This month, the City of Sunnyvale will begin using the neighborhood social media platform "Nextdoor" to communicate with residents. Although many local residents have been using this platform for some time, there had not been a specific method for public agencies to communicate across the various neighborhood groups.

Nextdoor recently addressed this issue by creating pages for public agencies to share information while ensuring the privacy of the individual neighborhood groups. This is excellent news as it provides an additional mode of communication that currently includes over ten thousand Sunnyvale residents.

The Department of Public Safety will use this new communication platform to provide information such as emergency preparedness, crime prevention tips, special events and other contemporary public safety issues. However, as with all of our other social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Nixle), we want to be clear that Nextdoor should not be used as a crime reporting mechanism or as a substitute for calling 911. As a reminder, none of the social media platforms are monitored on a full-time basis.

We recognize that our community members use multiple social media communications platforms and are mindful of providing regular and substantive information through our communication efforts. To that end, we will regularly ask for input on information that would be helpful to members of the community.

If you're already a Nextdoor member in Sunnyvale, you can access our news feed under the City Agencies link from your account. To create an account or learn more about Nextdoor, visit Nextdoor.com. Alternatively, you can view the City's public feed at nextdoor.com/city/feed/542592

Wishing all the members of our community a safe and happy holiday season!

Chief Grgurina

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

or email to: pubsfty@sunnyvale.ca.gov

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

Identify, Educate, and Prevent Youth Drugged Driving
Americans are well aware of the terrible consequences of driving drunk and are familiar

with the many successful drinking and driving awareness campaigns. With the dramatic

increase of handheld phones and personal devices, campaigns and laws targeting

talking or texting while driving have also gained prominence. Yet an often overlooked

issue, especially among teens and young adults, is drugged driving.

Facts About Teen Drugged Driving
Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for 15 to19 year-olds in 2007,

and the use of drugs or alcohol increase teens' crash risks. According to the 2009 NSDUH report, more than six percent of 16 or 17-year olds and nearly 17 percent of 18 to 20 year-olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year.

In a comprehensive study on unsafe driving by high school students, 30 percent of seniors

reported driving after drinking heavily or using drugs, or riding in a car in which the driver had been drinking heavily or using drugs, at least once in the prior two weeks.

What Types Of Drugs Do Teens Commonly Abuse That Impair Driving?

Alcohol

Alcohol use remains extremely widespread among today's teenagers. Nearly three quarters of students (71%) have consumed alcohol by the end of high school, and more than half (54%) of 12th graders and one sixth (16%) of 8th graders in 2010 report having been drunk at least once in their life.

Illicit drugs

The proportion of young people using any drug has been stable or rising in recent years,

due largely to increased use of marijuana-the most widely used of all drugs. In fact, about half of the high school seniors in the class of 2010 indicated they have tried an illicit drug and well over a third have used on one or more occasions in the prior 12 months. As with alcohol, these drugs impair a driver's ability to operate a motor vehicle safely.

Prescription drugs

Next to marijuana, prescription are the most commonly abused drugs by teens. The most commonly abused prescription drugs by teenagers include painkillers (e.g. Vicodin; OxyContin), tranquilizers, and stimulants (e.g. Adderall; Ritalin)

Parent And Community Activities For Effective Prevention
It is generally accepted that because teens are the least experienced drivers as a group,

they have a higher risk of being involved in an accident compared with more experienced

drivers. When this lack of experience is combined with the use of marijuana or other

substances - which alter perception, cognition, reaction time, and other faculties - the

results can be tragic. Teens whose parents enforce penalties for driving law infractions

are more likely than teens whose parents do not enforce penalties to wear their safety

belts (89% vs. 74%); require their passengers to buckle up (82% vs. 64%); obey stop signs

(91% vs. 60%); and use turn signals (89% vs. 76%).

Parents and other caring adults also play an important role in educating youth about the dangers of drugged driving, so it's important to talk with teens about the risks and for parents to set clear expectations.

Click here for activities that are designed to raise awareness about drugged driving and give parents and community leaders tips and advice to identify the risks of drugged driving, to encourage local media to raise awareness of the perils of drugged driving, and to educate parents and teens about the issue.

Tips for Driving in Wet Weather

Safety starts before you begin to drive.

See and be seen! Replace windshield wiper inserts that leave streaks or don't clear the glass in a single swipe.
Make sure all headlights, tail-lights, brake lights and turn signals are properly functioning so other drivers will see you during downpours.
Turn on your headlights whenever you drive.
Rain or high humidity can quickly cause windows to mist up inside the car. Turn on the defroster, including the rear window defroster if your vehicle is equipped with one.
Proper tire tread depth and inflation are imperative to maintaining good traction on wet roadways. Check tread depth with a quarter inserted upside down into the tire groove. If you can see above Washington's head, start shopping for new tires. Check each tire's pressure, including the spare, at least once a month... and, be sure to check the pressure when the tires are cold.

When driving in wet-weather conditions, it is important to concentrate fully on every aspect of driving. Avoiding cruise control will allow the driver more options to choose from when responding to a potential loss-of-traction situation, thus maximizing your safety.

To reduce chances of hydroplaning, drivers should slow down, avoid hard braking or turning sharply and drive in the tracks of the vehicle ahead of you. Also, it's important for motorists to allow ample stopping distance between cars by increasing the following distance of the vehicle in front of them and beginning to slow down to stop for intersections, turns and other traffic early.

Sunnyvale and Columbia Middle Schools Receive Gifts of Sports Equipment

The Curtis Lee Sanders Foundation was back in action before the Thanksgiving holiday, providing sports equipment to Columbia and Sunnyvale Middle Schools. Both have large populations that participate in after school sports and both experience more demand than their budgets can accommodate.

Foundation board members attended a recent Sunnyvale Challenge Team meeting and learned about the need in these schools. They decided to assist with a move to operate beyond their usual focus on individual kids and families. The decision was easy since the board members grew up in Sunnyvale and often credit their experience in school physical education and sports programs for invaluable lessons learned in their own lives.

After meeting with the athletic directors at both schools, the Foundation allocated funds appropriately and offered to purchase the equipment and make a formal presentation to the student body.

By chance, the two schools had assemblies on the same day which allowed the CLS Board Members the opportunity to meet with the students and to explain the donations' connection to the foundation and to the memory of their dear friend Curtis.

The Foundation optimizes its dollars through Sports Basement in Sunnyvale who offers a generous discount to the 501(c)3 for instances like this. The truck was loaded up and board members headed to Columbia Middle for a spirit rally that really took them back in time. It was loud in there! A few motivating words were shared and the board members presented the donation of new equipment including softball jerseys, catchers gear, baseball bats, basketballs, soccer balls, track hurdles and field striping paint.

The board members took a short break and then headed up the road to Sunnyvale Middle School where the foundation's namesake, Curtis Lee Sanders, had attended and played basketball for the 8th grade team. It was another blast from the past as the board members stepped into the gym for the school's first ever PTSA Assembly. There was an incredible turnout for the presentation of brand new volleyballs and soccer balls for the year.

It was a very special day for the CLS Foundation as well as the students at the two schools in Sunnyvale. For more information on the Curtis Lee Sanders Foundation, please visit www.clsfoundation.org

Community Service Officer Symposium in Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS) hosted the 5th Annual Community Service Officers(CSO) Symposium November 4 - 6. The conference was made possible with the combined efforts and resources of Sunnyvale DPS, Mountain View Police Department, and the Public Safety Training Institute (PSTI).

The annual symposium is designed to enhance the capabilities of community service officers assigned to field operations, investigations, and administrative roles. The event featured presentations from Bay Area law enforcement organizations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Santa Clara County Crime Lab. The previous CSO Symposiums have lasted two days but with the continuous expansion of CSO programs and their duties among law enforcement agencies this year's event covered three days.

Some of the subject matter being presented included: missing persons procedures, introduction to terrorism, recognizing under the influence behavior, social media,evidence collection, and fire scene safety. Sunnyvale DPS partnered with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) whose conference facilities provided support for the event and the 115 attendees. Community service officers from as far north as Shasta County and as far south as Visalia attended the symposium. With such a diverse and large group of officers, a major ancillary benefit was the networking that occurred between formal training sessions.

DPS Prepares for New Radio System

On October 29, the City of Santa Clara officially transitioned to the new regional Radio Communication System (RCS) of the Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority (SVRIA). Santa Clara and Sunnyvale have been preparing for this transition for the last several years due to the degradation of their legacy systems. With most of the preparations complete, Sunnyvale is expected to transition in early December to the RCS. The new regional system will allow for more seamless operation among the police, fire and EMS agencies in the county.

Currently, the system has five active infrastructure sites operational with three more actively being installed throughout the county. SVRIA leadership continues to work on a funding plan to complete and sustain the system. The technological and coverage benefits of the RCS are critical to the operational goals of the county agencies.

DPS Explorer Post

Although the year is coming to an end, and a lot of people tend to slow down in November and December with the holidays, the Sunnyvale Explorers are going full steam ahead. We have 11 full members in the Post now, and on November 19 we interviewed three new prospective members. Two of the three interviewed will be moving on in the process. If things go well, they will join the ranks as full members by the end of February bringing our total Explorer count to 14.

In the month of December, the Explorers participated in three different community events. On December 6, several of our Explorers helped with the Department's annual Rides for Toys event at Toys R Us. On December 13, our Explorers joined Police agencies from around the Bay area in the annual Cops Care Fantasy Flight event put together by the San Jose Police Officers Association. And, to end the year our Explorers will assist with the Department's DUI Check Point on December 19.

All of our Explorers' hours of hard work, training, and dedication are on a purely volunteer basis. If anyone would like to help support the Explorers in their future endeavors, donations are graciously accepted. Checks should be made out to Sunnyvale Explorer Post 417. Donations can be sent to Explorer Post 417, c/o Crime Prevention Unit, 700 All America Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. The Post also sells tee-shirts, zip up and pullover hoodies, commemorative challenge coins, and stuffed police bears with all proceeds going directly to the Post. If you would like to take a look and purchase any of these items please contact our CPU at (408) 730-7140.

Rides for Toys 2014

Rides for Toys on Saturday, December 6 was a huge success with 425 toys donated to Sunnyvale Community Services. These donations will help make holidays brighter for children and families in Sunnyvale who are experiencing financial hardships this season. Thank you to all who made this event possible!

Donations are still needed and can be delivered to any Sunnyvale Fire Station or directly to Sunnyvale Community Services.

Sunnyvale fire stations are accepting donations for SCS from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (7 days a week through Christmas). Here is a short list of great toys to donate. They really appreciate high-quality new toys that will last.

* Lego sets for boys and girls
* Nerf toys
* Tek Decks
* Helmets and pads for skateboards/scooters
* Advanced Art Kits/Art Supplies for older kids
* Girls items from the movie "Frozen" or other recent movies

NOVEMBER ASSET OF THE MONTH - Family Support

Asset #1: Family provides high levels of love and support.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY SUPPORT

Family support refers to the ways that parents, siblings, and extended family show love, encouragement, and comfort to each other-families are the cornerstone of the social support system for youth. Because adolescents require greater autonomy and independence than younger children, effective family support for older youth takes a different form than in earlier years; however, their need for their families is still strong. Adults are challenged to find a balance between giving youth the support they need to navigate their adolescence and the independence they need to develop as individuals.

In their book Parenting Teens with Love and Logic, Foster Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay discuss the transition from parenting younger children-who typically require guidance and firm limits-to parenting adolescents, who benefit most from the freedom to make their own decisions within the boundaries of safe, reasonable limits. According to Cline and Fay, effective parenting in the teenage years requires clearly communicating expectations and consequences while allowing youth to make their own decisions and "own" the results...even if their choices are not the ones that we would have preferred.

The following discussion topics can be used to open a dialogue with young people about the ways that
they experience family support:

Does your family provide support in a way that's meaningful and easy for you to recognize? Why or why not?
Do you and your parents treat each other with the same kindness and dignity that you'd expect from your friends?
Does your family do things together on a regular basis? Are there any activities that you'd like to share (or be willing to share) with your family?

One of the most important things to realize about providing family support to older children is that they need the love and support every bit as much as younger children do, even if they claim that they don't. Although it can be challenging to remain connected to preteens and teenagers, the benefits of doing so are immense.

ACTIVITIES
The activities below are a starting point to help build and strengthen the asset of family support.

FOR FAMILIES

Make family rules together, and agree on rewards for following the rules and consequences for breaking them.
Try to eat at least one meal together every day, and set aside at least one evening or weekend day for the family to spend together in a pastime that everyone enjoys or finds valuable. Make the effort to maintain these traditions and rituals even if your children complain about them when they're older.
Be sure to recognize your children's unique talents and encourage their interests, even when they don't match yours. For example, if they're interested in animation, check to see if there's a convention or film festival in your region that you can attend together.
Look your children in the eyes when you talk to them, and give them all of your attention in conversation.
Be empathetic about their struggles and concerns-no matter how silly or trivial their problems seem to you, they are significant to your children.
Praise your children for doing a good job and point out when they're being helpful.
At least once a day, try to express that you appreciate and care about your children.
Be affectionate, but respect their space; older children especially may be uncomfortable about displays of affection in front of non-family members.

FOR ALL ADULTS

Talk with young people about their families and point out the ways that the children are supported and loved. Similarly, when you speak with parents, take time to notice and praise their efforts at providing family support for their children.
If you're an employer, help your staff provide emotional support for their families through release time, sick leave, and creating a positive environment where employees don't feel that having children is a liability at their job.
Sponsor activities and events in which the entire family can participate-for example, a picnic or carnival instead of a happy hour.

AT SCHOOL OR IN YOUTH PROGRAMS

Deliver a unit on families to help young people appreciate and respect all kinds of families.
Schedule events that bring families together, like open houses or family game nights.
If possible, schedule speakers and workshops on family life and associated issues.
Be sure that your staff recognition and acknowledgement of non-traditional families in which a child's primary caretakers may not be their biological parents

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

Nixle

What is Nixle?

Nixle is a free community messaging system which utilizes a secure network to ensure creditability and reliability of information. DPS will use the NIXLE system to notify residents about important events happening within, or affecting the city. Residents receive updates via text, web, and email to stay informed of important notifications.

How can I sign-up for Nixle notifications?

Go to www.nixle.com
Click on "Sign Up Free!"
Enter information on this screen (There is no need to enter home phone since the cell will be used for text alerts)
Your account is started. Go to "Settings" and sign up for "Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety." Just be sure to click "Save" when completed. (You can sign up for other agencies by using either their name or a zip code to receive alerts.)

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