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Councilmember Susan Wengraf   
Councilmember Susan Wengraf


 
Newsletter #51

                   

August, 2016

Friends and neighbors,

    Summer is flying by quickly. UC students will be returning to campus next week. Campaign season is in full swing. Schools will re-open shortly. City Council has been on break since the middle of July and will start back in session in mid-September. Streets are getting repaired and re-paved and I am gearing up for an exciting fall.

    As I write, many parts of the state are on fire, and I am reminded of how vulnerable we are here in Berkeley.  Friends of Five Creeks is organizing a work party to remove French Broom in Tilden Park.  Please take this opportunity to help reduce our fuel load.

Crime Meeting Follow-Up

    On July 6th, Councilmember Capitelli and I sponsored a community Town Hall meeting on crime in Berkeley. We had an excellent turn-out and many of you requested that I send you the information that was presented in electronic form. There are two documents provided here for you to read. The first is the power point presentation by Officer Brandon Smith. The second is a very detailed and informative report on security cameras by a very knowledgeable citizen. Since I scanned the hard copy, some of the links might not work, but you can copy the urls in the body of the report and connect to the information.

    We can reduce our vulnerability to crime by following the advice of our police department. In addition, cameras have become a cost-effective tool for discouraging criminals. I hope that you find both documents useful. 

My best,
 
 
 
 
Susan Wengraf
list  
Included in this newsletter is information about:
broomTILDEN BROOM CONTROL WORK PARTY
 
French broom      
CALL for HELP REDUCING FIRE-PRONE BROOM : PLEASE

Sat., Aug. 20, 10 AM - 12:30 PM

Help reduce fire danger in Tilden Regional Park -- and ride the historic merry-go-round!

    In the past few years, Friends of Five Creeks volunteers and residents from neighboring Park Hills have made great progress removing fire-prone French broom from the heart of Tilden Park, near Lake Anza and the century-old merry-go-round.

    But broom seeds sprout for many years -- and last winter's rains gave fast-growing seedlings a boost.

    On Sat., Aug. 20, enjoy nature while you help out for a couple of hours -- afterwards, we'll treat volunteers to a merry-go-round ride!  You can make a day of it by bringing your own picnic, taking a swim in Lake Anza, or exploring nearby Wildcat Gorge or other beautiful trails on your own.  Meet at Acacia Picnic Area, on Lake Anza Road -- parking is in the nearby overflow lot for Lake Anza.  Map here.  Tilden has no cell service, but you can find paper maps at kiosks throughout the park.  AC Transit bus #67 stops nearby at the merry-go-round.

    Tools, gloves, water, and snacks provided.  Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction, long pants, and long sleeves.  Light and heavy tasks for all, but because of the possibility of poison oak, this event is not for young children.

    Info at f5creeks@gmail.com, 510 848 9358, or www.fivecreeks.org. Groups of 10 or more please RSVP -- otherwise, just show up!
 
Back to top
crimeCRIME MEETING POWER POINT SLIDES
camerasHOME SECURITY CAMERA INFORMATION
Home Sec urity Camera Tips
 
1 . I suggest before buying a security camera system, take a look at several different security camera websites,and look at some of the YouTube videos they have online. These videos can show you how to install security cameras and how they work. Here are a few:

2. The better quality cameras on the market today are called IP Cameras. This type of camera can get a clear image of the suspect's face. Each camera has an IP address given to it. You need a good Internet system to run this kind of camera. IP cameras run on CAT 5e or CAT 6 cable. (CAT 6 is just a better quality cable) There is also a thicker CAT 5e cable you can buy if you have to run the cable outside of your house. Get at least a 2 megapixels camera for a better picture quality. They now have IP cameras that run as high as 8 megapixels (called 4K cameras).

You should get a camera that will record 30 frames per second (30 fps) at 1080p. Anything less than that is dropping out the image and won't take a clear video of the suspect. Be careful when picking out your camera system. Some will say, 1080p, but will only record at 15fps or 7fps. This lower frame rate makes a choppy look to the video.












  want your camera low enough where a suspect can drape a bag over it.

29. After you mount your camera to your home, use clear silicone around the edge of your camera mount where it is attached to the wall of your home to avoid water getting inside the home or inside the camera. Do not add the silicone until you are completely done, have tested the camera for over a week, and you are positive on the location. The metal can sometimes cause electrical interference.

  Here are some vendors of security camera systems:

 
Susan Wengraf
Berkeley City Council District 6
510-981-7160
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