Otto Lee - Council Member and former Mayor of Sunnyvale

Location: 477 N. Mathilda Ave

In addition to displaying cars with their trunks transformed into Halloween themes, there will be family-friendly activities and food. Kids can go "Trunk or Treating" for Halloween treats.

Please call 408-739-6659 for more information

Message from the Chief

Ever Wonder Where Your Money Goes?

Each year, our department stops more than 20,000 cars, bicycles, and pedestrians for violations of traffic laws. Of that number, we issue about 16,000 citations. The core purpose of our efforts is to reduce the number of accidents and injuries that occur on our roadways. We focus both on education and enforcement in every contact with our motorists.

So then comes the fine aspect of our traffic safety program, and I thought you might be interested in tracing where your money goes. The State Judicial Council sets what are called base fines each year.This policymaking body is comprised of more than 20 judges, traffic commissioners, traffic engineers, law enforcement officers and interested citizens, with a primary focus on keeping fines and penalties consistent throughout the state.

Base fines are typically a small percentage of the amount you will actually see when your bill arrives.The State Legislature has added overhead amounts to each violation that support court administration, jail and prison construction, and police officer training statewide.These amounts when added, can increase the fine you see by several hundred percent. As an example, a red light fine is set at $100, but when other amounts are added, your fine will be about $466.

So back to the total amount of the fine - and this should dispel the myth that traffic citations are moneymakers for local cities: When the total fine is collected, our city receives only a small percentage of the total amount - 11.19 % to be exact.That's only $52.14! And often, this number is reduced by a judge during a trial or as part of a lower overall fine when a violator opts to attend traffic school instead of going to court.

For Sunnyvale, our collections for traffic fines do amount to several hundred thousand dollars each year, but when balanced against the costs of our four Traffic Safety Officers, motorcycles and safety equipment - tickets are most definitely a "loss leader" in terms of dollars and cents.

I am sure you will agree, however, our traffic safety education and enforcement efforts are a really important part of what our officers do each day to keep our city safe.It's probably no secret that traffic complaints are the number one concern raised by our community. And our response to those complaints, coupled with ongoing traffic safety enforcement and education will keep our roadways safe for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians now and in the future.

Chief Johnson
(408) 730-7140, TDD (408) 730-7501
or email pubsfty@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us

Tips for a Safe Halloween

Try to Trick-or-Treat when there is still light outside.
Wear a costume that makes it easier for you to walk, see and be seen.
If you must go at night, make sure that your costume is light in color.
Carry a flashlight with you, so you can see and be seen easily.
Use retroreflective tape on your costume to be seen easily.
A mask may keep you from seeing well. Take off your mask before crossing the street.
Use makeup instead of a mask.
Ask your parents, older brother or sister to Trick-or-Treat with you.
If someone older cannot go with you, Trick-or-Treat with a group.
Plan your Trick-or-Treat route ahead of time. Pick well-lighted streets.
Cross only at corners. Never cross between parked cars or mid-block.
Tell your family on which street you will be Trick-or-Treating.
If there are no sidewalks, always walk facing traffic.
Wait until you get home to sort, check and eat your treats.

Rides for Toys

The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is hosting its third annual Rides for Toys event on Saturday, December 11, 2010. During this free special charity event, each child who donates a new, unwrapped toy will be given a ride on a Sunnyvale fire engine.

Parents will have a chance to discuss fire safety with Sunnyvale Public Safety personnel and receive informational brochures. Sunnyvale firefighters will present the donated toys to Sunnyvale Community Services, a nonprofit organization supporting those in need in our community. (See the article below about Sunnyvale Community Services).

This year's Rides for Toys will be held in the Toys R Us parking lot at 130 E. El Camino Real. They especially need gifts for children ages 7-12 years old.

For more information about Rides for Toys, please phone the Crime Prevention Unit at
(408) 730-7140.

Sunnyvale Community Services

Founded in 1970, Sunnyvale Community Services is an independent, nonprofit emergency assistance agency. Their mission is to prevent homelessness and hunger for low-income families and seniors facing temporary crises. They provide financial aid, food, and other support that prevents larger problems with more expensive solutions.

Emergency Assistance
To prevent homelessness and hunger for low-income families and seniors facing temporary crises:

Financial help to prevent evictions and utility disconnections, to pay medical and other critical bills
Financial aid to help working homeless families regain permanent housing when they have sufficient income to pay monthly bills but not enough for all the required deposits
Monthly food programs for families and seniors
Kids' Summer Food program, providing more food to low-income families whose children rely on free school breakfasts and lunches during the school year
Emergency food bags (sponsored by Sunnyvale FISH)
Community Christmas Center affording low-income families the dignity of selecting a two-week supply of food, toys and gifts for infants through teens, and a gift for every household (towels, blankets, basic kitchen items)
Clothes Closet (run by Sunnyvale FISH)
Information and referral services

Chinese Seniors Club of Santa Clara Valley
Sponsored by SCS, offering a wide variety of social, educational, and cultural activities

For more information about Sunnyvale Community Services please visit their website at www.svcommunityservices.org

Bike Safety Event at Peterson Middle School

On September 16, the Neighborhood Resource Officers held a Bike Safety Fair at Peterson Middle School. The after-school event drew over 40 students with bicycles. Twenty- eight participants took advantage of the opportunity to get their bikes licensed and several students received helmets.

Officers Jim Davis, Holly Lawrence and Todd Fekete and Explorer Aly Rajah provided bike safety education and performed safety inspections of bikes and helmets. Members of the DPS Traffic Unit arrived on their motorcycles to assist with the event.

In addition to holding bike safety fairs at local schools, DPS hosts a bike safety component at the annual City of Sunnyvale Health & Safety Fair that occurs every spring. Also in May, DPS hosts an Open House at Headquarters where kids can Race the Cop on bicycles among other safety activities.

Medications Disposal with the MedDrop Program

On September 22, DPS personnel brought their mobile MedDrop bin to the Sunnyvale Senior Center as part of Pollution Prevention Week. They joined staff from the Water Pollution Control Plant who were providing a Mercury Fever Thermometer exchange.

Over 46.5 pounds of expired pharmaceutical products were collected. DPS sends the unwanted medication to a disposal company where it is incinerated. By properly disposing of these products, they are kept out of landfills and waterways. The DPS MedDrop Program has been in effect for two years and has collected several hundred pounds of unneeded medicines.

Residents can bring their expired pharmaceuticals to any Sunnyvale Fire Station for disposal. Sharps or illegal drugs are not accepted. For disposal information about other items, visit www.earth911.com, For more information about MedDrop, please click here.

Newest Sunnyvale DPS Captain

Lt. Jeff Plecque was promoted to Public Safety Captain on October 3. Captain Plecque has demonstrated a strong commitment to DPS for over 18 years. He has served in Police, Fire and the Bureau of Technical Services with his most recent assignment in the Traffic Safety Unit. His involvement in both day-to-day and emerging issues has been outstanding. Congratulations, Captain Plecque!

PSO Charles Morris Memorial

Thirty-eight years ago, PSO Charles Morris was the second Public Safety Officer killed in the line of duty. In his memory, all City flags were flown at half-staff on September 23, 2010, and all Officers wore black ribbons on their badges in his memory.

At about 6:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, September 23, 1972, Officer Morris responded to a burglar alarm at a drug store at 824 W. El Camino Real. He confronted two roof-top burglary suspects to the rear of the store. Officer Morris was awaiting the arrival of back-up Officers when one of the suspects engaged in a struggle with him. During the struggle, the suspect fatally shot him and then fled. Both suspects were arrested a short time later.

PSO Morris was 34-years-old and a three-year veteran of DPS. He was survived by his wife and two children.

28th Annual Watermelon Run

The Annual Watermelon Run was held on September 9, at the Fremont High School campus. The race is a two mile battle for watermelons and bragging rights. The event pits runners and walkers against one another within a multitude of divisions (of course the pun was intended even though the melons are seedless). The respective division winners receive the adoration of their fellow participants and the best watermelons in the group.

The two mile course runs through and around the perimeter of Fremont High School and affords participants a tour of the campus while being cheered on by legions of support. The course is flat and fast and offers some very interesting scenery. For instance, "scenery" included the water polo team running in tennis shoes and Speedos.

More than 500 runners participated, way up from 400 runners last year. And, this year's event was held on one of the hottest days the Watermelon Run has ever experienced!

The winners are:

Kevin Schneider -1st Overall / Male Alumni
Sueh Parsons - 1st Female / Female Alumnae
Stacey Horman - Female Teacher
Josh Maisel - Male Teacher
Lori Riehl - Fastest Administrator
Jed Chen - 9th Grade Male
Veronica Amador - 9th Grade Female
Chris Swanson - 10th Grade Male
Jennifer Wei - 10th Grade Female
Keith Batryn - 11th Grade Male
Pauline Van Schooten - 11th Grade Female
Andrew Shaver - 12th Grade Male
Jeff Rohrer - Parent
NRO Bradley Militano - Sunnyvale Public Safety

Public Safety Personnel Times

Neighborhood Resource Officer Bradley Militano - 10.41
Captain David Verbrugge - 12.37
Chief Don Johnson - 14.15
Crime Prevention Assistant Gabe Limon - 14.15
Neighborhood Resource Officer Jim Davis - 18.34
Neighborhood Resource Officer Holly Lawrence - 29.04

NRO Bradley Militano, CPA Gabe Limon, NRO Jim Davis, NRO Holly Lawrence, Chief Don Johnson

Crossing Guard Highlight

Name: Sara Detmar

Location: Mango Avenue at Knickerbocker Drive (Sunnyvale Middle School)

Years of Service: 3 weeks

Safety Tip: "Always use the crosswalks no matter what, even when nobody else does."

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Sunnyvale City Logo Color For questions and comments about the Sunnyvale DPS newsletter Beyond the Badge, you can e-mail us at: pubsfty@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us

City of Sunnyvale Council Member and former Mayor Otto Lee