many regions, including parts of Santa Cruz County.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Art, Culture & Media Public Safety Families & Children Crisis & Personal Support Government

Lawmakers Now Calling for Regulation of Social Media

02/08/2024

CEOs of Instagram, Snapchat tell parents at Senate hearing they’re sorry for deaths of children.

From San Joaquin Valley Sun...

Public Safety Crime & Justice

Appeals Court Temporarily Reinstates Calif. Background Checks for Ammo Purchases

02/06/2024
California’s law that requires background checks when purchasing ammunition is back in place.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Environment Water Resilience

The Terrifying Forces That Created a California Monster Storm

02/05/2024
The storm fed off of unusually warm waters as it grew. It also reached “bomb cyclone” status as it neared California.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Water Resilience

L.A.’s Flood-Control System Survived Epic Storm. But It’s Losing the Battle With Climate Change

02/05/2024
Los Angeles County flood control network withstands punishing rains—for now.

From Daily Democrat...

Public Safety Environment

Some Experts Are Proposing a Category 6 Storm Rating

02/05/2024
A handful of super powerful tropical storms in the last decade and the prospect of more to come has a couple of experts proposing a new category of whopper hurricanes: Category 6.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Public Safety Homelessness Crime & Justice Government

Should Homelessness Be a Crime? New San Mateo County Law Allows Charges

01/29/2024
Image for display with article titled Should Homelessness be a Crime? New San Mateo County Law Allows Charges, but SCOTUS May Get the Last Word

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could reshape how California tackles the homeless problem.

From SF Gate...

Public Safety Resilience

New USGS Map Shows California Is at High Risk for Damaging Earthquakes

01/24/2024
An updated earthquake hazard map from USGS shows a high shaking risk in California.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety

Shasta County Supervisors Vote to Allow Concealed Weapons in Local Government Buildings

01/24/2024
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted to allow guns in local government buildings, defying California law.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Resilience

‘Thousand-Year Storm’ Leaves San Diego Reeling From Punishing Rainfall, Floods

01/23/2024
Hundreds of San Diego homes and businesses were damaged or ruined in devastating floods after punishing rainfall fell on Jan. 22.

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Public Safety Health Transportation Elections & Politics Government

Can Traffic Deaths in Los Angeles Be Reduced With a Ballot Measure?

01/16/2024
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City council rejected the “Healthy Streets L.A” initiative. Now it’s up to Angeleno voters.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Resilience

The 1994 Northridge Quake Was a Shock. Here’s Why the Next One Won’t Be

01/16/2024
Our understanding and preparedness have come a long way since Southern California’s magnitude 6.7 earthquake in 1994. We’re still learning from that destructive temblor.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

COVID-19 Public Safety Health Transportation Crime & Justice Government

Death on the Roads: Traffic Fatality Crisis Far From Over

01/14/2024
Image for display with article titled Death on the Roads: California Traffic Fatality Crisis Far From Over

California in 2024 has implemented two new, potentially important traffic safety laws

From Sacramento Bee...

Public Safety Homelessness Crime & Justice

SCOTUS to Hear Case with Major Implications for Homeless

01/12/2024
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case related to whether cities and towns can ban camping on public property. The high court could overturn Martin v. Boise, a 2018 federal court decision that keeps western cities and counties from blocking public camping when sufficient shelter space is unavailable.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Crime & Justice Government

LAPD Chief Announces Departure at End of February

01/12/2024
Michel Moore, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, announced he will resign. The departure of Moore, who has been in the job since 2018, will spur the appointment of an interim chief and a nationwide search for his replacement, according to Mayor Karen Bass.

Santa Cruz County Local News: Public Safety