Tag Archives: Redwood City Police

President’s Memo: April 2012

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LOCK UP! LOOK OUT!

SEE CRIME? CALL 369-3333

If you SEE Something, SAY Something!

Please note that the number above goes directly to the Redwood City Police Department dispatch center. The response will be quicker than 911. If you see something suspicious, don’t hesitate to call it in.

Lock your cars, and lock your doors & windows. Look out for your neighbors.

 

FINALLY !

On March 1st we posted the preliminary document detailing what we can do about the overpopulation of resident Canada geese in Redwood Shores. That document can be found at RSCA.org.

Also look for the ‘Additional Questions’ at the bottom of that page, and check that page frequently for updates. I suspect there are going to be some small details that we’ll need to resolve as we go through this year.

I did receive one email asking why we wanted to kill the geese. Well, we have never suggested that as a solution. Everything we’ve learned shows that even if we were to find a way to get rid of our existing local population, we would have a new group of settlers within a few months. The things that people enjoy about the Shores also makes our community attractive to Canada geese, and they and the other waterfowl are going to be a permanent part of the ambiance of Redwood Shores.

Anything that kills or even harms the existing geese is strongly prohibited by federal, state, and local laws, and RSCA was the first to call CA Dept. of Fish & Game when we discovered indications just before Thanksgiving that someone had been taking geese from the lagoon (possibly for a Holiday feast?)

We have been working not only to find out what we can do within federal and state laws and regulations, but also to find out what seems to work and what doesn’t. Please take time to read this short document, then work with your local HOA or business property manager on these simple suggestions.

There is no 100% solution, and you won’t see results overnight. But at least we have some guidelines that both the City and private property managers can use in trying to reduce the amount of goose feces left on our walkways and in our parks and open-space green areas.

 

Do NOT Feed Wildlife !

As I’ve mentioned previously, the #1 recommendation of both state and federal wildlife officials was to quit feeding the geese. One thing that surprised us — and an indication of how seriously this is considered — is the severity of the penalty for feeding ANY wildlife:

You can be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced up to six (6) months in jail for each violation!

It doesn’t matter whether you are on public or private property. The law applies to feeding wildlife anywhere in California.

We don’t want this to become an issue of legal enforcement. We are encouraging each HOA and private property manager to deal with this by posting ‘no feeding’ signs prominently and by informing their residents, tenants, or employees about the law. We would also hope that Shores residents will respect the law and recommendations of the U.S. FWS and CA DFG.

 

The Crows…

One thing you can do to reduce the problems with the crows is to keep the lid closed on your garbage containers.

The crows appear to be going after open or overfilled containers on garbage collections days. They will rip open any exposed plastic or paper bags to get at the contents, and they can make a big mess for you and your neighbors.

 

HOAs & ‘non-HOA’ Areas of the Shores

The Shores was from the beginning a planned community. As a planned community, every residential area is governed by a set of Covenants, Codes & Restrictions (CC&Rs).

Those CC&Rs vary between areas, but ALL properties have restrictions as to the type of building, colors & styles, landscaping, and other exterior features allowed within that area. The CC&Rs also define for each area the governing body that approves changes and oversees compliance.

State legislation was passed in 1985 called the ‘Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act’ that allowed the formation of new entities called ‘home owners associations’ (HOAs) within existing city boundaries. These local HOAs are responsible not only for the CC&Rs but also for maintenance of ‘common areas’ within that HOA’s limits. These common areas are property jointly owned by all of the homeowners in a given association.

East of Shell Blvd and the other areas that were developed after 1985 were all incorporated as ‘home owners associations’. Almost 80% of residences in the Shores are in our 20+ individual HOAs.

But much of Redwood Shores west of Shell Blvd was built before 1985 so was unable to take advantage of the Davis-Stirling Act and organize into HOAs. But even non-HOA areas west of Shell are governed by a set of CC&Rs.

If you own a home in the Shores and did not receive a copy of the CC&Rs, contact the realtor from whom you bought your home. It is the responsibility of the selling realtor that a set of CC&Rs be given to each homeowner when that home is purchased.

CC&R’s ensure that each homeowner keeps their home and landscaping attractive and in good condition. This is just another of the many things that makes the Shores such a beautiful and GREAT place to live!

 

Join Our Email List

With over 5,400 residents and 700 business in the Shores, we use our email list to keep you informed about our community events during the year. If you would like to be on our email list, simply click on the “Join Our Email List” button in the Feedback section of RSCA.org to sign up.

Our Privacy Policy:

Your information is for use only by Redwood Shores Community Association in contacting you. We do not share, sell, or provide our contact list to any other person or organization.

— Harris Rogers, RSCA President

Nixle, The Free Public Safety Info Service

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In keeping with their great, ongoing work to stay on the cutting edge of technology, our Redwood City Police Department has embarked on another way to communicate with the community. They have just implemented an application called Nixle, and it provides for subscribers (free) to receive public safety info via text and email. When it comes to public safety, I think it’s fair to say that the more ways of communicating, the better. So this is a great new way to be informed. Please read below, and be sure to visit www.redwoodcity.org/police where you can read the full news release, and to see their other online services, including neighborhood crime maps.

The Redwood City Police Department today announced it is now using Nixle to send important and timely public safety information to residents. Nixle Connect allows the department to communicate with the public via text/SMS, e-mail, and Internet posts at no cost. Nixle will be used as the primary resource for distributing secure information to residents over the department’s web-based platforms.

Communications from the Redwood City Police will range from emergency alerts to routine day-to-day information including traffic advisories, missing persons reports, public safety announcements, press releases for high-profile cases, awards and recognition for department efforts, and other relevant information to the area.

VISIT THE REDWOOD CITY PAGE, POWERED BY NIXLE

Redwood City residents can sign up to receive free, real-time safety information by texting their zip code to 888777 or by visiting www.redwoodcity.org/police , or www.nixle.com . Once registered, users can customize the types of alerts they wish to receive via text, email, and online.

President’s Memo: March 2012

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LOCK UP! LOOK OUT!

There were two residential burglaries in the Shores this past month, and in both it was a neighbor who called police because “something didn’t look right.” In one RWC Police arrested a suspect still in the home, in the other the neighbor took a photo of the suspect’s vehicle which directly led to another arrest.

Please LOCK UP! Lock your cars, lock your homes, and don’t encourage a break in by leaving valuables in plain sight.

And LOOK OUT for your neighbors. If it doesn’t look right, call the police — 369-3333 — and let them check it out.

If you SEE something, SAY something! Don’t hesitate to call and let the police check out anything that looks suspicious or out of the ordinary.

Interesting…

The rains came, the crows went… at least in my neighborhood. The common American crow is considered by wildlife officials a “species of least concern”, that is, not in any way threatened or in need of protection. Crows and ravens seem to be showing up all over the Bay Area, and as best I can tell, there’s not a thing we can do about them, EXCEPT:

Keep your yard clean, and keep garbage where they can’t get to it.

… and Unbelievable !

A man was spotted walking in the Shores on New Year’s Eve with what appeared to be a rifle or shotgun. Several RWC Police cars & officers responded immediately, and among those who responded was our new Chief of Police.

The next day the Chief received a complaint from a Shores resident about “too many police here on New Year’s Eve.”

You have got to be kidding…

Door-to-door Solicitations?

Many areas of the Shores are posted for no door-to-door solicitations, but we still seem to be getting (these mostly young) people going from home to home with one sales pitch or another. With only a few religious or charitable exceptions, anyone going door to door should have a Solicitation Permit issued by Redwood City.

Remember, knocking on doors is one way to find out if anyone is home or if the home might be empty.

If a solicitor shows up at your front door, ask to see their Permit and identification. If they can’t provide those two items, call RWC Police immediately. Even if their purposes turns out to be legitimate, RWC Police want the chance to check on these people.

Finally ?

Keep an eye on our web site, RSCA.org, for at least a preliminary document regarding things we can begin to do to deal with our Canada goose problem here in the Shores. [EDITOR’S NOTE: The Redwood City Goose Control Document is available now, and can be found by clicking here.]

The City Attorney, Pamela Thompson, and her staff have been diligent in helping to resolve some small technical issues involving actions on private vs. public properties, and I want to thank Ms. Thompson and the City Attorney’s office for their help in advising on what might have been some minor “gotcha’s” and for proposing changes to an old City ordinance that conflicted with state & federal wildlife regulations and recommendations.

While we had hoped to have every aspect covered, I suspect there are going to be some small details that we’ll need to resolve as we go through this year.

RSCA: What We Do

The primary purpose of the Redwood Shores Community Association (RSCA) is to be THE advocate on issues that affect the quality of life in the Shores.

The mission of the Association is to represent the interests of both residents and businesses in Redwood Shores. RSCA is an inclusive organization that recognizes and celebrates the diversity of our community.

RSCA endeavors to:

  1. Provide a forum for united community action by all groups within the Shores, and to assist homeowners and maintenance organizations in achieving common goals.
  2. Disseminate, by newsletter and other means, information of significance to the Shores utilizing the PILOT (a mothly newsletter), the internet, and our roadway signboards.
  3. Encourage and promote a safe and healthful environment for family life.
  4. Present social, cultural, and other events for the Shores community.
  5. Advocate fairness in taxation of property in the Shores.
  6. Encourage responsible growth of property development in the Shores.
  7. Carry on any business in furtherance of any of the above activities, or any other activities which the Association shall deem to be in the community interest.
  8. Implement the CC&Rs of Redwood Shores Subdivisions No. 1 and No. 2, Marlin Subdivisions No. 1 through and including No. 6, and Dolphin Subdivisions No. 1 and No. 2, to appoint members of the Architectural Design Review Boards to those Subdivisions, and to coordinate the enforcement of the CC&Rs of Redwood Shores Subdivisions No. 1 and No. 2 Marlin Subdivisions No. 1 through and including No. 6 and Dolphin Subdivisions No. 1 and No. 2 with the City of Redwood City.

 

Join Our Email List

With over 5,400 residents and 700 business in the Shores, we use our email list to keep you informed about our community events during the year. If you would like to be on our email list, simply click on the “Join Our Email List” button in the Feedback section of RSCA.org to sign up.

Our Privacy Policy:

Your information is for use only by Redwood Shores Community Association in contacting you. We do not share, sell, or provide our contact list to any other person or organization.

— Harris Rogers, RSCA President

Redwood City Appoints New Police Chief

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Concluding a rigorous, exhaustive search and evaluation process, Redwood City has appointed a new police chief. Meynard “J.R.” Gamez, currently a Captain with the San Jose Police Department, will begin work as Redwood City’s new Police Chief on December 2, 2011. His annual salary will be $186,984.

Mr. Gamez has been with the San Jose Police Department for over 25 years, where he rose through the ranks from patrol officer to Captain. During his tenure there, he gained the extensive professional experience, knowledge, skill and commitment to community that made him the top candidate to oversee the Redwood City Police Department.

“J.R.’s track record is exemplary, across the entire range of key attributes that contribute to a dedicated, creative, and successful leader,” said Bob Bell, City Manager of Redwood City. “We had a number of truly excellent candidates for this position and it was a very difficult decision. J.R.’s focus on creating partnerships, bridge-building, and community involvement, as well as his vast experience in San Jose, showed us that he’s the right choice for our community.”

Throughout his career in law enforcement, Mr. Gamez has consistently exhibited the highest professional standards, and has achieved an outstanding reputation for innovation, creative problem-solving, and mentoring. Among the accomplishments of which he is most proud, Mr. Gamez points to his leadership in Community Policing and Safe Neighborhoods initiatives, his groundbreaking work in gang suppression and rebuilding programs, mentoring youth with the Hispanic Development Corporation’s Youth Leadership Conference and in various elementary school programs, and his role as a divisional co-chair of the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force. “This opportunity to lead the forward-thinking, talented, professional staff of the Redwood City Police Department is unparalleled, and I’m very excited about becoming part of this very special city” said Mr. Gamez. “I’m a big believer in building long-term, trusting partnerships that facilitate cooperation and directly address quality-of -life issues, and I know this belief is shared throughout the Redwood City community. The men and women of the Redwood City Police Department have an exceptional reputation as a professional and dedicated organization, and it’s a privilege to serve on the same team. The future looks very bright here, and I’m proud to have the opportunity to contribute.”

The Redwood City Police Chief position has been filled on an interim basis internally since the retirement of former chief Louis Cobarruviaz in January of this year.

An Important Message from The Redwood City Police

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As we draw closer to the holidays, we are continuing to see an increase in day time residential burglaries throughout our beautiful city. As our investigations unit continues to actively investigate each and every case, we’re continuing to seeing that the majority of these burglaries are occurring during the day when people are typically at work, as the suspect(s) enter unsecured rear yards, and enter un-occupied homes via an unlocked sliding glass, garage door, unlocked, or open windows. These suspects are simply looking for easy access to your homes. They typically take laptops, cash that’s been left out, iPods/iPads, and jewelry that they can quickly sell to a pawn shop for cash.

The pattern of these suspect(s) is that they usually knock at the front door to see if your home. When they get no response at the door, they move to the backyard and start checking for unlocked doors, removing screens, and checking for unsecured windows. If by chance you answer the door and ask what they want, the suspect(s) will come up with an excuse for being at your door, leave you scratching your head, and simply move on to the next quiet house. These burglars rarely travel alone and typically have at least one other person with them as the “look-out,” somewhere on the sidewalk, or riding around on a bicycle in the street. Of the more than a dozen arrests that our patrol staff and detectives have made in the past few months, the age range of the suspects has been 15 to 21-years-old.

You and your neighbors are the eyes and ears for the police department. Be vigilant of this behavior and don’t hesitate to call 911 for anything you believe to be suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Some of our recent arrests of these burglars have occurred because of a great neighbor who was observant and called in what they believed to be suspicious activity or in fact a burglary in progress. Our department is actively working on solving these crimes as we send undercover units out on a regular basis to patrol your neighborhoods and looking for subjects casing your neighborhoods.

Please share this information with your neighbors and help us in reducing these very intrusive crimes. Please lock your gates to your backyards and be sure to lock all doors and windows. If its with in your budget, burglar alarms are a very good deterrent. You can go to our website http://www.redwoodcity.org/police/ to see other great prevention tips and hotlines for reporting graffiti, crime tips, or parking enforcement. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter for facts and helpful resources to help keep your neighborhoods safe and beautiful.

— Ken Faljean
— Community Policing
— Redwood City Police Department

Police Service Award & Police Heroism Award

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The Redwood City Police Department congratulates Officer Perry Garcia and Officer Ryan Adler for being the 2010 recipients of the Police Service Award and Police Heroism Award sponsored by the Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs.

The Awards were presented on Friday, April 1st at the 46th Annual Police and Firefighter Awards Banquet which celebrates the outstanding work of these officers for the benefit of the citizens of the City of Redwood City.

 

Peninsula Council of Lions Service Award Recipient – Officer Perry Garcia

Officer Perry Garcia has been a dedicated volunteer instructor for the Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) Karate Program since 1999. During his 11-year tenure, Officer Garcia volunteered over 2,400 hours and helped to mentor over 700 at-risk and potentially at-risk youth in the program. Officer Garcia believed the study of Karate could instill concentration, focus, confidence, respect and humility in local youth who might otherwise not have the opportunity to develop these valuable qualities. Many of his students competed in both local and regional tournaments, and the program successfully graduated 8 black belts along with numerous brown belts. Officer Garcia’s personal commitment to at-risk youth in Redwood City is a positive and lasting connection not only him, but also to the Redwood City Police Department.

 

Peninsula Council of Lions Heroism Award Nominee – Officer Ryan Adler

On April 14th 2010, Officer Ryan Adler responded to a call of a 9 year-old child choking and not breathing. When Officer Adler arrived at the scene, he found the child had gone into a state of unconsciousness. Officer Adler administered the Heimlich maneuver and was ultimately able to expel the obstruction to the child’s airway which restored the child’s breathing. The child was transported to the hospital, but made a full recovery thanks to Officer Adler’s quick actions that helped save the life of this 9 year-old child.

New Crime Reporting Tool

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The Redwood City Police Department is pleased to announce that its new online reporting web pages are up and running, making reporting non-emergency crimes more convenient and expedient for community members. The online reporting application is located at www.redwoodcity.org/police and is available in both English and Spanish.

With this new level of customer service, the public can report crimes such as hit and run, identity theft, vandalism, lost property, harassing phone calls, theft, and others – or can offer a crime tip to the police (crime tips can be made anonymously, although it helps to have contact information in case the police need to follow up).

There are a number of community benefits to Redwood City’s new online reporting tool: members of the public can file a report anytime, anywhere with an Internet connection, and will not have to wait for an officer to be dispatched. Anyone filing an online report will receive an immediate temporary case number with the ability to print out a copy of the information submitted. Once the case has been reviewed by police staff, a permanent Redwood City Police Department case number will be assigned and a copy of the official report will be accessible via email free of charge. For hit and run, theft from a vehicle, and vandalism the online crime reporting tool can accept up to two photos. And, anyone using the online reporting system can be assured that all information collected is securely transferred to the City’s servers through an encrypted channel.

Redwood City’s new online crime reporting tool not only makes it more convenient for community members to report non-emergency crimes, but also helps keep more police officers on the streets more of the time, protecting the life and property of the community they serve. A report can be made online if the following criteria are met:

  1. The crime occurred within the city limits of Redwood City;
  2. The suspect is unknown or cannot be described; and,
  3. The reported incident is not an emergency (in an emergency, dial 911)

For information about this service or to use this tool, please visit www.redwoodcity.org/police

Redwood City PAL Names “Citizen of the Year” Award Winner

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The Board of Directors of the Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) has announced that the 2010 PAL Citizen of the Year Award has been conferred upon Perry Garcia, an officer with the Redwood City Police Department. This award is in recognition of Officer Garcia’s many contributions to PAL, and his high standards of community involvement.

“The PAL Board recognizes and is grateful for Perry’s 12 years of volunteer service with over 2,400 hours as the PAL karate instructor,” said Board President Jim Gordon. “With his own black belt in karate, Perry’s efforts and passion to pass along his knowledge, skill, and life lessons to our youth has been outstanding. On behalf of the Board of Directors, it’s Members at Large, the PAL Advisory Board, and the community of Redwood City, I congratulate Perry as the 2010 PAL Citizen of the Year.”

Officer Garcia’s volunteer service with PAL is exemplified by his mentoring of over 700 youth who have participated in the PAL karate program over the years. His well-known patience as an instructor, his dedication to working with new students, and his encouragement of them to achieve their best in both karate and in life, make him an outstanding role model. Under Office Garcia’s leadership, students competed in local and regional tournaments, with eight of his students graduating with black belts. He’s well-known throughout the PAL community, and the greater Redwood City community, for his generous commitment to helping the youth of Redwood City reach their goals, and in helping PAL to fulfill its core purpose of “Helping youth learn honest values, develop assets, and increase life skills.”

Redwood City PAL focuses on intervention, prevention, and alternative programs for at-risk and economically challenged youth in Redwood City. PAL provides a positive influence on thousands of children and teen lives each year with its many youth programs and its great volunteers who give their time and energy to help build a great community. PAL’s website is www.redwoodcitypal.com.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s electronic newsletter or other City documents at www.redwoodcity.org/egov.