December 2013 - Vol.06, No.12 
In This Issue
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
Rides-for-Toys 2013
Cops Care Fantasy Flight
Safety First Holiday Safety Tips for Last Minute Shoppers

Events Calendar


December 18                         

Challenge Team Reason for the Season Donation Drive - Toys, Coats, Blankets at DPS Headquarters

7:00 a.m. -  9:00 a.m.

 

December 24         

Christmas Eve, City Offices Closed

 

December 25         

Christmas Day, City Offices Closed

 

December 31         

New Year's Eve, City Offices Closed

 

January 1                              

New Year's Day, City Offices Closed

 

January 15

PF Chang's 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Fundraiser for Explorer Post 417

(408)730-7140

 

January 20                            

Martin Luther King Jr. Day City Offices Closed

 

January 29                            

Challenge Team Meeting 

7:00 a.m.  -  8:30 a.m. 

 

 

Message from the Chief 

The month of December always seems to be very busy and this year is no exception. Community events, family commitments and holiday preparations add to our already busy schedules. This is also true for the members of the Department of Public Safety who participated in a variety of community events. The following is a partial list of those events: 
  • Sunnyvale Community Services Annual Holiday Auction
  • Sunnyvale Senior Center Breakfast with Santa
  • Downtown Tree Lighting Celebration
  • Rides for Toys
  • Cops Care Cancer Foundation Fantasy Flight
In addition to participation in the community events, DPS will be increasing enforcement and prevention activities. This will include the deployment of a specialized enforcement team dedicated to proactively addressing property crimes, such as residential burglary. DPS effectively used this strategy during the last holiday season to thwart burglary, robbery and drug-related crimes. As a reminder, please make sure to call DPS anytime you observe what you believe to be suspicious behavior or a crime being committed in your presence. Be sure to lock your doors, activate alarms and do not leave packages in plain view.

Public Safety Officers will also be looking out for drunk drivers, distracted drivers and other unsafe driving violations. On the Fire and EMS side of the department, officers will be extra vigilant regarding fire dangers such as unsafe holiday decorations, hazardous cooking practices and persons who have physically pushed themselves too hard during the holiday season. Please consider your personal safety and the safety of your family and friends throughout the season.

As we close out another year, we would like to thank all the members of the community who have helped us maintain a safe environment through preventative efforts and by calling the department when something was amiss.

May you and your families have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!

 

Chief Grgurina         

TEL (408) 730-7140
TDD (408) 730-7501            

or email to: [email protected]    


National Impaired Driving Prevention Month     

  December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month - a time to focus our efforts toward recognizing the risks and reducing the prevalence of drugged driving. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is proud to join Administrator David Strickland and the staff of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in observing National Impaired Driving Prevention Month and working to stop drugged driving all year long.

 

Drugged driving presents a deadly risk to everyone on the road. According to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 1 in 3 drivers who were killed in a motor vehicle crash in 2010 with known test results tested positive for drugs (illicit substances as well as over-the-counter and prescription medications).[1] Additional FARS data showed that while the overall number of drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States has declined, involvement of drugs in fatal crashes increased by 6 percentage points over the past 6 years.

 

We commend efforts by individuals, communities, and states to combat these risks and work toward improving our public health and safety. One such individual is Ed Wood, who is recognized as one of ONDCP's Advocates for Action because of his work promoting drugged driving laws and drug per se legislation, which he began pursuing after his son was killed by a drugged driver. ONDCP urges all states to adopt drug per se laws. We also applaud state efforts such as California's recent signing of Assembly Bill 2552, which, when enacted in 2014, will differentiate between drunk driving, drugged driving, and driving under the combined influence of drugs and alcohol.

 

While these endeavors are valuable steps toward decreasing the risks of drugged driving, there is much more we can and must do. I look forward to working with Administrator Strickland throughout December to make the most of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, and I encourage you to get involved, as well.

 

Learn about NHTSA's campaigns Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, and visit our Drugged Driving page for additional information. We hope you will spread awareness about drugged driving and encourage your family and friends to "drive with reason" this holiday season.

 

Rides-for-Toys 2013  

On December 8, Sunnyvale DPS hosted the annual Rides-for-Toys that took place at the Toys-R-Us parking lot in Sunnyvale. Rides-For-Toys gives community members the opportunity to donate toys and go for a ride on a fire engine. Families from all over Sunnyvale donated more than 200 new toys while enjoying the fire engine rides and taking pictures with Public Safety Officers.

 

The event ran from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and more than 200 toys were collected. The toys were delivered to Sunnyvale Community Services for distribution to Sunnyvale families in need this holiday season. Four Sunnyvale Fire Engines were used to provide rides. PSO Rego entertained the crowd with holiday songs while PSO Barba provided safety education to participants as they waited in line.

 

Sunnyvale DPS family members Darren Chetcuti, Michael O'Brien, and Christopher Dunson helped collect all the toys and stacked them onto an antique fire engine. Our Sunnyvale Explorer Volunteers ensured people safely got on and off the engines and made sure everyone wore their seat belt. The event would not have been successful without the support of all the many volunteer participants which included: DPS Explorers Post 417, DPS family volunteers, Sunnyvale Community Service volunteers, Photographer Dave Thompson and Len Williams of the Santa Clara County Fire Associates. A very special thanks to Public Safety Specialist Dori Fontaine who worked behind-the-scenes to make this a fun and successful event.

 

Cops Care Fantasy Flight

Just over 10 years ago, a young girl stricken with childhood cancer, set out on a mission to raise funds for police officers in her area. She wasn't doing it because she was looking for something to do. She wasn't doing it because she was told to. She was doing it because she heard that there were police officers in need and she thought she could help. She told one of my colleagues once, that police officers are always helping others, so it was time for someone else to help them. This is a powerful message from such a young little girl. Helping others because they need it and it was the right thing to do.

 

San Jose Police Officer Brian Simaru, a childhood cancer survivor himself, couldn't believe what this little girl was doing to help others. Brian and his co-workers at SJPD decided that they need to follow in her footsteps and help others. Brian wanted to give back to the hospitals, staff and wonderful people that helped him through his cancer stricken years as a child, but he would never be able to find them all to thank. Instead, Brian founded the Cops Care Cancer Foundation.

 

The Cops Care Cancer Foundation provides financial assistance to children and their families who have been stricken with cancer. The foundation provides financial donations to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital as well as research and support programs to help families in need. The foundation also provides happiness to the children surviving with cancer in the hospitals in the way of toys, games, and other fun-to-do arts and crafts supplies.

 

Each year, the foundation raises money to host a special event called Fantasy Flight for the children and their families. Fantasy Flight is a special day for these children surviving with cancer. It's one day out of the year when no one looks at them differently and they get to be around other families that know the hardships and understand the pain they each endure every day. It's the one day out of the year that they just get to be normal kids having fun.

 

On Saturday, December 14, Sunnyvale DPS partnered with officers from San Jose Police and Fire Departments, Fremont Police, the California Highway Patrol, Palo Alto Police, San Francisco Police, the California Army National Guard and the Cops Care Cancer Foundation for the 10th annual Fantasy Flight held this year at Juniper Networks and Mineta San Jose International Airport. This year the foundation supported over 50 families with more than 150 children in attendance. The day started at the Juniper Networks Aspiration Dome where the children and families were entertained by Magician Andy. This was just a starting point. The real adventure began when the almost 400 participants loaded up into the 56 vehicle procession including SWAT vehicles, police cars, fire engines, military Humvees and the Sharks fire engine! This motorcade stretched more than a mile long and traveled from Sunnyvale to the Mineta San Jose International Airport to meet with Santa Claus. Unfortunately, Santa's sleigh had problems so the San Jose Police Department's Air Division had to use their police helicopter to pick up Santa and deliver him to the waiting and excited children. Although the kids didn't get to see the reindeer, they each got a special treat when Santa delivered his presents to them and they were able to take family photos together.

 

The Fantasy Flight is all about helping make wishes come true and providing a day of fun for these brave children who are fighting for their lives. For more information about Cops Care Cancer Foundation, please visit them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cops-Care-Cancer-Foundation/308840688070

 

 

Safety First Holiday Safety Tips for Last Minute Shoppers

Shopping in Stores  

  • Do not buy more than you can carry.  Plan ahead by taking a friend with you or ask a store employee to help you carry your packages to the car.  
  • Save all receipts.  Print and save all confirmations from your online purchases.   Start a file folder to keep all receipts together and to help you verify credit card or bank statements as they come in. 
  • Consider alternate options to pay for your merchandise, such as onetime or multiuse disposable credit cards or money orders, at online stores and auction sites. 
  • Wait until asked before taking out your credit card or checkbook.  An enterprising thief would love to shoulder surf to get your account information. 
  • Tell a security guard or store employee if you see an unattended bag or package.  The same applies if you are using mass transit. 

Walking to and From Your Car 

  • Deter pickpockets. Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet inside a coat or front trouser pocket. 
  • Have your keys in hand when approaching your vehicle. Check the back seat and around the car before getting in. 
  • Do not leave packages visible in your car windows. Lock them in the trunk or, if possible, take them directly home.

Shopping with Small Children 

  • If you are shopping with children, make a plan in case you are separated from each other.
  • Select a central meeting place.
  • Teach them to know they can ask mall personnel or store security employees if they need help. 

Shopping Online 

  • Before surfing the Internet, secure your personal computers by updating your security software. Everyone's computer should have anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam software, as well as a good firewall installed. Visit www.bytecrime.org for free software downloads.
  • Keep your personal information private and your password secure. Do not respond to requests to "verify" your password or credit card information unless you initiated the contact. Legitimate businesses will not contact you in this manner.
  • Beware of "bargains" from companies with whom you are unfamiliar-if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
  • Use secure websites for purchases. Look for the icon of a locked padlock at the bottom of the screen or "https" in the URL address.
  • Shop with companies you know and trust. Check for background information if you plan to buy from a new or unfamiliar company. 

To find more useful shopping tips and personal safety information, visit the National Crime Prevention Council's website

 

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