| San Diego County Sheriff - July 2016 |
|
Welcome to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Newsletter
The Border Fire in the Campo, Potrero and Tecate areas burned more than 7,600 acres and destroyed five homes. It's a reminder of the risks we face living in a beautiful county with a warm climate.
Keep reading to learn how you can avoid scams that follow after a brush fire. We also have tips on how you can prepare for a disaster.
Inmates in our jails are also finding a way to pay their debt to society by working on the fire lines. Watch our video to learn more.
Summer is in full swing.
This edition of our e-newsletter is full of events to help keep your family safe.
There are fun activities for kids from read
ing events, to a car seat safety class to meeting our Search and Rescue dogs, as well as our Bloodhound Safety Puppet. You can also exchange ideas and concerns at our Coffee with the Community.
We hope to see you at the these events and we at the Sheriff's Department wish you a safe Fourth of July.
Bill Gore, Sheriff
San Diego County
|
|
|
It's happened to all of us. Whether it's a child playing with a phone, or keeping your finger on the "1" button too long, sitting with the phone in your pocket, or people calling about the same car crash then hanging up. If you accidentally dial 9-1-1, don't hang up.
Every call that comes into the Sheriff's Communication Center is taken seriously.
U nder some circumstances, when there's no one on the other end of the line, dispatchers are required to find the caller to see if there's actually an emergency. While the dispatcher is trying to make contact with the "hang-up" caller, another person with a true emergency could be put on hold.
You can save dispatchers that wasted time. If you call 9-1-1, even by mistake, stay on the line so dispatchers can verify you don't need help and they don't have to track you down.
Parents, even if a cell phone is disconnected from a service provider, it still can connect to 9-1-1 unless the battery is removed.
Click on the photo above to watch a public safety message from Sheriff Bill Gore. You can also follow us on
Vimeo.
You too can be at the forefront of providing emergency services.
|
It's heartbreaking to lose your home in a wildfire, but there are people who are willing to take advantage of an emotional situation to make money.
Scam artists arrive at disaster areas even before the fire is out. They have aggressive tactics and offers that are too good to be true. They also establish official-looking charity websites with the goal of stealing your personal information.
Our
Financial Crimes Unit has tips so you don't become a victim. Click on the photo above to watch our video. You can also follow us on
Vimeo.
For more Border Fire recovery assistance, click
here. To learn more on how you can prepare for a disaster including registering for
AlertSanDiego messages, click
here.
|
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is looking outside the box for support personnel on the fire lines. CAL FIRE recently visited the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility for women in Santee to recruit inmates for the fire camp program.
The fire camp program allows low-level offenders to complete their time outside as support crews to back up professional firefighters during wildfires all over the state.
Click on the photo above to see how the program gives inmates a second chance and helps with public safety.
You can also watch the video by following the Sheriff's Department on VIMEO.
|
This Fourth of July, Sheriff's Deputies will be cracking down on drunk drivers who put other people in danger. Deputies will conduct extra patrols starting Friday evening, July 1st through Monday evening, July 4th.
Plan a safe way home before the fun begins such as designating a sober driver, using ride-sharing services, taking a cab or using
public transportation.
AAA is
projecting nearly 43 million Americans will be traveling this Independence Day weekend, most of them by car. More cars on the road increases the potential for crashes, so don't forget to buckle up. It only takes three seconds, but it could mean the difference between life and death.
Another thing to keep in mind when heading to your holiday destination is locking your cars to prevent theft. You play an important role so you don't become a victim. Watch our safety video
Lock It or Lose It.
There are Fourth of July road closures, traffic delays and parking restrictions you need to know if you live in a city patrolled by the Sheriff's Department. To see a complete list, follow us on
Nixle.
|
Infant, convertible or booster seat? Finding the right car seat and installing it correctly is no easy task.
The North Coastal Sheriff's Station can help. Call us to set up an appointment for a car seat installation class. Instructors passed the National Child Passenger Safety Certification Training Program by Safe Kids Worldwide and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
By appointment only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Participants must sign a waiver to attend the class. Call
(760) 966-3500
. For a flyer, click
here.
|
Losing a child is one of life's greatest tragedies. It's especially heartbreaking when the death of a child is preventable. Heatstroke death is one tragedy you can help us prevent.
Even great parents can forget a sleeping child in the back seat. Part-time caregivers who are not used to regularly driving a child around can be especially prone to forgetting.
Ten minutes. That's all it takes for a car's temperature to reach deadly levels even on a cloudy day. That's why we should all remember to ask: "Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock." Set a reminder on your phone or place a toy in the front seat as a reminder to always check the back seat. You can also place your purse or briefcase next to the car seat to remind yourself your child is in the car.
Under Kaitlyn's Law, it is illegal to leave a child under the age of six alone in a car anywhere in California. The law is named in memory of six-month old Kaitlyn Russell from Riverside County. Her babysitter left her alone in a hot car nearly 16 years ago.
Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock.
|
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 23-year-old Janice Macedonio. She is wanted in connection with a 2014 murder of a man in Vista and for possession of a stolen vehicle.
She is known to spend time in Vista, but was last seen in the Cabo San Lucas area of Mexico.
Macedonio is believed to be living in that country with relatives who live in Tres Palos in the state of Guerrero. She may be traveling with her four-year-old daughter, Brooklyn.
MACEDONIO SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Janice Macedonio is urged to call
Crime Stoppers
.
You can remain anonymous and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information that leads to a felony arrest. Call
|
|
Put A Star In Your Future
|
|
|
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is hiring.
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, August 1
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.
Click on the above video to hear a deputy explain why she loves working for the Sheriff's Department. You can also watch the video by following us on
VIMEO.
|
Mark your calendars and save the date for National Night Out Against Crime.
Tuesday, August 2
More information is coming soon on our website
www.sdsheriff.net. There will be family-friendly events in a community near you.
Night Out Against Crime is held on the first Tuesday of August each year. It's a time for communities to come together, build relationships and stand united against crime.
Click on the photo above to watch video of all the fun we had last year making new friends or you can follow us on Vimeo.
|
|
|
|
Fourth of July Holiday
San Diego County Sheriff's Department Stations, Substations and Headquarters will be closed for the following federal 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 for on-call.
The
Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit is also reminding San Diegans it is illegal to possess, transport and use fireworks in the county.
If found guilty of committing this crime, you could be fined up to $50,000 and spend up to a year in prison.
Let's leave the fireworks to the professionals.
|
|
Annual Report
Take a look back at the accomplishments of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department in 2015. The annual report's theme is a Salute to Our Volunteers.
We are grateful for the service of nearly 2,000 volunteers who help us with our mission of making San Diego the safest urban county in the nation.
Click on the photo or
here to read the annual report.
|
|
Reading Day - Encinitas
Reading is an important part of a child's life. It teaches them everything from their A-B-C's to incredible stories filled with fun and wonder.
The North Coastal Sheriff's Station invites children of all ages to attend a special "Reading Day" event on:
Wednesday, July 20
Reading starts at 10:00 a.m.
Barnes & Noble
1040 N. El Camino Real Drive,
Encinitas
A Sheriff's Deputy will read to children and teach them the importance of reading. There will also be a Q&A with the deputy after story time.
Come out and join us for this family-friendly event!
|
|
Meet Wishbone the Beagle -
Poway
The Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) K-9 Team plays a valuable role in locating missing people across San Diego County.
When he's not busy assisting Sheriff's Deputies and SAR Volunteers, Wishbone the Beagle loves meeting children.
Wednesday, July 6
10:30 a.m.
Poway Branch Library
13137 Poway Road, Poway
During this event, children will be able to meet Wishbone and get their own free copy of his book.
|
|
Don't Run Around, Stay Found
Poway
It's time for summer vacations. Does your child know what to do if he or she gets lost?
Take them to a fun class with Simon the Sheriff's Safety Bloodhound.
Don't Run Around, Stay Found
Thursday, July 14
10:30 a.m.
Poway Branch Library
13137 Poway Road, Poway
Children will learn who they can ask for help and what they can do to avoid getting lost in the first place.
After the class, the children can get hugs from Simon and meet a Search and Rescue Beagle.
Kids also get free stickers and other cool giveaways.
|
|
Coffee with the Community
Community outreach is a top priority of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Members of the community should feel comfortable bringing problems related to safety and security to our staff.
The Imperial Beach Sheriff's Substation is holding a
Coffee with the Community on
Thursday, July 21
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bonita Library Community Room
4375 Bonita Road, Bonita
This gives the public a chance to chat with the station's command staff, deputies and crime prevention specialist in a casual setting and exchange ideas over a free cup of coffee.
Come out and make a difference in your community.
|
ID Theft Suspect -
North County
Take a good look at the man in this surveillance photo.
If you recognize him or know his whereabouts, the North Coastal Sheriff's Station Detectives would like to hear from you.
He is wanted on suspicion of stealing $90,000 from the bank account of a Los Angeles man.
He is believed to have used fake ID and documents to obtain a debit card. The debit card was then used to withdraw cash at Chase Bank branches in Carlsbad, Del Mar, San Marcos and Vista.
He is also suspected in similar crimes in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
If you recognize him or know his whereabouts, you can remain anonymous and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information that leads to a felony arrest. Call
Crime Stoppers at
(888) 580-8477.
|
|
Sharps Disposal Boxes
It is against state law to throw sharps including needles, syringes and lancets in regular trash or flush them in toilets.
Sharps in home waste can carry communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.
You can help protect your family and community from potential needle stick injuries by disposing of them properly at two Sheriff's locations with new sharps disposal boxes.
Imperial Beach Sheriff's Substation
845 Imperial Beach Boulevard, Imperial Beach
(619) 498-2400
North Coastal Sheriff's Station
175 North El Camino Real, Encinitas
(760) 966-3500
The boxes are installed outside the station and substation so you can dispose of needles there 24 hours per day.
Place your sharps in rigid containers no larger than a half gallon such coffee cans with lids or bleach bottles with caps.
For other locations of sharps disposal boxes, call
(877) 713-2784.
|
|
Mad About the Fair
You still have a few days left to go "Mad About the Fair." Check out our Crime Prevention booth at the Del Mar Arena until July 4th.
Sheriff's Recruiters are also on hand at the same location. R
ecruiters can explain the hiring process and answer any questions you may have about the job application process.
Plus, we have games and giveaways for kids.
|
|
