I hope that all of you receiving our newsletter have taken the time to subscribe to the DPS Nixle messaging service. To date, we have approximately 2500 subscribers. As a reminder, the messaging service is being utilized to notify residents of emergency public safety situations, community advisories such as traffic-related issues and information surrounding community events. This is a free service being offered to raise awareness regarding public safety issues and to make timely notifications of public safety operations. Subscription to the system can be easily accomplished by accessing the city website at http://local.nixle.com/sunnyvale-department-of-public-safety/ or by simply registering at http://www.nixle.com/ We invite you to review past postings to see the type and frequency of information you can expect to receive. Looking forward, the department will be utilizing the system as one of the main communication efforts to provide information related to Levi Stadium events. Should you choose to subscribe to the service, but find that the information is not useful, you can easily unsubscribe to stop receiving the messages.

With the drought upon us and the potential for severe weather, we would like to remind everyone about personal safety and the need to look out for one another. Information regarding summer safety tips can be found at http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Summer-Safety-Tips.aspx No matter what the situation, please do not hesitate to call the department if you or someone else is need of public safety assistance. Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

Chief Grgurina

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

or email to: pubsfty@sunnyvale.ca.gov

June is National Internet Safety Month

The Internet offers endless resources for information but also its fair share of risks to personal safety and online reputation.

Many parents allow children to go online on the home computer for both educational and entertainment purposes. They struggle with how to handle the many safety and privacy issues, such as spyware, inappropriate website content and cyber bullying. When a child leaves the home with a smartphone in hand, those concerns only become more complex and worrisome. Parents wonder who she's contacting, what she's texting, what content she's seeing. And, all of these concerns are valid.

Talk About the Dangers

Educate yourself about the risks and threats of the Internet, particularly the dangers for children. Through conversation, your child can learn how to identify safe websites from risky ones and to avoid downloading or uploading dangerous content.

Keep Your Computer and Software Updated

Shore up your computer's protection by using anti-virus software, anti-spyware and a firewall. It's imperative that you use the latest versions of these tools, so download the updates when you are notified about them. In addition, upgrade your operating system, browsers and other software regularly so that you have the latest protections.

Install Parental Monitoring Software

Software is available for families that will equip them with various tools that can be adjusted according to the level of control a family prefers.

The tools offer content-filtering for the web, usage controls that determine what children can access and for how long, and other helpful features. One product, for example, that helps shield children from inappropriate online content and potentially unsafe online encounters is McAfee Safe Eyes.

Similar products exist to help parents and their children to feel empowered about their internet safety options.

Engage Your Child's School

Schools face a struggle with trying to balance the teaching of technology, encouraging communication and protecting children's safety and privacy online. Schools currently debate the topics of technology curriculum, computer use in schools, and cyberbullying policies. As a parent, you can educate yourself on the decisions the school is making and make your voice heard.

A recent national study by NCSA found that K-12 schools feel ill prepared to educate students on cyber ethics, cyber safety and cyber security. You can help your school to understand that these are topics that are important to you.

National Internet Safety Month is designed to raise awareness of the protective strategies available to families that will help them fully enjoy the benefits of the Internet. You can enjoy having fewer worries by educating yourself about the issues and the tools available to help you stay safe.

Asset of the Month

Young person feels safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY

Feeling safe at home, at school, and in the community is necessary for young people's health and well being. There are multiple elements of safety for young people, all of which are important to help children thrive. These elements include safety from accidents and hazards, safety from crime and violence, and safety from bullying and harassment, just to name a few. For young people, feeling unsafe often results physical, emotional, and social consequences. Youth who feel unsafe skip school more often, achieve less academically, have fewer friends, and are more likely to bring weapons to school.

To help raise awareness of the importance of safety to youth's psychological as well as physical
well being, the following discussion topics can help young people identify the ways and locations where they do, and do not feel safe, and promote conversations about how to improve safety for themselves and others.

Has anything happened at school, in the neighborhood, at the mall, or anywhere else to make you feel unsafe, afraid, or worried?
Do you know what to in case of an earthquake? Fire? Serious injury or illness?
If you or a friend were being bullied, what would you do?

While safety is a critical concern, it's also important that adults help young people understand that small risks are normal. Sometimes over stressing safety can lead children to avoid healthy risks that help them grow. Helping young people learn to manage their own safety and react in case of an emergency will help them develop confidence and independence that will serve them well throughout their lives.

ACTIVITIES

FOR FAMILIES

Does everyone understand the rules about answering the phone, opening the door to
strangers, spending time at home alone? Work together on rules that everyone can agree
upon and follow.
Does everyone understand where to go and what to do in a fire or other emergency? Practice fire and earthquake drills so that children can easily recall the instructions during the stress and confusion of an actual event. Together, identify at least three neighbors to whom your children can go in case of an emergency at home.
Hold honest, open, and age-appropriate discussions with your children about personal safety, avoiding dangerous situations, and what to do if they feel threatened.
Talk to your children about bullying, including what to do if they or their peers are being
bullied. Bullying is a form of intimidation, and directly impacts young people's sense of
personal safety and comfort.

FOR ALL ADULTS

Make your home a safe place for all children in the neighborhood to go if they're threatened, hurt, or lost.
Create or serve on a neighborhood watch group for your community.
Be an "askable adult" whom youth can go to when they have questions or concerns about their safety.
Model safe behaviors! Wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle and fasten your seat belt in the car.
Pay attention to what's going on with the youth around you, and intervene if it seems that
someone is being threatened, harassed, or bullied, or if youth are engaging in unsafe
behaviors.

AT SCHOOL OR IN YOUTH PROGRAMS

Take a safety walk! Canvass the area with youth to identify places where people might get hurt or threatened, and discuss where the young people do and don't feel safe at the site. Brainstorm ways to address the issues, and work with the administration or facility staff to solve the problems.

Involve parents and caretakers in safety discussions to ensure message consistency and reinforcement.
Create and communicate clearly defined rules for physical behaviors as well as interpersonal behaviors. It's important that youth know that bullying is not acceptable. Discuss and role-play.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Alert Resident Helps Catch a Burglar

During the month of April, we began to experience an increase in daytime residential burglaries in the neighborhoods south of El Camino Real. In response, DPS personnel developed and implemented a burglary suppression strategy that included detailed crime analysis, enhanced community outreach, increased patrol visibility as well as covert surveillance.

On May 6 at noon, an alert Sunnyvale resident called 9-1-1 to report a suspicious person at her neighbor's door. The Sunnyvale resident remained on the phone with the dispatcher as the suspect entered the backyard of the neighbor's home. Public Safety personnel quickly responded and set up a perimeter around the area where the suspect was last seen. Shortly thereafter, the suspect was located by Public Safety personnel in the backyard of another residence a short distance away. The suspect was ultimately identified by the neighbor and arrested. During a search of the suspect's property, evidence linking him to an additional burglary was found as well.

This was a great team effort by not only Public Safety personnel, but the community as well. Were it not for an alert resident who cared enough about their neighbor to call 9-1-1 we most likely would have been unaware of this incident until the victim arrived home to discover the residence had been burglarized. Suppressing burglary activity is a never-ending challenge.

Although burglars are careful to avoid detection by police, they can be somewhat oblivious to an alert resident or City employee. If you see someone acting or behaving in a suspicious manner, please don't hesitate to call 9-1-1. We always appreciate the help.

Kitchen Fire Safety - A Reminder

Although the cause of last month's tragic fatal fire is still under investigation, there have been some early reports that the residents may have been cooking near the time of the fire. You may recall that the theme of our 2013 Fire Prevention Week campaign, sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association, was kitchen fire safety. In light of the recent tragedy, DPS would like to remind folks of some startling facts and some safety tips to help prevent cooking fires.

Two of every five home fires start in the kitchen, making cooking the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. It's important to be alert to prevent cooking fires.

Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don't use the stove or stovetop.
Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly.
Always remain in the home while food is cooking and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
Keep anything that can catch fire - oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains - away from your stovetop.

If you do have a cooking fire

Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
Call 9-1-1 after you leave.
If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
Keep a lid nearby when you're cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
For an oven fire turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

Please click here for more information

Alcohol and Tobacco Decoy Operation

On April 16, the Crime Prevention Unit conducted an alcohol and tobacco decoy operation. The goal of the operation was to enforce tobacco and alcohol youth access laws. Additionally, the operation aimed to educate merchants on related laws in an attempt to reduce sales of tobacco and alcohol to minors. Studies have shown that regular enforcement of alcohol and tobacco sales laws is an effective strategy in reducing their use among juveniles.

During the operation, four teams were deployed throughout the city. Each team consisted of one Neighborhood Resource officer, one Neighborhood Preservation (NP) specialist and one minor decoy. The teams visited a total of 49 stores. Officers issued one citation for alcohol sales and three citations for tobacco sales. In addition, NP specialists checked each store for code compliance on signage, ingress/egress points and permits.

Merchants who refused to sell to the minor were acknowledged and encouraged to continue their compliance. Merchants who sold alcohol or tobacco products to the minor were cited for the violation and provided an in-depth review of applicable laws and regulations.

The Crime Prevention Unit held a second alcohol and tobacco decoy operation on June 4. The four teams contacted twenty-six stores for tobacco sales and twenty-two were contacted for alcohol sales. There was one citation issued for tobacco sales, one citation was issued for alcohol sales and minor code compliance violations were noted at several locations.

Special Olympics Athlete of the Month - Scott Cortez

Scott Cortez has participated in Special Olympics for more than 20 years. He has participated in most of the sports offered and his top five favorites are golf, power lifting, Bocce, softball and bowling.

Scott graduated from Lynbrook High School in 2003. He attended DeAnza College and then went on to Taft College where he graduated in 2007. Scott currently lives with his parents in Campbell and works at Chili's Restaurant. He and his girlfriend, Rebecca, enjoy going to the movies together and hanging out at the mall. This August, Scott plans to celebrate his 30th birthday in Las Vegas!

Meet Scott and Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers at the next Sunnyvale Tip a Cop at PF Chang's on July 16 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Bike Safety Rodeo at the Sunnyvale Art and Wine Festival

On June 6, during the Sunnyvale Art and Wine Festival, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety held its second Bike Safety Rodeo of 2014. The event showcased SafeMoves Safe City, an interactive miniature city where participants could learn about bike and pedestrian safety.

Bicyclists were offered free bike safety inspections and minor repairs from Calabazas Cyclery mechanics. Volunteers from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee offered helmet fit checks and free helmets were provided to people who had difficulty acquiring helmets for their children.

Hundreds of people visited the event which was open from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Funding for the Bike Safety Rodeo was provided through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

2014 Youth and Horses

Eight Fremont High School students successfully completed this year's Youth & Horses Level 2 Program. The students, who were referred to the program by school representatives, were transported by bus to Dream Power Horsemanship weekly for eight weeks and then participated in a three day campout on a private ranch in Hollister.

Youth and Horses is a partnership between Sunnyvale Public Safety, Fremont High School, Dream Power Horsemanship, Reach Potential Movement and Sunnyvale Police Activities League with support from several local businesses including Sunnyvale Moose Lodge, Sports Basement, Century Graphics, Sprouts Neighborhood Market and Wild Tastes Catering. This year, the program was funded primarily through the Santa Clara County Safe Summer Activities Grant.

The Youth and Horses program is designed to teach life skills and relationship building through learning to work with horses. The students each had their "own" horse for the duration of the program and most of them had the same horse from their Level 1 class. In addition, each student had their own human partners consisting of a horse handler and at least one mentor. Each week, students focused on character development and learning horsemanship skills. The class was divided between riding and non-riding curriculum.

During the campout students learned to pitch a tent, cook outdoors, trail ride and fish. They participated in a night hike without flashlights and learned a yoga skill of matching breath to footsteps. They got to look at the moon, Saturn and Jupiter through a powerful telescope and then roast marshmallows over a campfire for s'mores. During unscheduled times, they played catch, pitched horse shoes, played on the tree swings and spent time with their horses. Everyone helped with dishwashing duty, stall cleaning and feeding the horses.

Link to Previous Issues

Join Our Mailing List

For questions and comments about the Sunnyvale DPS newsletter Beyond the Badge, you can e-mail us at: DFontaine@sunnyvale.ca.gov
� 2010-2014 City of Sunnyvale, CA