Sacto 9-1-1

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Work Project Division has announced a summer amnesty program for individuals who want to return to the Work Project to complete their court-ordered commitment rather than risk arrest.

The one-time weekend amnesty opportunity will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 9 at the Work Project office at 700 North 5th St. in Sacramento.

The amnesty program is intended for people who either never reported to or stopped attending the Work Project, but who want to complete their commitment, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. It is designed for anyone with an active sheriff's order of commitment warrant for failure to appear/complete Work Project.

The 2012 "fire season" will officially begin at 8 a.m. Monday, and fire officials urge residents, especially those living or recreating in rural areas, to use caution as the state enters a period of increased risk for wildfires.

The state's final snow survey May 1 found the statewide snowpack water content is only 40 percent of normal. From January though April, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection crews responded to more than 800 wildfires, nearly two and a half times the approximately 300 the agency responded to during the same period in 2011. This year's number also exceeds the five-year average of more than 600 wildfires for January through April, said Terri Mizuhara, spokeswoman for Cal Fire's Amador-El Dorado Unit.

So far this this month, she said, Cal Fire crews have responded to numerous small fires. Several in Amador and El Dorado counties have been escaped debris fires, Mizuhara said.

The Sacramento Police Department is offering a free driver safety education class targeting new and future teenage drivers.

The Start Smart driving course is scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. May 30 at the Police Department's Central Command Station at 300 Richards Blvd. It is geared for 15- to 18-year-olds and their parents or guardians.

Teenage drivers are found at fault in 66 percent of all fatal collisions in which they are involved, although they represent only 4 percent of the state's licensed drivers, according to a Police Department news release. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans age 15 to 20.

The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint at Meadowview Road and Amherst Street in the Meadowview area Saturday night.

Beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing for five to seven hours, motorists traveling through the checkpoint will be contacted by uniformed officers, who will check for drivers under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. They also will check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

The checkpoint it intended to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, and to serve as a deterrent to potential impaired and unlicensed drivers.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office is accepting sign-ups for its annual Ride With Pride, a one-day camp that pairs elementary school children with deputies and their horse partners.

Youngsters may choose to attend the camp one of four days -- June 18, 19, 20 or 21 -- at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn.

Members of the Sheriff's Office, all with equestrian experience, have developed a program to acquaint children with the care, handling and riding of horses. The camp, offered free of charge, is open to children age 7 to 12.

Senior citizens will have an opportunity to tune up their driving skills Friday through a class offered by the California Highway Patrol.

As part of Older Americans Month, the CHP will conduct an "Age Well, Drive Smart" class from 10 a.m. to noon at the CHP Valley Division office, 2555 First Ave. in Sacramento.

Taught by CHP officers and Department of Motor Vehicle personnel, the class will cover rules of the road, as well as age-related physical changes and how to adjust to them. Discussions also will include when it may be time to stop driving and alternatives to driving.

Road closures will occur this morning in downtown Sacramento for a memorial event to honor fallen law enforcement officers.

The California State Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. today at 10th Street and Capitol Mall. The ceremony honors California peace officers who have died protecting and serving their communities.

For today's event, Capitol Mall will be closed from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. between the Tower Bridge and Ninth Street, and 10th Street will be closed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. between L and Q streets.

The Elk Grove Police Department announced that it will conduct a sobriety checkpoint and several special patrols this month as part of a program aimed at keeping impaired drivers off the road.

A sobriety/driver's license checkpoint is to be conducted from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. May 18 at an undisclosed location within the city limits. Roving DUI saturation patrols also will be deployed from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. every weekend in May.

Over the past three years, people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs have resulted in 78 crashes in Elk Grove, claiming the lives of eight people and injuring 110, according to a Police Department news release.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and law enforcement agencies throughout the Sacramento region urge drivers to look twice for motorcyclists so all motorists can safely share the road.

California is home to more than 1 million licensed motorcycle riders, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.

"Whether a driver is at an intersection or changing lanes, they should always keep an eye out for motorcyclists," CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a written statement. "Because motorcycles have a much smaller profile than other vehicles, it can be difficult for drivers to judge the distance and speed of an approaching motorcycle."

In 2010, the most recent year for which data is available from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, 361 people died in California and nearly 11,000 others were injured as a result of a crash involving a motorcycle.

In addition to using safety equipment and riding gear, motorcyclists are encouraged to seek professional training before beginning to ride.

The CHP-administered California Motorcyclist Safety Program offers rider courses for beginning motorcyclists and for riders interested in improving their skills. The program operates more than 120 training sites statewide and expects to train 65,000 motorcyclists this year. For course information and locations, see the the website at http://www.ca-msp.org/.

Elk Grove police advise motorists that the 30-day grace period for the the newly installed red-light camera at Elk Grove Florin Road and Bond Road will end at 11:59 tonight.

At 12:01 a.m. Thursday, the camera will go "live" and citations, not warning notices, will be issued to drivers who are photographed by the red-light camera enforcement system.

For more information about the system, see the Elk Grove Police Department website, http://www.elkgrovepd.org/traffic/red-light-information.asp, or the Sacramento Superior Court website, http://www.saccourt.ca.gov/traffic/citations-red-light-camera.aspx.

Three memorial events honoring fallen law enforcement officers are scheduled in Sacramento over the next several days.

At noon Thursday, the Sacramento Police/Sheriff's Memorial Foundation will hold its 10th annual Remembrance Ceremony at the memorial site, 500 Arden Way. The ceremony will include a 21-gun salute honoring fallen officers about 12:30 p.m.

A candlelight vigil is scheduled from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, a prelude to Monday's 36th Annual California State Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony. The vigil will be at the monument site at 10th Street and Capitol Mall. Motorists are advised that 10th Street will be closed to traffic between L and N streets from 8 to 10 p.m.

A new digital red-light photo-enforcement camera system will go into operation at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday on Calvine Road at the northbound Highway 99 off-ramp in south Sacramento County.

The camera was placed at the location by the Sacramento Metropolitan Red Light Photo Enforcement Detail. The new system has been undergoing tests and is scheduled to go "live" Tuesday.

For a period of 30 days, red-light violators will be mailed warning notices. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. May 31, red-light violators at this intersection will be mailed citations, according to a Sacramento County Sheriff's Office news release.

By Mark Glover

mglover@sacbee.com

Sacramento-area residents looking to dispose of unwanted and expired prescription medications can do so today at two sites overseen by authorities.

Both drop-off programs run through 2 p.m.

The Sacramento Police Department and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration officials will accept items at 5770 Freeport Blvd.

The DEA and the Elk Grove Police Department will do the same at the Elk Grove administration building, 8380 Laguna Palms Way.

The events are part of the National Take Back Initiative.

Call The Bee's Mark Glover, (916) 321-1184.

By Mark Glover

mglover@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Police Department is partnering with Jiffy Lube on Wednesday with a free catalytic converter etching event, where motor vehicle license plate numbers will be etched onto catalytic converters.

The "Etch & Catch" event is designed to recover stolen property. Catalytic converters are prime targets of thieves because of their high black market value, the relative ease of stealing them and their lack of identifying markings.

"Etch & Catch" will be noon to 5 p.m. at the Jiffy Lube outlet at 2900 Florin Road in Sacramento.

Officials said the event is open to city of Sacramento residents only, and space is limited. Participants, who will be required to show proof of current city residency, should bring one of the following: a driver's license, vehicle registration or a utility bill.

Reservations are required. To do that, go to www.sacpd.org and click on the "Etch & Catch Event" link. A free ticket to the event can be downloaded from the event flier page.

Call The Bee's Mark Glover, (916) 321-1184.

The California Highway Patrol will conduct a child passenger safety seat check-up event Saturday at the IKEA store in West Sacramento.

CHP-certified car seat technicians/instructors will be on hand from 9 a.m. to noon at 700 Ikea Court to help parents make sure children are properly secured.

A new California law that became effective Jan. 1 extends by two years the length of time a child must use a child passenger restraint or safety seat when riding in a motor vehicle. Children must ride in either a car seat or a booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Online signups are being accepted for the 2012 Kops-N-Kids summer camp program that teams Sacramento youth with local law enforcement.

This year's camp is scheduled June 18-22 at Rosemont High School, 9594 Kiefer Blvd. It will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. The cost is $32 for the entire week, and bus service will be available from select local school districts, according to a Sacramento Police Department news release.

Kops-N-Kids is a nonprofit organization, which has sponsored the weeklong summer sports camp for youths ages 9 through 13 for 26 consecutive years. The campers have an opportunity to interact with law enforcement and fire department personnel, who serve as role models.

Rocklin residents will have an opportunity to talk with members of the city's Police Department during three "Chat with the Chief" meetings.

The meetings are intended to provide valuable information to residents, promote new police programs and foster communication with people in the community, according to at Police Department news release.

All three meetings will be identical in content, featuring presentations and question-and-answer sessions led by Police Chief Ron Lawrence, Deputy Chief Dan Ruden and other police managers. During the sessions, the chief and his staff will solicit public comment on designing the the Police Department's strategic plan for fiscal year 2012-13, discuss the department's 2011 Annual Report, provide an overview of new police technology and offer strategies for reducing residential burglaries.

Friday the 13th could be an unlucky day for impaired drivers.

The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint at Norwood Avenue and Silver Eagle Road in the Del Paso Heights area beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing for five to seven hours.

Motorists traveling through the checkpoint will be contacted by uniformed officers, who will check for alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers. Officers also will check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

Firefighters on Saturday will return to the scene of a fatal mobile home fire to make sure that residents of a North Highlands mobile home park have functioning smoke alarms.

Firefighters with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arrived at the mobile home park in the 4100 block of Minuteman Lane shortly before 7:30 a.m. last Saturday to find a mobile home fully engulfed in fire. During a search, they found that a man had died in the fire. He was identified by the Sacramento County Coroner's Office as William Clay Cowgill, 59.

Fire investigators determined that the fire was accidental and found no evidence of a working smoke alarm, according to a fire district news release.

Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye will be the featured speaker later this month at the Yolo County Bar Association's Law Day event.

The theme for Law Day this year is "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom."

The Law Day gathering is scheduled for 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. April 26 at the Woodland Community & Senior Center, 2001 East St. The bar association hopes to draw lawyers from Yolo County and neighboring counties.

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones will be the guest speaker at County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan's community meeting this week in Antelope.

The meeting takes place 7 p.m. Thursday at the North Highlands-Antelope Library, 4235 Antelope Road.

The sheriff is scheduled to speak about gang prevention strategies, community outreach programs and other department issues.

The California Highway Patrol's Valley Division will sponsor a driver safety education class Saturday for new and prospective teenage drivers.

The free Start Smart/Impact Teen Drivers class will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the CHP Valley Division office, 2555 First Ave., Sacramento.

The class will cover collision avoidance techniques, driver responsibility, collision trends, distracted driving laws, alcohol-related driving laws and the provisional license process. It will include hands-on driving techniques such as parallel parking and pre-trip vehicle inspections.

A community gang awareness symposium will be sponsored Thursday evening by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Youth Services Unit.

The meeting is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Richard T. Conzellmann Community Center, 2201 Cottage Way, in the Arden Arcade area.

It will feature presentations by the sheriff's Youth Services and Gang Suppression units, as well as members of the Sacramento County District Attorney's office and Sacramento City Code Enforcement. Topics will include gangs and schools, gangs and graffiti and consequences of gang violence.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department will sponsor a community symposium on gang activity March 29 at the Conzelmann Community Center in Howe Park, at Howe Avenue and Cottage Way.

Scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m., the program is designed specifically for residents of the Arden Arcade area, according to a notice from county Supervisor Susan Peters. It will include multimedia presentations and speakers from the District Attorney's Office, Code Enforcement and the Sheriff's Gang Suppression Unit. Members of the Sheriff's Department will discuss a plan to reduce youth and gang violence in the community.

Peters said similar programs will be scheduled in other parts of the county.

For more information, call (916) 875-8879 or email the Sheriff's Community Impact Program at info@sacscip.org.

Sign-ups are being accepted for a golf tournament to benefit the Roseville Police Volunteer Program.

The tournament will tee off at 8 a.m. March 23 at Morgan Creek Golf Course, 8791 Morgan Creek Lane, Roseville.

Roseville Police volunteers contribute thousands of hours to the community each year. They help patrol parks and schools, provide free vacation house checks for residents and perform various other tasks for the Police Department.

All proceeds from the golf tournament will help provide equipment and other needs for the volunteers program, according to a Police Department news release.

A fund has been set up for the children of a woman found dead in her Cameron Park home last month and the man accused of killing her.

El Dorado County sheriff's deputies arrested Todd Winkler, 45, after he allegedly killed his wife, 37-year-old Rachel Winkler, after an argument in the couple's home Feb. 27. They had been having marital problems, according to sheriff's officials.

Authorities have not released Rachel Winkler's cause of death.

The couple's children - ages 4, 2, and 9 months - were home at the time of the attack. They are now in the custody of Rachel Winkler's father, Don Hatfield. Family and friends say Hatfield recently lost his wife to cancer and lost his home in the mortgage crisis a year ago.

The fund has been set up to help Hatfield, an artist, find a larger home where he can raise his three young grandchildren with the help of a nanny, according to friends and family.

Donations can be made to Wells Fargo bank account number 6990388875. The routing number is 121042882. For information about how to donate via PayPal, or about fundraising efforts, go here.

The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint Saturday night at Fruitridge Road and Mendocino Avenue.

Beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing for up to seven hours, motorists passing through the checkpoint will be contacted by uniformed officers, who will check for alcohol- or drug-impaired drivers. Officers also will check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

Police said the checkpoint is intended to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, and to deter potential impaired and unlicensed drivers.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones is inviting the public to sound off on how the department is doing at a town hall meeting tonight.

The meeting is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. in the department's North Division Service Center, 2500 Marconi Ave., Suite 100, in Arden Arcade.

The sheriff invites citizens to express their opinions regarding the department and the job being done in neighborhoods served by deputies.

PHOTO CAPTION: Sheriff Scott Jones

The Sacramento Rotary Club has donated $10,000 for a new police dog.

The Rotary Club of East Sacramento will formally present a check to Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel on Wednesday for the new canine. The donation commemorates Rotary member Bob Jennings, a former president of the club and avid supporter of the police K9 unit. Jenning's son is a Sacramento Police Officer.

The new dog, Echo, a two-year-old Belgian Malinois is already on the job. Echo and his handler, Officer John Azevedo, have completed a three-month training period and hit the streets last week.

The Rancho Cordova Police Department and Police Activities League are seeking bicycle donations for a bike rodeo.

The event is scheduled April 28 as part of Kids Day in the Park.

Bike rodeo participants will learn about bicycle safety and maintenance, and how to fit bike helmets. They also will have an opportunity to run through a bike safety course. Afterward, each youngster will be entered in to a chance to win a free bicycle and helmet.

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones is inviting the public to sound off on how the department is doing at a town hall meeting Thursday night.

The meeting is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the department's North Division Service Center, 2500 Marconi Ave., Suite 100, in Arden Arcade.

The sheriff invites citizens to express their opinions regarding the department and the job being done in neighborhoods served by deputies.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Youth Services Unit will join with the Boys and Girls Club in a "Unity for Youth" event on Friday.

The event, offered free of charge and open to the public, will be held from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club, Greater Sacramento Teichert Branch, at 5212 Lemon Hill Ave., Sacramento.

It will feature a variety of activities, including prize drawings, bounce houses, carnival games, face painting and K-9 units.

Children interested in learning about the job firefighting will have an opportunity to look behind the scenes during the Roseville Fire Department's Kids Fire Camp, June 25-30.

The department will select 24 campers, ages 11 to 14. Those attending the camp will learn about water safety, first aid, rescue practices, physical fitness and firefighting skills, according to a Fire Department news release. Campers will work in teams and put their skills into action through a variety of hands-on exercises.

Off-duty Roseville firefighters will volunteer their time to serve as camp counselors throughout the week.

A presentation and discussion of cyberbullying and other issues involving social media will be held Feb. 29 at Yolo County's Knights Landing Branch Library.

The presentation by the UCD Family Protection and Legal Assistance Clinic will focus on the social and legal consequences of cyberbullying, sexting and sextortion. The session is designed for parents who may attend alone or with their children.

The multimedia presentation will be followed by a question and answer period.

The Sacramento Police Department is offering a class on driver safety for teenage drivers and their parents or guardians.

The classes are intended to educate new drivers who lack the experience that is sometimes needed in various driving situations, according to a Police Department news release. Officials site statistics that show teenage drivers are found to be at fault in 66 percent of all fatal accidents in which teens are involved. Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 15 to 20 years old.

The Smart Start Driving Class, offered free of charge, is open to teenagers 15 to 19 years old. Participation of a parent or guardian is encouraged but not required.

In conjunction with National Burn Awareness Week, Feb. 5-11, the Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento urges people to take measures to prevent "scald" burns.

Scald burns are the leading cause of death in the home among children age 4 and younger, and account for 40 percent of the burn injuries for children up to age 14, according to a news release.

Such burns, caused by hot liquids or steam, are more often the cause of burn-related injuries among young children than contact burns, which are caused by direct contact with fire and are more prevalent among older children, officials said. The majority of scald burns suffered by children result from hot foods and liquids spilled in the kitchen or other areas where food is prepared and served.

Volunteers with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Team of Active Retirees -- STAR -- will offer fingerprint service for children in keeping with the National Child Safety Council's Young People Prints.

The services will be provided free of charge for children and teenagers younger than 18 at the Sheriff's Town Center substation, 4354 Town Center Blvd., Suite 112, El Dorado Hills. A parent or legal guardian must accompany the child.

To ensure prompt service, call (530) 642-4728 or (916) 933-2578 to find out when a volunteer will be available. The substation's normal office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are welcome.

Reflecting the level of public concern about the rash of catalytic converter thefts, openings for the Rocklin Police Department's "Etch & Catch" event were filled within 24 hours after sign-ups began.

Police reported that they received more than 150 calls from interested people within the first 24 hours of announcing the Feb. 11 event. All 80 appointments have been filled. Drive-up participants will be accepted the day of the event, but only on a first-come, first-served basis if time and space allow, according to a Police Department news release.

The free etching event is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Les Schwab Tires, 5610 Pacific St., Rocklin. Vehicle license plate numbers will be etched onto catalytic converters to aid police in identifying victims and prosecuting criminals in case of theft.

In response to a rash of catalytic converter thefts in south Placer County, the Rocklin Police Department, in cooperation with local businesses and organizations, has scheduled a free catalytic converter etching event Feb. 11.

In the first three weeks of this year, Rocklin police received 29 reports of catalytic converter thefts. Although some arrests have been made, such thefts continue to occur, according to a Police Department news release.

Catalytic converters, along with copper and other metals, have become a hot commodity among thieves. The catalytic converters are targeted because of their value, the relative ease of stealing them and their lack of identifying markings, police said. The lack of identification makes it difficult to identify victims and to successfully apprehend and prosecute criminals.

Auburn residents and business owners interested in learning more about the workings of their police department may apply for the Citizens' Awareness Academy.

Twenty-five people will be admitted to the 10-week program, which begins March 7. Participants will learn about municipal policing, including procedures for patrol and investigations, vehicle operations, arrest and control techniques, emergency communications, animal control and how the department works with other law enforcement agencies.

Classes will meet from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at City Hall.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office is accepting applications for its Community Awareness Academy, which offers the public an inside look at the law enforcement agency.

Participants are asked to attend eight classes, each covering a different topic. The classes will take place Monday and Wednesday evenings from March 5 through March 28. Participants will hear from members of the department's special units, including air operations, search and rescue, bomb squad, special enforcement team, marine unit, investigations, hostage negotiators and drug task force. A demonstration also will be given by members of department's K-9 team.

Field trips will include visits to the county jail and morgue, emergency dispatch center and air operations hangar.

Rancho Cordova officials announced that two speed feedback signs have been installed this week near Mills Middle School and the intersection of Coloma Road and Chase Drive.

The signs, which alert drivers to the speed limit and the speed they are traveling, are intended to encourage motorists to slow down around the school.

The signs originally were proposed at a neighborhood traffic management meeting, attended by approximately 70 residents, to discuss safety concerns, according to a city news release.

Since Rancho Cordova incorporated, officials said, several improvements have been made to improve safety along Coloma Road, including bike lanes, sidewalks, medians, and road resurfacing and paving.

Public safety officials are warning that coin-style lithium batteries -- found in items ranging from singing greeting cards to remote-controlled electronics devices -- can pose a hazard for young children.

Because these devices are not designed for children, the battery compartments can be easy to open, increasing the risk that small children may get hold of them and swallow them. The batteries, if ingested, can cause serious disabilities or death, according to a news release from the Roseville Fire Department and Safe Kids Placer County.

In 2010, more than 3,400 cases of people swallowing button-style batteries were reported in the United States, and the number of cases resulting in serious injury or death to children has more than quadrupled in the past five years, officials said. The most serious cases have been associated with 20 mm diameter batteries, about the size of a nickel, because they can easily lodge in a small child's throat. All fatalities and 85 percent of major injuries were among children age 4 and younger, according to the news release.

The California Highway Patrol has scheduled two Start Smart driving classes for teenagers in the Sacramento area.

The driver safety education class targets new and soon-to-be licensed drivers 15 to 19 years old and their parents or guardians.

The class will cover collision avoidance techniques, driver responsibility, collision trends, distracted driving laws and alcohol-related driving laws. CHP officers also will be available to answer questions.

Citing unseasonably dry weather conditions, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is urging the public to be particularly cautious about activities that could spark fires.

The year's first snow survey, conducted Tuesday by the state Department of Water Resources, indicated that statewide water content is at 19 percent of normal, setting the course for one of the driest winters on record, according to a Cal Fire news release.

Although many areas of the state are experiencing cooler temperatures, the drier than normal conditions, coupled with wind and low humidity, frequently increased the fire danger over the past month, officials said, with Cal Fire crews responding to more wildfires than they typically do in December.

Parents and guardians who want to be sure child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles can consult the experts during a child passenger safety seat check-up event Sunday.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., California Highway Patrol certified car seat safety technicians will demonstrate how to properly secure children in safety seats and safety belts at Mel Rapton Honda, 3630 Fulton Ave., Sacramento.

A new California law extends by two years the length of time a child must use a child passenger restraint or safety seat when riding in a motor vehicle. Child passengers must ride in either a car seat or booster seat until the age of 8 or until they are 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Officials stress that child safety seats and safety belts, when installed and used properly, can prevent injuries and save lives.

Funding for the CHP's child passenger restraint program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A new state law requiring children younger than 8 to use car booster seats will become effective Jan. 1.

Children younger than 8 also must be properly buckled into a car seat or booster seat, and in the back seat, according to a news release from the California Office of Traffic Safety. In addition, children 8 and older who are not tall enough for the seat belt to fit properly must ride in a booster seat or car seat. Previously, the law required that children remain in a booster seat until the age of 6 or they weighed 60 pounds.

"This is an important new law that will impact more than 1.1 million children in California," Christopher J. Murphy, director of the Office of Traffic Safety, said in a written statement. "Keeping them in booster seats increases their chance of surviving a crash by 45 percent."

The Davis Police Department is teaming with several local bicycle shops in a project to promote and enhance bicycle safety in the city.

Beginning Jan. 9 and continuing through the week, the Police Department will conduct a specialized bicycle safety and enforcement operation. Officers will patrol areas frequented by bicyclists and target traffic violations that lead to collisions with other bicyclists, vehicles and pedestrians.

Since Jan. 1 of this year, Davis police have responded to 54 collisions involving bicycles, according to a department news release. The bicyclist was injured in 93 percent of those collisions.

For holiday travelers who will be staying in hotels or motels, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit offer several fire safety tips.

Statistically, one of every 12 hotels/motels reports a fire each year, according to a Cal Fire news release.

For those staying in lodgings, fire officials recommend:

Members of the West Sacramento Police Department will deliver Christmas packages Thursday to local families.

For more than 15 years the West Sacramento Police Officers Association's annual Christmas drive has provided clothing and toys to needy families. Traditionally, the program provides for approximately 20 families in the community, according to a Police Department news release.

This year, members of the department's SWAT team asked for toy donations at the local Walmart store. Thanks to an outpouring of public support, more than 500 toys were received in one day. The additional toys will be provided to local charities.

The Sacramento Police Department's High School Mountain Biking Program is asking the public to join with Peet's Coffee to support riders.

Beginning Saturday and continuing through Christmas Eve, customer's at Peet's Coffee at Alhambra and Folsom boulevards can donate to the program at the cash register. Peet's will match every dollar donated, according to a Police Department news release.

The mountain biking program aims to provide activities for at-risk youths with the goal of keeping them out of gangs and encouraging them to pursue lifelong learning. The all-volunteer organization solicits funds to serve as many youths in the Sacramento area as possible so they can race in the NorCal High School Cycling League each spring.

Most of the coaches and volunteers are off-duty police officers, teachers and college professors. To contact program representatives, email lbhsmightytitans@gmail.com, or follow the mountain bike team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SacPalmtbteam. Information also is available on the website, www.sacpal.org.

The Folsom Police Department will conduct a checkpoint tonight as part of an effort to keep impaired and unlicensed drivers off the road.

The checkpoint will begin at 7 p.m. on East Natoma Street at Briggs Ranch Drive and will continue into Saturday morning.

Uniformed police officers, community service officers and Citizens Assisting Public Safety volunteers will staff the checkpoint. Officers will be on the lookout for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as motorists without a valid drivers license.

The activity is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Folsom residents are invited to meet with officers and the city's police chief who was appointed earlier this year.

Police Chief Cynthia Renaud, formerly the commander of the Long Beach Police Department's detective division, assumed her leadership duties in Folsom in May.

Renaud and members of the force will talk about crime-fighting tools and techniques in a community meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Folsom Community Center, 50 Natoma St. Officers will also provide tips to prevent crime.

The FBI today awarded its Director's Community Leadership award to Sacramento's Women Escaping a Violent Environment, Inc.

The annual award recognizes the achievement of an individual or organization for commitment to violence education and prevention in the community, according to a press release from the Bureau's office in Sacramento.

Herb Brown, Special Agent in Charge of Sacramento's field office, presented the award to WEAVE executive director Beth Hassett this morning. She will receive an engraved award during a public ceremony in March from Director Robert Mueller at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to the release.

WEAVE believes that all women, men and children deserve to feel safe in their homes and community," Hassett said in a statement. "In these difficult times we have to be more innovative, more enthusiastic and more committed to making sure that the most vulnerable among us are taken care of."

The Sacramento non-profit provides crisis intervention and prevention services to victims of domestic abuse, human trafficking and sexual assault.

-- Bee Staff

California Highway Patrol officials held a news conference today to honor an off-duty nurse who rendered aid to an officer who had been shot during a traffic stop on Highway 99 last month.

Joni Fletcher, a cardiac cath lab nurse at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, was buying a car with her husband at an Elk Grove dealership the night of Nov. 13 when they heard gunshots ring out.

She ran outside and saw a CHP officer lying on the ground on the highway shoulder. When he told her he had been shot, she scaled an 8-foot fence to get to him and rendered aid for up to 20 minutes before paramedics arrived.

The California Highway Patrol on Thursday will launch a 10-month campaign to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety in north Sacramento County.

As part of the grant-funded Traffic Safety Corridor project, officers will conduct a public awareness campaign in schools throughout the area as well as increased enforcement efforts to increase safety, according to a CHP news release.

"Pedestrian and bicyclist safety is about educating the motorists as much as it is about informing those who travel by foot or by bike," Capt. Tracy Sturges, commander of the CHP's North Sacramento Area office, said in a written statement.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Civil Bureau has established a new link on the department's public website that allows people to access information regarding civil cases.

The Civil Bureau deals with the civil process, serving summons and complaints, small claims documents for civil lawsuits, restraining orders, bench warrants, evictions and other notices or orders from the courts.

It also handles levy on wages, bank accounts, vehicles or other assets in cases involving judgments against a debtor.

Changes in deputy shifts have allowed the El Dorado Sheriff's Office to add to its Special Enforcement Detail, which handles duties that deputies can't because of call demand.

"They run from call to call," said Lt. Bryan Golmitz, speaking of the regular shift deputies.

The enforcement detail will come into an area, "when we start to see a trend," Golmitz said.

For example, handling ongoing calls would not allow deputies to stake out an auto burglary hot spot, he said.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Activities League is looking for donations of frozen turkeys to provide for teens who participate in their Friday night basketball program and their families.

Youths can compete in a 3-point competition this Friday night to win a frozen turkey for their families. However, the goal is to give a turkey to every eligible kid who shows up, said Sacramento County sheriff's Deputy Cary Trzcinski, who leads the program.

The SAL was created about six months ago as a way to build relationships between law enforcement and youths in the communities they serve, Trzcinski said. The league's primary activity is an "open gym" basketball session held most Friday nights in Oak Park.

The Folsom Police Department announced that is has been awarded an $180,000 traffic safety grant for a yearlong program aimed a preventing deaths and injuries on the city's roadways.

The grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety will help fund equipment purchases and special traffic enforcement measures.

Grant-funded activities will specifically target speed and intersection violations that are the greatest contributors to injury collisions in the city, according to a Police Department news release.

By Denny Walsh
dwalsh@sacbee.com

The ordinance banning Occupy Sacramento protestors from the park across the street from City Hall during late night and early morning hours appears, at this early stage of a legal challenge, to be constitutional, a federal district judge decided today.

U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. said the ordinance does not appear to contravene First Amendment guarantees of free speech and assembly, contrary to arguments by attorneys for the protestors.

England said the ordinance "as drafted and applied," does not discriminate against the views of park occupiers and it regulates in a reasonable way as to the "time, place and manner" of demonstrations.

By Sam Stanton

sstanton@sacbee.com

Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones will take part in a live chat with Sacbee.com readers Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon, giving area residents a chance to ask the county's top law enforcement official questions about crime and other issues.

Jones, (pictured) who is in his first year as sheriff, will be in the Bee newsroom taking questions that readers can submit by returning to the Sacto 9-1-1 blog during the live chat.

The Sheriff's live chat is the first in a monthly series of such events The Bee has planned with law enforcement leaders from throughout the region. Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel is scheduled to participate in the second on Dec. 12.

In a departure from the norm for law enforcement, the Placer County Sheriff's Office will be on the lookout for kids who are obeying the law.

Deputies in the North Auburn area will give kudos to kids they see wearing bike helmets, and using crosswalks, sidewalks and bike lanes. The "Caught You Doing Something Good" program will allow patrol deputies to reward youths for law-abiding behavior, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

The Sheriff's Office has partnered with the Dry Creek 76 Gas Station and Food Mart, 3960 Grass Valley Highway. Deputies will give children a "reward" card that can be redeemed for specific products at the store, such as beverages and popsicles.

By Cynthia Hubert
chubert@sacbee.com

Halloween night can be a particularly scary time for pet dogs and cats.

As a result, the day after Halloween typically is one of the busiest of the year at area animal shelters, as pets frightened by ringing doorbells, roaming ghouls and Halloween pranks can become agitated and bolt their homes and yards.

The Sacramento SPCA and county and city shelters offer the following tips for keeping pets safe tonight.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the Sacramento region will join the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday.

During the event, agencies will offer convenient locations where people can drop off their expired, unused and unwanted pills free of charge, with no questions asked. By doing so, officials say, the public can help prevent drug abuse and theft.

Drop-off sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Prescription drugs that languish in home medicine cabinets are susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse, creating a public health crisis, according a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Nationwide, 2 1/2 times more people abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants combined, according to the recently released 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study showed that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint Friday in the area of 16th and C streets.

Between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. motorists traveling through the checkpoint will be contacted by uniformed officers, who will check for alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers. They also will check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

The checkpoint is intended to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, and serve as a deterrent to potential impaired and unlicensed drivers, according to a Police Department news release.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Yolo County residents can quickly access custody information about offenders throughout California.

The Yolo County Sheriff's Office has launched VINE --Victim Information and Notification Everyday -- an automated service that notifies crime victims and other concerned citizens when offenders are released from custody. The service provides round-the-clock access to offender information by telephone or the Internet, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Users can call (877) 411-5588, or log onto www.vinelink.com and provide an offender's name or booking number to access custody information. They also can register multiple phone numbers or email addresses for automatic notification when the offender is released, transferred or escapes.

The Sacramento Police Department reported this morning that a missing 85-year-old man has returned home.

George Vernathi left his home in the 1900 block of 65th Avenue about 1:50 p.m. Tuesday to go pick his dog up in Lodi.

A driver safety class for new teenage drivers and their parents or guardians will be offered Oct. 20 by the California Highway Patrol in Sacramento.

The Start Smart program targets new and prospective drivers age 15 to 19 years old. The class, scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at CHP headquarters, 601 N. Seventh St., Sacramento, will cover collision avoidance techniques, driver responsibility, collision trends, distracted driving laws and alcohol-related driving laws. Participants also will have an opportunity to ask questions of CHP officers.

The Oct. 20 class is offered during National Teen Driver Safety Week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers, according to a CHP news release. In 2009, there were 5,623 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes involving drivers 15 to 20 years old, including 988 drunken driving fatalities. Also in 2009, 619, or 16 percent of drivers under the age of 20 who were involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted while driving, including 138 drivers with cell phones.

Sacramento-area firefighters will join firefighters nationwide in sporting pink T-shirts during October to promote breast cancer awareness.

October is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month by major breast cancer organizations, an observance that is marking its 25th anniversary this year.

The local campaign is a joint effort of the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters, Local 522, along with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and the Sacramento City Fire, Folsom Fire, Cosumnes CSDFire, West Sacramento Fire, and Sacramento County Airport Fire & Rescue departments.

By Cynthia Hubert
chubert@sacbee.com

A new nonprofit group is offering help to crime victims and their families in Sacramento and Yolo counties.

The Crime Victims Assistance Network Foundation, or iCAN, offers counseling, advocacy, referral information and support in court and parole hearings, said victim services coordinator Pat Dewey. All services are free.

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones will take reader questions in a live chat Tuesday on Sacbee.com/live, the first in a series of conversations between Bee readers and area law enforcement leaders in coming months.

Jones, now in his first year as sheriff, is dealing with a number of issues from the budget to the realignment process that transfers responsibility for hundreds of offenders from the prison system to county oversight starting Saturday.

The sheriff will take your questions on those issues and crime concerns starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Readers can also submit questions for him in advance through the comments on this Sacto 9-1-1 blog post.

The California Highway Patrol reports that a two-year, federally funded program to increase motorists' awareness of motorcyclists on California roadways appears to have paid off with a decline in the number of collisions involving motorcycles.

Preliminary figures for 2010 from the CHP's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records system show that the number of people killed in motorcycle-involved collisions last year was down 9 percent from the previous year, according to a CHP news release. The number of people injured in motorcycle-involved collisions appears to be down 8.5 percent.

Throughout the campaign, the CHP has emphasized the "Share the Road" message. To help convey that message to the motoring public, officials said, the CHP held several presentations and conducted several highly publicized motorcycle safety enforcement operations.

It was with mixed feelings of pride and loss that George Smith learned that his son was awarded a Carnegie medal for extraordinary heroism.

It became official Tuesday that his son Nathan was the recipient of the honor. He was one of two residents of the Sacramento region who were awarded Carnegie medals for extraordinary acts of heroism.

One award went to Cameron C. Gilbert, a resident of Cool, for pushing away an attacker who stabbed another student at Sierra College. The other medal was awarded posthumously to Nathan N. Smith of Citrus Heights, who died trying to save his brother, Noel B. Smith, who also died, after falling through an ice-covered lake in Shasta County.

Sacramento County residents are invited to meet Sheriff Scott Jones tonight in Orangevale.

Residents who go to the Orangevale Community Center, 6826 Hazel Ave., can speak with Jones on a one-on-one basis as time permits. The "Sheriff's Chat" is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m.

The public is invited to ask questions or explore concerns regarding the sheriff's department and the communities it services.

By Mark Glover
mglover@sacbee.com

Grand-opening ceremonies for the Sacramento Fire Department's new West Natomas Fire Station No. 43 will be held Saturday.

Festivities are set for 11 a.m. at 4201 El Centro Road.

The California Highway Patrol will conduct a bicycle rodeo Sept. 17 in Rancho Cordova.

The rodeo is intended to educate the public about bicycle and pedestrian safety. Bicyclists will have an opportunity to make sure their helmets fit properly, have their bicycles inspected and test their skills on an obstacle course. Those who don't have bicycles are invited to bring their scooters.

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rancho Cordova City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Drive.

The CHP's Rancho Cordova Office is presenting the rodeo along with local partners and supporters including the city of Rancho Cordova, Folsom Cordova Community Partnership and the 50 Corridor Transportation Management Association. Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Sacramento Police Department is offering a free driver safety class to teenage drivers and their parents.

The Start Smart driving course is open to drivers age 15 to 19. Teen participants are required to bring a parent or guardian. The next class is scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Police Department's Central Command Station, 300 Richards Blvd.

The course is part of an effort to keep new drivers and their passengers safe on the road. Teenage drivers rare found to be at fault in 66 percent of all fatal accidents in which they are involved, although they represent only 4 percent of the state's licensed drivers, according to a Police Department news release.

Nationally, vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for people 15 to 20 years old.

Space in the Start Smart class is limited. To register, call (916) 808-6126.

Elk Grove residents and business owners can register their cell phone and voice-over-Internet protocol numbers to receive community emergency alerts through the Sacramento Regional Reverse 911 system.

The Reverse 911 system is designed to inform residents and businesses of significant incidents occurring in a geographic area within the city of Elk Grove. Previously, the system contacted only residential and business landline numbers.

People with mobile phones or VOIP systems may register their phone to a physical address and receive alerts when that address is included in an emergency notification.

Anyone who lives or works in Elk Grove and wishes to be part of the notification system can register online at www.elkgrovepd.org. Click on the Reverse 911 tab on the home page and follow the prompts.

A well-maintained vehicle can help prevent wildfires, according to state fire officials.

The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit reports that several recent fires have been caused by vehicles, citing areas along Highway 50, Bass Lake Road, Gold Hill Road and Cameron Park Drive in El Dorado County. In Amador County, recent fire scars can be seen along highways 49 and 88 and Ridge Road, where vehicles caused strings of wildland fires.

"When a vehicle's engine is not well maintained, the exhaust system can become overtaxed, thereby allowing fuel to enter the exhaust system, which in turn overheats the catalytic convertor that melts and disintegrates," Scott Hogan, fire equipment manager for the Amador-El Dorado Unit said in a written statement. "Pieces of the catalytic converter exit the muffler at about 1,200 degrees F and can bounce onto the dried grass along the edge of road and start fires."

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office has added a helicopter to its crime fighting and rescue resources.

Dubbed Eagle One, the Jet Ranger helicopter bears Sheriff's Office decals but is owned and operated by pilots Ed Rincon and Richard Moorehouse. The men have volunteered their services as reserve deputies as well as the use of their helicopter for community service efforts, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

With volunteer pilots using their own aircraft, there is no cost to taxpayers or the county, officials said. Federal asset forfeiture funds will be used to pay for the fuel.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office is accepting sign-ups for its Community Awareness Academy, a series of eight classes offering an inside look at the law enforcement agency.

Participants are asked to attend all eight sessions, each of which covers a different topic. Classes are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning Oct. 4 and concluding Oct. 27. The sessions will be held in the Community Room of the Placer County sheriff's headquarters in the Auburn Justice Center, 2929 Richardson Drive, in north Auburn's Dewitt Center.

Those attending will hear from members of the department's special units and will participate in field trips to the Placer County Jail and morgue, 911 dispatch center and the air operations hangar.

The Rancho Cordova Police Department will hold an open house Wednesday to celebrate the opening of its new police station.

Members of the department will lead public tours of the building at 2897 Kilgore Road (see map) from 3 to 5 p.m. The event will feature several law enforcement exhibits, and barbecued hotdogs will be served in the parking lot.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 5:30 pm. Participants will include members of the City Council, Police Chief Doug Diamond and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones.

The Sacramento Police Department is warning the public of an increase in thefts and burglaries involving gold and other metals.

Because of the rising price of the metals, robbers and burglars are stealing gold and copper. Homes, businesses and other entities have fallen prey to copper thieves, and individuals wearing gold jewelry have had it stolen from their person, according to a Police Department news release.

To help prevent thefts and burglaries, police recommend walking with friends and staying in well-lighted areas, and using alarm systems and surveillance cameras to protect homes.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the Sacramento region will join in a nationwide campaign to crack down on impaired drivers.

Stepped-up enforcement efforts are scheduled to begin Friday and continue through Labor Day.

The Sacramento Police Department will begin its " Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign with a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Northgate Boulevard and Patio Avenue.

Motorists traveling through the checkpoint will be contacted by uniformed officers, who will check for alcohol or drug-impaired drivers. Officers also will check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

The Davis Police Department announced that it collected 64 new backpacks filled with school supplies through its annual "Pack the Patrol Car" event.

The donation drive, led by the department's Community Policing Unit, aims to obtain backpacks and school supplies for children in need, according to a news release. Donation stations to receive community contributions were set up at Target and Office Max stores.

Patrol officers will work with schools in their respective beats to distribute the items to students who need them.

The Elk Grove Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint within the city beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday and continuing until 3 a.m. Sunday.

The purpose of the checkpoint is to remove impaired and unlicensed drivers from the roadways. Educational materials on the dangers of driving under the influence will be handed to motorists passing through the checkpoint.

The public also is encouraged to call the Elk Grove Police Department's emergency line, (916) 714-5111, or 911, if they observe a driver they suspect is impaired.

Funding for the sobriety checkpoint is provided through a DUI Enforcement and Awareness Grant by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

As a new school year begins, the California Highway Patrol urges motorists to be alert to traffic safety issues surrounding schools.

Roads near schools typically are congested during the morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up hours. During these times, school officials and CHP officers have witnessed many traffic violations and near collisions, according to a CHP news release.

Officials urge motorists to watch for students walking along the street, crossing the street, within crosswalks and in the parking lot. Drivers are reminded to use drop-off zones when dropping off children at school, stop at all intersections controlled by stop signs and signal lights, and that people within the crosswalk have the right of way.

A new group of state game wardens graduate from the academy today -- including several from the Sacramento region.

The 39 men and women will attend graduation ceremonies in Paradise, Butte County. The class includes 28 cadets who are already hired as wardens by the state Department of Fish and Game and 11 cadets who paid their way through the academy with the hope of becoming game wardens.

"They represent the department to the hunting and fishing community while protecting valuable natural resources," said DFG Chief of Enforcement Nancy Foley in a press release.

A free fishing derby for kids is scheduled for Saturday in Sacramento.

The derby is sponsored by the Sacramento Police Activities League and state Department of Fish and Game.

The derby will be from 8 a.m. to noon at the Granite Regional Park lake at Romana Avenue and Power Inn Road. The lake will be stocked before the competition, and anglers will compete to catch the biggest fish.

The city of Sacramento is all out of free carbon monoxide alarms.

The City Council and First Alert joined to provide 300 of the detectors. Residents emailed the city's call center Thursday, and the detectors were quickly given out.

Interested residents were sent this message inquiring about any remaining alarms:

"If your message to the city of Sacramento was in regard to a recent offer for a free carbon monoxide detector, this is to inform you that the 300 detectors that were made available by the Sacramento Fire Department and the Sacramento City Council have all been given out. We had an overwhelmingly positive response to this offer and regret that we had a limited number to distribute."

The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint Friday night at Amherst Street and Meadowview Road.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. and continuing for five to seven hours, motorists traveling through the checkpoint site will be stopped by uniformed officers, who will check for alcohol and/or drug impaired drivers. Officers will also check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

The purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, and to serve as a deterrent to potential impaired and unlicensed drivers, according to a Police Department news release.

Sacramento residents can get a carbon monoxide alarm for free.

City councilmembers and First Alert have joined together to provide 300 of the detectors. City residents may request one of the devices by e-mailing 311@cityofsacramento.org.

The Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 requires the installation of an alarm in every residence in California with a fossil-fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage. Carbon monoxide gas is odorless, colorless, tasteless and toxic.

By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Sheriff's K9 Association is hosting a 5K run and 1-mile walk Sunday morning to raise funds for the medical care of retired police dogs.

The event, which is open to the public, will take place at the Sacramento County Sheriff's training academy, 1000 Riverwalk Way, Carmichael. Registration begins at 7 a.m.; the race begins at 8 a.m.

The cost of registration is $25 per person for the 5K run, $20 for the 1-mile walk, and $10 for kids' races.

By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com

Isleton Police Chief Rick Sullivan announced his retirement Friday, prompting the Delta hamlet to name a a sergeant as interim chief.

City manager Bruce Pope said Sullivan, who was named interim chief of the Isleton Police Department in 2009 before taking on the position full-time, stepped down Friday because he simply "wanted to retire."

Steve Adams, previously a sergeant with the department, was named acting police chief until a formal application process can be conducted, Pope said. Adams has been a sworn member of the department for less than a month, but volunteered with the department prior to that, Pope said.

The Sacramento Police Department's Reverse 911 system is now able to register cell phones, allowing police to inform more residents and businesses about emergencies in their area.

The Reverse 911 program originally registered landlines at specific addresses. The land lines would be contacted with a recorded message when an emergency developed.

But with more people using cell phones instead of land lines, the program is extending its service to more people living and working where health and safety becomes a concern.

The City of Roseville invites its residents to celebrate the 28th annual National Night Out Aug. 2.

The city is taking part in the national program that aims to increase awareness about crime prevention, support local crime prevention programs, and build partnerships among police departments and the communities they serve.

The Rocklin Police Department is heading into the city's neighborhoods Aug. 2 to celebrate the 28th annual National Night Out.

The department, along with fire department staff, city staff and city council members, is taking part in the national program that aims to increase awareness about crime prevention, support local crime prevention programs, and build partnerships among police departments and the communities they serve.

The Elk Grove Police Department is teaming up with 35 communities in the city Aug. 2 to celebrate the 28th annual National Night Out.

The department is taking part in the national program that aims to increase awareness about crime prevention, support local crime prevention programs, and build partnerships among police departments and the communities they serve.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office will sponsor an academy in September for people interested in joining the Community Emergency Response Team.

The CERT program began in 2007, and to date more than 150 people have received training. The program is part of an effort to increase disaster preparedness awareness in the county by having a group of trained individuals capable of assisting themselves, their families and neighbors in the event of a disaster, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

CERT training promotes a partnership between local emergency services and the people they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to help representatives of neighborhoods, community organizations and workplaces develop basic response skills.

CERT members are then integrated into the area's emergency response capability. If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays professional responders, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills they learned during the training.

Upon completing the training and application process, individuals will be registered as CERT volunteers with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office. Registered volunteers are required to participate in monthly disaster preparedness training activities to maintain their volunteer status.

CERT Academy training is scheduled:

• Sept. 16, 6 to 8 p.m., Emergency Preparedness and CERT Organization

• Sept. 17, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fire Safety, Medical Operations

• Sept. 23, 6 to 10 p.m., Light Search and Rescue, Disaster Psychology

• Sept. 24, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Terrorism, Course Review, Disaster Simulation

Training sessions will be held in the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office Training Room, 330 Fair Lane, Building A, Placerville.

Those interested in attending the Academy should call Bob Todd, academy coordinator, (530) 644-6955, or email tcharles_2@netzero.net, or call OES Deputy Matt Cathey, (530) 621-7660, or email catheym@edso.org.

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones invites the public to attend a "Sheriff's Chat" Wednesday in Wilton.

The event is designed to allow people in the community to meet with Jones to ask questions and discuss concerns regarding the Sheriff's Department and the communities it serves. Those attending will have an opportunity to speak with the sheriff one on one, on a first-come, first-served basis, as time permits.

The event is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Wilton Service Center, 11080 Jeff Brian Lane, Suite A, Wilton.

Start Smart, a driver education class for teenagers, will be presented by the California Highway Patrol on May 26 in El Dorado Hills.

Teen drivers are found at fault in 66 percent of all fatal collisions in which they are involved, although they represent only 4 percent of the state's licensed drivers, according to a CHP news release. Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for Americans 15 to 20 years old,

The Start Smart program targets newly and soon-to-be licensed teenage drivers ages 15 to 19 years old and their parents or guardians.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

The city of Roseville will sponsor a variety of free events during Roseville Community Safety Day at the Westfield Galleria on Saturday.

Free activities are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Motor officers from agencies statewide will test their skills in challenge courses and speed contests in the Police Motorcycle Skill Competition.

Dispatchers with the Citrus Heights and Elk Grove police departments, along with two quick-thinking youths they assisted in emergencies, will be recognized Thursday at the state Capitol as recipients of the California State 9-1-1 Heroes Awards.

They will be honored by lifestyle designer Kathy Ireland, the 9-1-1 for Kids international ambassador.

The awards program is intended to make the public aware of the exemplary efforts by dispatchers and youths in handling emergencies.

Sacramento Fire Department Station 19 will hold an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The station, at 1700 Challenge Way near Cal Expo, will be the first of the city's 21 fire stations to participate in the department's third annual open house series.

The open houses offer an opportunity for people in the community to talk with members of the department, tour the station, and get some life safety and fire prevention tips. Educational materials also will be available to take home.

Light refreshments will be provided by fire station personnel and the firefighters union, Local 522.

The Sacramento Police Department has announced an option for families seeking to protect loved ones who are in danger of becoming lost due to cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's, dementia or autism.

The department has partnered with EmFinders, which provides a service using the EmSeeQ wearable locator system to quickly locate individuals who are prone to wandering due to cognitive disorders. EmSeeQ can track the location of a missing person anywhere in the United States where cellular service coverage exists, according to a police department news release.

The wearable watch-like device uses the nationwide U-TDOA cellular technology to determine the location of the person wearing the device, enabling rescuers to quickly find the individual.

Caltrans officials say they believe a problem in new software may be responsible for a malfunction that left about 70 onramp meters stuck on red as the Sacramento area afternoon commute began today.

Caltrans spokesman Mark Dinger said sabotage was not suspected.

Reports of problems with the meters designed to regulate merging traffic began coming in about 3:45 p.m.

The Elk Grove Police Department has announced that the public may now file a variety reports with the department via the Internet.

The service will allow people to file a report at a time that is best for them without having to wait for an officer to respond or return a phone call, according to a Police Department news release. People filing reports also will be able to print a temporary copy of the report upon submitting it.

The report will be reviewed by police personnel and once it is approved, the person who filed it will receive an email with a copy of the report attached at no cost. The report will transfer into the records management system and receive the same investigation and statistical analysis it would if it had been taken by a police officer, officials said.

By Stephen Magagnini
smagagnini@sacbee.com

Several agencies dedicated to fighting human trafficking will hold a march and informational fair Saturday in Sacramento's Cesar Chavez Park.

Hosted by Chab Dai, a non-profit founded in Cambodia to combat human trafficking across the globe, the event will raise money for a number of Sacramento-area organizations, including Opening Doors, My Sister's House and WIND Youth Services that provide services to victims of human trafficking victims.

To register for the 10 a.m. march, arrive between 8 and 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Cesar Chavez Park, said spokesman Jeremy Maz. The entry fee for adults is $45, for youth ages 13-20 it's $25, and children from 5 to 13 years old cost $8, participants younger than 5 are free.

The march will be followed by entertainment and information on human trafficking efforts in Sacramento.

For more information go to www.sacmarchagainstslavery.com.

Chab Dai (literally "joining hands" in Khmer) was founded in Cambodia in 2005, and expanded into the United States in 2008. Chab Dai aims to combat human trafficking and modern day slavery through coalition building, advocacy and community education. Chab Dai USA is based in Sacramento. For more information: www.chabdai.org or (866) 305-9800.

According to the International Organization for Migration, there are an estimated 12.3 million adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor and forced prostitution at any given time across the globe, Chab Dai reported. A report by the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking Task Force indicates California to be one of the United States' top destinations for people who force victims into hard labor and prostitution.

Call The Bee's Stephen Magagnini, (916) 321-1072.

From Cathy Locke:

More than 100 cadets from the California Highway Patrol Academy are participating in community service projects today, assisting the Sacramento Children's Home and Sacramento Habitat for Humanity.

Until 3 p.m., more than 50 cadets will be landscaping, refinishing cabinets and baseboards and painting living quarters at the Sacramento Children's Home at 2750 Sutterville Road in Sacramento.

Another group of approximately 50 cadets will spend the day planting trees, installing irrigation and drip systems, painting and doing general cleanup for Habitat for Humanity projects at 3824 Mahogany and 2773 Forrest streets in Sacramento.

The academy's 27-week instructional program helps reinforce the CHP's mission of providing safety, service and security to California residents, as well as contributing to the community in which they serve, an agency news release states.

From Bee staff:

The Sacramento Police Department and the North Sacramento community today are hosting the second annual Cops & Community Celebration to recognized the partnership of the department and the community it serves.

The celebration is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. at the William J. Kinney Police Facility at 3550 Marysville Boulevard.

Through a news release, Chief Rick Braziel said he believes that "without community support and involvement we cannot do our job effectively. We would like to thank all those who are working to make their neighborhoods a safer place and invite those who have not been involved to start participating."

The event will include free hot dogs, hamburgers, snow cones, car seat information, face painting, jump houses, tours of the police station, k-9 demonstration, Nascar race car, children's fingerprinting, Kids Make-it workshop (courtesy of Home Deport), and booths with crime prevention and community information, the news release states.

From Bill Lindelof:

What began in 1934 as a local civic effort to educate drivers marks its 75th anniversary on Saturday when the Safety Center invites Sacramento area residents to a free celebration with refreshments, tours, prizes and entertainment.

The event takes place from 11 a.m to 4 p.m.

The most recognizable feature of the nonprofit Safety Center is Safetyville, U.S.A., the miniature community designed to teach elementary school children how to live safely in daily situations. The complex is visible to motorists when they drive by the organization's headquarters at 3090 Bradshaw Road.

The community could be Anytown. It originally was designed with a church, school, fire station, railroad station, telephone company, shopping mall and gas station. Participants Saturday can roam through Safetyville, which also features a replica of California's Capitol.

Visitors can pick up a "Passport to Safety" that lets them explore the centers' six major safety programs. Participants who get their passports stamped will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $500 travel voucher and other prizes; children who complete the task might win a birthday party at Safetyville.

Alcohol and drug remediation programs are the largest part of the Safety Center's business, but the organization also provides occupational safety training and motorcycle skills classes.

By Niesha Lofing

Registration begins today for a summer camp program that teams Sacramento youth with area law enforcement.

The 23rd annual Kops-N-Kids camp provides children ages 9 through 13 with a week of sports, cheer and dance sessions with members of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The camp also features gang resistance, drug awareness and violence prevention materials and activities, the organization's Web site states.

Cost of the camp is $25 per camper for the week. The fee was lowered last year, down from $35, in light of the economic downturn, states a news release by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a participating agency.

The number of hot meals served each day was increased last year, an action that will continue this year. Campers also receive T-shirts, gear bags and prizes throughout the week.

Scholarships are available for students who have participated in the national Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program.

Carmichael Elks Lodge, Maloof Entertainment, the Sacramento River Cats, Elk Grove Subway, Noah's Bagels, Wells Fargo Bank, the Target Corp., the Coca Cola Bottling Company and other businesses are helping support the camp program.

Free busing is available from certain locations in the San Juan, Rio Linda, Twin Rivers, Elk Grove and Sacramento City Unified school districts.

The camp will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 15 through June 19 at Rosemont High School, 9584 Kiefer Boulevard, Sacramento.

For information about the camp, go to www.kopsnkids.com.

From Cathy Locke:

Seniors interested in assisting the Placerville Police Department are invited to attend an informational meeting Wednesday on a program called SHIELD, or Seniors Helping in Enforcement Like Duties.

Program volunteers perform a variety of services, including traffic control, vacation house checks, auto maintenance and inmate worker supervision. They also participate in vehicle patrol duties in SHIELD patrol cars and patrol walking trails using a police scooter.

SHIELD members play key roles in organizing and planning National Night Out, the city's award-winning annual neighborhood crime prevention event.

Applicants must be age 50 or older and willing to volunteer a minimum of 16 hours a month. Participants also are required to purchase and wear the approved SHIELD uniform while on duty.

A valid California Driver's License is desirable, and applicants must pass a background check. An oral interview and fingerprinting also are required.

In addition, SHIELD members must attend the Placerville Police Department's nine-week Citizen's Law Enforcement Academy, which begins in September.

Wednesday's meeting will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. upstairs at the city Recreation and Parks Department, 549 Main St., Placerville.

For more information or reservations, call Cynthia Estes, a community services officer, at (530) 642-5272, or e-mail her at cestes@cityofplacerville.org.

From Sandy Louey:

The Nevada County Sheriff's Department is offering a way that citizens can view the calls for service that the department receives.

The online mapping software program allows users to select the information by area and date. The data for the site goes back to Nov. 1, 2008, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Department.

The site can be viewed by going to www.mynevadacounty.com/sheriff. Once on the site, go to online services then click on the crime mapping icon.

From Sandy Louey:

The Sacramento Police Department is working with the California Highway Patrol to lower the gang activity, robbery and burglary rates in the city.

Starting today, 16 CHP officers and two CHP sergeants have been assigned to help the police department's Problem Oriented Police Officers and detectives to deter crimes in south Sacramento, according to a news release.

The partnership is expected to be a long-term effort where CHP officers will be working hand-in-hand with Sacramento police throughout the city, police said.

Areas of deployment will depend on current crime trends or crime series that have been identified, police said.

From Sandy Louey:

The Elk Grove Police Department is holding its 3rd annual crab feed on March 14.

The event will be at the S.E.S. Hall at 10427 East Stockton Blvd. in Elk Grove with no host cocktails at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Elk Grove Police Activities League, a non-profit that helps youth in Elk Grove and the surrounding areas.

Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Checks should be made out to Elk Grove PAL and sent to: Elk Grove PAL, 10044 Bruceville Road, Suite 100, Elk Grove, CA 95757.

For more information, call Officer Manuel Saenz at (916) 502-2105 or Tangela Campbell at (916) 478-8123.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department will host community meetings in Carmichael the last Tuesday of every other month beginning Feb. 24, officials said.

The meetings are scheduled at 6:30 p.m. at the Carmichael Sheriff's Service Center, 4005 Manzanita Ave., Suite 58.

For more information, call (916) 487-4292.

From Sandy Louey

Elk Grove police are looking for people interested in attending its citizens academy.

The 15-week program is designed to educate participants about patrol and investigation procedures, dispatch and forensics.

Classes will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, starting Feb. 25, at the Police Department, 8400 Laguna Palms Way.

The free program is open to anyone who lives or works in Elk Grove. The 15 to 20 participants must be older than 18 and have no felony convictions. A background check will be conducted on all applicants.

Applications can be found at www.elkgrovepd.org. For additional information, contact Sgt. Audrey Haug at (916) 478-8073 or by e-mail at ahaug@elkgrovepd.org.

From Kim Minugh:

California Highway Patrolman Joseph Paul Sanders was laid to rest Monday, one day after the 29-year-old Galt High graduate would have successfully completed his first year in his dream job.

He had served just 359 days as a CHP officer - his long-time goal - before he was struck and killed a week prior while diverting traffic on a wet Los Angeles County highway.

Hundreds of family, friends and uniformed officers honored the Sacramento-born Sanders, who worked from the CHP's Santa Fe Springs office in southern California.

Law enforcement officers from across the state - including a large contingent from the south state - and even from the Texas Highway Patrol filled the First Baptist Church in Elk Grove to memorialize the young officer.

CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow described Sanders as a man of "tremendous courage and strength, yet a man of compassion and warmth."

"He was indeed an honorable man, a true American hero," Farrows said.

Sanders grew up the oldest of three children. Before graduating in 1997, he lettered in four varsity sports at Galt High. He died an avid fan of the Oakland A's and Raiders teams, according to friends.

Sanders enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served seven months in Fallujah, Iraq, before being honorably discharged in July 2006.

When he entered the CHP Academy a year later, family and friends say he fulfilled a lifelong dream. Capt. Dan Minor, who oversees the Santa Fe Springs office, said that within minutes of telling Sanders' widow, Tondria, that her husband had been killed, she said she took comfort knowing he died doing what he loved to do.

Sanders is survived by Tondria, who is pregnant; the couple's four young children; his parents and his two sisters.

After mourners cleared the First Baptist Church, an unknown man sat comforting one of Sanders' sons in the church's front pew. The boy wore a CHP uniform shirt and a yellow mourning ribbon.

To see a photo gallery of Bee photos taken at the services, click here.

By Niesha Lofing:

Rancho Cordova police Chief Rueben Meeks is looking for people to serve on a new police advisory committee.

The newly formed Chief's Outreach Advisory Board is tasked with improving the quality of life and enhancing trust between the community and the police department, a police news release states.

Meeks wants a diverse team of people who will openly discuss ideas and concerns and educate the community on police-related issues.

Board members also will help create and improve problem-solving strategies for problems and issues the department faces, the release states.

Board members must live or work in the Rancho Cordova area and be willing to serve on the board for two years.

Applications can be downloaded from www.ranchocordovapd.com and are due, along with a letter of intent, by Dec. 31.

Applications can be sent to Debbie Cannon, Rancho Cordova Police Department, 10361 Rockingham Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA 95827.

Questions may be directed to Cannon at (916) 606-1378 or dcannon@ranchocordovapd.com

From Denny Walsh:

Laurel White, an assistant U. S. attorney in Sacramento who has been a national force in prosecuting crimes against children, is the recipient of the 2008 FBI director's Community Leadership Award.

The annual award recognizes achievements in the areas of drug and violence education and prevention.

White has been a federal prosecutor for 19 years, and for the past nine years has focused primarily on crimes against children and Internet predators.

She also has been in the forefront of efforts to educate parents, children and schools about the dangers of the Internet and what can be done to keep children safe, the FBI said.

Acknowledging "we're not going to prosecute our way out of this crisis," White has worked tirelessly on her own time to prevent the exploitation of children through education, the FBI said.

From Niesha Lofing:

Sacramento police will be honored today at an appreciation event hosted by the Target Corp.

The breakfast and barbecue event will take place at the police department's south area facility, 5303 Franklin Blvd., Sgt. Matt Young stated in a news release.

Target has given more than $8,000 to the Sacramento Police Foundation to assist with a variety of community programs, including National Night Out, Safe Night and Kops N Kids.

Chief Rick Braziel will accept a check this afternoon on behalf of the foundation in recognition of Target's contributions, Young said.

Target has partnered with local, state and federal law enforcement through an initiate called Target and Blue, which provides agencies with equipment, grants, training and forensic support.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department will sponsor a Carmichael community meeting Tuesday evening at the Carmichael Park Clubhouse, 5750 Grant Ave.

Guest speakers at the event, to begin at 6:30 p.m., are scheduled to be Hilary Gould of the Sacramento County Department of Neighborhood Services, and Carl Simpson, the county's chief code enforcement officer.

For more information, call (916) 487-4309.

From Niesha Lofing:

A Gold River salon is offering free haircuts and discounts on other spa services to local police, firefighters and military personnel today and Thursday.

Mane Attraction Salon & Spa is offering the complimentary services from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Thursday as part of its second Heroes Appreciation Salon Spa Day.

Law enforcement, fire and military personnel who go to the salon in uniform will receive a free haircut. Those not in uniform, but who can provide proof of employment, will receive 50 percent off their haircut.

The salon, which is an Aveda Concept SalonSpa, also is offering 50 percent off all its treatments during the event, including facials, waxing, hair color and massages.

Carrie Martin, one of the salon's owners, said they began the event last year as a way to show their appreciation to the men and women who work to keep the community safe.

The salon has many clients who are in that line of work. Several salon staff members also have family who are sworn public servants, she said.

"It's just something nice to give back to the community," Martin said.

The salon is at 11226 Gold Express Drive, Suite 204.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred. To make an appointment or for questions, call (916) 631-7151.

From Hudson Sangree:

In his day job, David Rosenberg, left, presides over the Yolo County Superior Court.

Tonight at 7:30, he'll preside over the Yolo Idol Search competition at the county fairgrounds in Woodland.

The Yolo County Fair is in full swing through the weekend, and fair organizers have billed tonight's event as a highlight.

For the fifth year, contestants will sing along to recorded music, karaoke style, as they seek to claim a top prize of $250.

Rosenberg, the county's head judge, will emcee the event, as he did last year.

Contestants must supply their own music and pre-register at the fair office at 1125 East Street.

This year's theme is "Jam Packed With Fun." The fair features livestock barns, art exhibits and carnival rides. Its stages will host a variety of local musical acts.

Saturday night's Auto Destruction Derby is already sold out.

Entry to the fair and many events are free. The entrance is on Gum Avenue in Woodland.

The fair closes at midnight Sunday.

From Sandy Louey:

The Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department and the Murphy 400 Fund will host a community blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The drive is at Fire Station 71, 8760 Elk Grove Blvd. No appointment is necessary and donors will receive a BloodSource T-shirt.

The Murphy 400 Fund is a BloodSource donor club started by Tim Murphy of Elk Grove, who set out to collect 400 pints of blood before his 40th birthday last May. By his 40th birthday, 619 pints were donated to the fund.

Prospective donors must be in generally good health, free from cold symptoms for at least 48 hours, be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent); and weigh at least 110 pounds.

Donors also must bring a photo ID.

A parent of a student at Frontier Elementary School in the Foothill Farms neighborhood passes along an alert issued Tuesday by principal Ellen Giffin.

A male reportedly asked a student to get into his vehicle. The student didn't enter the car and was unharmed, but the school has asked the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department to provide additional security in the area through Friday.

Here is the principal's full message:

The Redding Police Department is co-sponsoring an event Saturday aimed at helping remove abandoned vehicles from properties: a Vehicle Amnesty Day.

Police officials said city of Redding and Shasta County residents can turn over their vehicles to the Pick-N-Pull in Redding for free. There are some guidelines, the most important being: No stolen cars.

Here are the details: Download file

Off-duty Sacramento City firefighters and city officials, including City Councilwoman Lauren Hammond, will be going door-to-door Saturday morning to help install smoke detectors in a south Oak Park neighborhood.

The event is an effort to promote having working smoke detectors in homes, according to Chris Harvey, spokesman for the Firefighters for Sacramento City group.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a barbecue featuring children's activities at Maple Elementary School, 3011 37th Ave.

The effort is part of a community awareness campaign to inform residents about the importance having a working smoke detector in every home. On. Jan. 6, 2007, a fire resulted in the deaths of two young children in Sacramento's Avondale neighborhood.

Following is The Bee's story about the incident and the creation of a task force to deal with the issue:

From Chelsea Phua:

A local cop is about to make his debut on national television. Sacramento Police Det. Mike Wood is scheduled to appear tonight on "The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric."

Wood, who has been investigating real estate fraud for three years, was invited to talk about a growing national problem as more homes go into foreclosure -- "professional squatters" moving into vacated bank-owned homes.

Wood said he is both nervous and excited to be interviewed on national television, but he is happy to do it because it will help alert people to this fraud.

Wood said it is important that bank agents be aware of the conditions of the foreclosed homes they own, and renters should be wary about from who they are renting. Some of the squatters have pretended to lease property and have absconded with deposits.

Wood will have to tape the interview. He doesn't usually get home by 5:30 p.m., when the broadcast is scheduled to begin on Channel 13.

From Laurel Rosenhall:

Inderkum High School in North Natomas will host a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss how to prevent underage drinking.

Students, parents and other concerned citizens can attend the event, which is put on by Inderkum's Friday Night Live program. Friday Night Live is a statewide effort to reduce drunk driving and substance abuse and promote healthy lifestyles for youth.

The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Inderkum High School theater, 2500 New Market Drive.

From M.S. Enkoji:

Placer County Sheriff Edward Bonner, left, is the new president of the California State Sheriff's Association, the non-profit professional organization representing each of the state's 58 counties.

Bonner was sworn in recently during ceremonies in Monterey.

The long-time Placer County lawman said his term will be challenged by shrinking budgets brought on by the eroding economy.

Bonner began his career with the department in 1974, getting elected in 1994. He is now in his fourth term.

Bonner and his wife, Jeanne, have two sons.

The Sacramento Fire Department on Wednesday will introduce its newest search and rescue canine -- Jakers.

A badge-pinning ceremony for Jakers, the department's newest member of the Sacramento-based Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 7, is scheduled at 2 p.m. at Sacramento Fire Department Station No. 10, 5642 66th St.

According to a department news release, Jakers is joining Anna, who is approaching retirement age as a member of the task force.

Jakers and his handler, firefighter Jeff Ivy, will demonstrate some of the dog's search and rescue skills. Department officials report Anna was one of the first rescue dogs on the ground Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center.

From Lakiesha McGhee:

Sierra College's Rocklin campus will be the site Wednesday of a multiagency emergency response exercise as the college tests its preparedness with a "lockdown" drill.

Area agencies will respond to a simulation of a “multiple-casualty incident,” which will take place in a closed section of the campus, according to a college news release.

Residents should not be alarmed if they see an unusual number of police vehicles, firetrucks, ambulances and even helicopters in the area, college officials said.

The exercise will last about three hours in the morning and will minimally affect the flow of traffic on routes to and from the campus at 5000 Rocklin Road.

The exercise is being organized by the Rocklin Police and Fire departments under a grant from the state Office of Homeland Security.

Questions or concerns should be directed to the Sierra College Public Information Office, (916) 789-2668 or (916) 781-0411.

It will be a watchful weekend for area drivers. On Wednesday, we posted Roseville Police Department's plans to hold a sobriety checkpoint at 9 p.m. Friday on an undisclosed street.

Today, Bill Lindelof reports about police agencies planning crackdowns on drunken driving in Rancho Cordova, Davis and Sacramento beginning Friday night.

Here are the details.

From David Richie:

On Wednesday morning, Folsom High School students will be involved in a "mock" double fatality, a two-car collision near the school entrance on Prairie City Road as part of this year's "Every 15 Minutes" safety program focusing on the dangers of drinking and reckless driving.

The re-enactment will include a realistic emergency response involving a California Highway Patrol helicopter as well as units from the Folsom Police Department and Folsom Fire Department.

"Every 15 Minutes" is an intense interactive program provided by public safety agencies every year at selected schools. The car wreck and emergency response is just part of a program that tries to get teenagers to think hard about their decisions to drink and drive.

From David Richie:

Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness plans to meet with Fair Oaks residents Wednesday during Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan's 7:30 a.m. "community cabinet" at Village Cafe and Grill, 10131 Fair Oaks Blvd.

The informal morning sessions provide an opportunity for residents to voice their concerns about local issues.

The Organization of Public Safety Telecommunicators is honoring dispatchers this week in the Sacramento region.

All public safety communications centers in the counties of Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, El Dorado and Sutter are participating in the special week, and an awards banquet honoring two local dispatchers is planned Saturday at the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento.

Jennifer Collins, a Rocklin Police Department communications manager and a banquet organizer, said the week is for celebrating "the hard work and professionalism that communications personnel display on a daily basis."

"They are the silent heroes that are the first line of communication during an individual's time of emergency," Collins said in an e-mail to The Bee.

More details from Art Campos:

Sacramento County Sheriff's Dept. Detective Sgt. Mike Jones of the Safe Task Force is the scheduled guest speaker at the next Carmichael and Foothill Farms community meeting April 22.

According to a department news release, Jones will discuss sexual assault prevention, Megan's Law, Jessica's Law, sex offenders living in area neighborhoods, (what you can and cannot do as a concerned citizen), signs and symptoms of an abusive environment, and upcoming and current legislation.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Carmichael Park Clubhouse, 5750 Grant Ave. For more information, call (916) 487-4309.

Concerned over several violent assaults in recent weeks, the city of Lincoln has scheduled a town forum to discuss the growing problem of gangs.

The forum will be at 7 p.m. April 30 at the Lincoln High School Theatre, 790 J St. There is no admission charge and reservations are not needed.

More details from Art Campos:

The Power Inn Alliance, a coalition of more than 600 businesses and property owners in the Power Inn area of Sacramento, plans a "Crime and Dine" event from noon to 1 p.m. April 24.

According to an Alliance news release, among the topics to be presented is Police Reporting 101. A Sacramento Police officer will show residents the process of filing police reports by phone and Internet.

For more details about the event, view the Alliance's Web site.

Local firefighters are raising money for cancer research while dramatically "lowering their ears" and they are inviting local residents to join them.

Bald will be beautiful for dozens of firefighters mustering 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Station 21, 7641 Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights. They are getting their heads shaved in support of Capt. Jim Peterson of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said Capt. Christian Pebbles.

More from David Richie: