Public Safety Image

Santa Cruz County Public Safety Overview



California Local Pin Marker Get To Know A Group

National Night Out is an annual community event that strengthens police-community partnerships. Neighborhoods host festivals, parades, and other events while police officers demonstrate safety procedures.

California Local Pin Marker Local Public Safety Digest

Santa Cruz County Approves Fire Tax Transfer to Scotts Valley

03/28/2023

Santa Cruz County leaders helped move the pending joiner of two neighboring fire districts one step closer with a vote allowing the agencies to join their tax revenues.

New Bill Would Limit Sprawl in Disaster-Prone Areas

03/27/2023

Sprawl has allowed Californians to live closer to nature and buy homes where it is cheaper to build. But it has also left millions vulnerable to wildfires and flooding.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Bill would tighten rules on gun ownership in California

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The shooting that killed a man in Boulder Creek on Jan. 28 followed two mass shootings in California, which themselves came amidst a flurry of gun violence across the U.S. In response, several Democratic lawmakers have teamed up …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Volunteer Fire Departments Keep the Santa Cruz Mountains Safe

Communities like Ben Lomond and Felton depend on local first responders for everything, from earthquakes to the recent storms

Image caption: View of the flooded San Lorenzo River Park Benchlands in Santa Cruz, California on New Year's Eve 2022.
Communicating During Disaster and Crisis

How to effectively communicate actionable information for preparation before extreme events, and to disseminate vital information during and after disasters.

Image caption: Workers clean up after flooding in Capitola Village.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps

Prepare for disaster in Santa Cruz County by keeping crucial information at your fingertips—just one touch away on your smartphone.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Rains expected Sunday-Tuesday bring new flood worries

PAJARO—A cadre of elected and public officials gathered in Pajaro late Sunday morning to issue a dire warning in advance of a rainstorm expected to begin Sunday night and bring possible major flooding to Monterey and Santa Cruz counties through …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Tidal surge adds to damage as Santa Cruz County residents reel from storm

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville and Santa Cruz County officials on Thursday lifted the evacuation orders and flood warnings issued during the dual atmospheric river storms that came on Dec. 30 and Jan. 4, allowing residents to return home and breathe a …

Image caption: Explaining California is hard work! But at California Local, we were up for it throughout 2022.
Explaining California in 2022: Our 10 Best Explainers of the Year

2022 was a year that needed a lot of explaining. And California Local was there. Here are our 10 most important explanatory journalism stories from the year gone by, from immigration to cryptocurrency to wealth inequality and more.

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Tsunami Hazard Maps Updated for Santa Cruz County

New modeling shows potential zones of impact, improving previous maps from 2009

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Increase in Algae Blooms a Concern at Once-Toxic Pinto Lake

How scientists are working to keep water safe at Watsonville lake, and around the county

Featured

Workers clean up after flooding in Capitola Village.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps
Keep these online resources handy in case of floods, fires, quakes and other disasters
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.
Select Facebook Feed From Menu