San Diego County Sheriff - November 2014

Welcome to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Newsletter

The holiday season is fast approaching. With that in mind, the Sheriff's Department has many events and programs in place to keep you and your loved ones safe. You will learn more about them in this month's newsletter.

With so many people traveling for Thanksgiving, our deputies will be out in force to make sure drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs are taken off our roads. Drinking and driving is never acceptable, especially during the holidays.

If you're hosting a Thanksgiving get-together, make sure you keep alcohol out of the hands of children. Know your responsibility as a Social Host. If you are caught providing alcohol to a minor, you will go to jail and be fined.

I invite all of you to help us put a smile on a child's face who is spending the holidays at Rady Children's Hospital. Bring a new teddy bear or stuffed animal to the Teddy Bear Drive on November 18th. Join the Sheriff's Department and other local law enforcement agencies as we collect teddy bears that will be delivered to young patients. It's an annual tradition we are proud to be a part of.

If you have a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, we have a valuable service that could save their life if they get lost. Read more about the Take Me Home Program. It's free to sign up and will help our deputies find your loved one should they wander from home.

The Sheriff's Department is looking for talented and motivated men and women to join our agency. Watch a video featuring one of our newest deputies and hear her explain why she chose a career with the Sheriff's Department.

Enjoy this month's e-newsletter!

Stay safe,

Bill Gore, Sheriff

San Diego County

Become A Sheriff's Deputy

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is hiring. There is growing need for deputies, especially women.

One person who knows first-hand the rewards of a career with the Sheriff's Department is Camille Cutler. The 29-year old just graduated from the 100th class at the San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Academy at Miramar College.

Click on the video above to hear Camille talk about her time at the academy and what inspired her to become a deputy for the Sheriff's Department.

Recruitment for sworn positions opens during the first business day of each month. If you have questions about the hiring process, you can chat with a Sheriff's recruiter on:

Monday, November 3rd

10:00 a.m. to noon

@SDSheriff

Just type your questions on our Twitter page and a recruiter is available to explain the application process to you.

Are you ready to put a star in your future? Join the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Visit www.joinsdsheriff.net

or email recruit@sdsheriff.org.

Teddy Bear Drive

Help brighten the holidays for a sick child at Rady Children's Hospital. The Sheriff's Department is co-hosting this year's San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive. Join us on:

Tuesday, November 18th

5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Chick-fil-A Sports Arena

3570 Sports Arena Boulevard

Bring a NEW, huggable teddy bear or stuffed animal (with tags attached) to Chick-fil-A Sports Arena and receive a FREE Chick-fil-A meal.

The family-friendly event will feature plenty of fun things to see and do. Meet members of the Sheriff's specialized units. The Sheriff's Sky Watch tower will be on display, as well as other Sheriff's vehicles.

All the teddy bear donations will be delivered to young patients in December.

If you can't make it to Chick-fil-A on November 18th, you can drop off a new teddy bear to any Sheriff's Station or Substation throughout the month of November. For locations, click here.

Help us make this year's Teddy Bear Drive a huge success!

Thanksgiving DUI Enforcement

The Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA) says Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year.

With more people on the road, Sheriff's Deputies will be out in force during the long Thanksgiving weekend to stop drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The Sheriff's Department has gotten a huge boost in its mission to keep impaired drivers off our roads. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) has awarded the agency a grant worth more than $820,000 that will fund a year's worth of special operations and campaigns designed to stop DUI drivers. That includes checkpoints, patrols, warrant sweeps and traffic enforcement.

If you're driving anywhere this Thanksgiving weekend, don't forget to buckle your seat belt. Many car crash injuries and deaths could be prevented with the simple click of a seat belt. Buckle Up America - Every Trip, Every Time!

If you are caught drinking and driving, you will go to jail. Remember: DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER! To watch a video on the high price of drinking and driving, click here.

Social Host

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) calls Thanksgiving Eve the biggest night for underage drinking.

The refrigerator and liquor cabinets are stocked, parents are distracted by relatives and dinner preparations and older siblings or college-age friends are around.

There's also concern about minors getting behind the wheel after a night of partying, only to crash and possibly kill.

The Sheriff's Department doesn't want to see this happen especially when it's 100% preventable. Remember, it is illegal to provide alcohol to minors. There are also laws in the county against underage drinking parties.

Know your responsibility as a "Social Host." A Social Host is anyone who knowingly hosts underage drinking parties on property that they own, lease or otherwise control.

Social Host Ordinance assigns responsibility to those who knew or should have known a drinking party was occurring on their property. Learn more about the Social Host rules by clicking here.

Take Me Home Program

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. If you have a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer's or any other form of dementia, you're encouraged to register for the Sheriff's Take Me Home program.

It is a free and confidential database only available to local law enforcement agencies. It contains photos, crucial medical information and special care instructions for people with Alzheimer's and likely to wander off or children with special needs.

It helps to know during a search if the patient is a non-verbal, doesn't want to be touched or would only respond to a certain name.

To register for this free service, go to: www.sdsheriff.net/tmh.

Wanted Fugitive

Every month, the Sheriff's Department works with the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force (FTF) and Crime Stoppers to find and arrest people wanted for committing crimes.

Be on the lookout for Jacob Rice. He is wanted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, felony vandalism and drug possession while armed.

Rice has been known to frequent the South Bay area of San Diego County, including Imperial Beach.

If you see Rice, do not approach him. He is considered ARMED AND DANGEROUS.

Anyone with information on Rice's whereabouts is urged to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. You could be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

To learn more about wanted fugitives in San Diego County, visit www.sdsheriff.net/wanted.

Stay Safe San Diego.

Issue: 45

In This Issue

Become A Sheriff's Deputy

Teddy Bear Drive

Thanksgiving DUI Enforcement

Social Host

Take Me Home Program

WANTED:

The Bearded Bandit

Take a good look at the man in this surveillance photo. He has been nicknamed the "Bearded Bandit" and is wanted in connection with a bank robbery in Vista.

It happened just after 9:00 a.m. at the Chase Bank located in the 1600 block of South Melrose Drive on October 15th.

The suspect walked up to the teller and handed over a demand note, which mentioned he would use a gun if he didn't get money.

No gun was seen and no one was hurt.

The "Bearded Bandit" is also believed to have robbed a Wells Fargo Bank along Saturn Boulevard in Palm City (near Imperial Beach) on October 7th.

If you see this man or recognize him, DO NOT APPROACH HIM. He should be considered ARMED and DANGEROUS.

Call 9-1-1 or the Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200.

You could be eligible to receive up to a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Just call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.

Operation Summer's End

It is the Sheriff's Department's goal to provide the highest quality public safety service in an effort to make San Diego the safest urban county in the nation.

On October 11th, 40 people were arrested following Operation Summer's End in Santee, Lakeside and unincorporated El Cajon. Click on the video above to see highlights from the day-long operation.

Those arrested were booked on charges of possessing drugs and paraphernalia, as well as possessing drugs for sale. Nearly $1,000 worth of methamphetamine was also seized during the operation.

The Sheriff's Department works with County Probation to ensure parolees and probationers are complying with the conditions of their release. The goal is to identify parolees and probationers involved in crime and their associates.

If you see something suspicious, say something. Call the Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at

(858) 565-5200.

You can remain anonymous and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Call

Crime Stoppers at

(888) 580-8477.

Who Murdered Edward Harold Ramsey III?

The Sheriff's Homicide Detail wants your help solving the murder of a man who was shot in Spring Valley a decade ago.

On June 18, 2004, 27-year-old Edward Harold Ramsey III was walking along the 3000 block of Central Avenue when he was shot. Despite paramedics' best efforts, Ramsey died at the scene.

Witnesses say two black men were seen running from the scene. They drove off in a white car.

No suspects have ever been identified and no arrests have been made.

If you have any information on the murder of Edward Harold Ramsey III, call the Sheriff's Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321.

You can remain anonymous and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.

Help solve other murders and learn more about our cold case files.

Holiday Watch

This holiday season, you will see Sheriff's Deputies fanned out across San Diego County to keep you safe.

It's all part of the Sheriff's "Holiday Watch" crime-fighting initiative. Criminals never take a break, especially during the holidays.

That's why deputies will be conducting extra patrols of shopping centers and high traffic areas during November and December. Crime Prevention Specialists and members of the Sheriff's Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) will also meet with the public to help them protect themselves from crime.

Here are some upcoming "Holiday Watch" events:

Wednesday, November 19th

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Imperial Beach Promenade

9th Street and Palm Avenue,

Imperial Beach

Thursday, November 20th

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Bonnie Brae Shopping Center

5080 Bonita Road,

Bonita

Thursday, December 4th

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Lincoln Acres Library

2725 Granger Avenue,

Unincorporated National City

Look for a complete list of "Holiday Watch" events throughout San Diego County in the December edition of the Sheriff's e-newsletter.

Simon Says: Bike Safety

Simon the Safety Bloodhound wants children everywhere to make safety a priority when riding a bicycle.

Click on the video above to watch Simon's safety video.

Taking a few moments to put a helmet on and look both ways before riding a bike across the street could save your child's life.

You can learn more safety tips from Simon the Safety Bloodhound by visiting his webpage: www.sdsheriff.net/simon.

Veterans Day Holiday

San Diego County Sheriff's Department Stations, Substations and Headquarters will be closed for a federal holiday:

Tuesday, November 11th
Veterans Day

All detention facilities will remain open. The closure to the public of business offices will not impact deputies in the field or employees scheduled or on-call.

Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving

San Diego County Sheriff's Department Stations, Substations and Headquarters will be closed on:

Thursday, November 27th

(Thanksgiving Holiday)

Friday, November 28th

(County Holiday)

All detention facilities will remain open. The closure to the public of business offices will not impact deputies in the field or employees scheduled or on-call.

Jan Caldwell, Media Relations Director

Melissa Aquino, Media Relations

Sammy Castanon, Media Relations

San Diego County Sheriff's Department

"Keeping the peace since 1850"