EMERGENCY

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  (858)523-7000

Northwestern Division, 12592 El Camino Real, SD, CA 92130
Carmel Valley - 8 am to 5 pm - Monday thru Thursday
                                click for map of area of coverage 

  handy resource whenever you need to access any City services  http://www.sandiego.gov/directories/services.shtml

Hello, my name is Officer Adrian Lee and I’m the newly appointed Community Relations Officer (C.R.O.) for Northwestern Division. I realize I have some really big shoes to fill with the departure of Officer Gaylon Sells. I look forward to working with all of you. Please feel free to contact me in person at the NW substation. My hours will be generally
Mon - Thu 0600-1600 hours. Adrian Lee, Community Relations Officer Northwestern Division, Direct line: 858 523-7031 Email: avlee@pd.sandiego.gov  

The San Diego Police Department request your assistance and cooperation with the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day! On September 25^TH, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm,  just bring your unused, unwanted or expired medications to the Northwestern Division substation and place them in our drug drop off container. (Located outside the station next to main gate). No questions asked. By participating in this event, you will be safely disposing of medications that are commonly abused! Please see the attached Flyer for additional information.

Thank you, Adrian Lee, Community Relations Officer, San Diego P.D. NW Division, Office #858-523-7031, Email: avlee@pd.sandiego.gov

Click here for flyer                                                                                                          09/2010

NEW LAW GOES INTO EFFECT
FYI. Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 2486 on Aug. 20th. After Jan. 1, 2011 social hosts will no longer be immune from civil liability when they serve alcohol to minors in their home if that is found to be the proximate cause of resulting injuries or death to a third person. Here’s the up-to-date section on Alcohol in the SDPD paper entitled Exercising Parental Authority.

Alcohol Drinking is an adult privilege. It is illegal in California for anyone under 21 to drink or buy alcoholic beverages. While the majority of teens to not drink, most are faced with the opportunity and many fail to resist peer pressure to drink. Parents need to teach their children about the effects, dangers, and possible consequences of drinking, and should try to discourage it altogether. Drinking loosens inhibitions and leads to bad judgments that can result in traffic accidents with serious injuries, costly civil litigation, social embarrassment, hefty legal fines, college probation or loss of scholarships, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and various criminal acts.

Parents are the single most important influence on children’s decision whether or not to drink. If you drink you should:

• Drink in moderation.
• Keep track of all alcoholic beverages kept at home.
• Have non-alcoholic beverages available at home.
• Never drive after drinking.
• Teach your children that it is not necessary to drink to have a good time.

If you do allow your minor children to drink at home, make sure it in moderation and closely supervised. And remember, San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC) Sec. 56.62 makes it unlawful to permit any other minors to consume alcoholic beverages in your home. First-time violations of this ordinance are punishable by a mandatory minimum fine of $100 plus statutory penalty assessments. The fine is $200 for second and subsequent offenses. Then if you permit your child or another child under the age of 18 to drink at your home, under California Business and Professions Code Sec. 25658.2 you would be punished by a term not to exceed one year in a county jail, or a fine not exceeding $1000, or both if all of the following occur: (1) your child or another underage person has a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.05 or greater, (2) you knowingly permit your child or another underage person to drive a vehicle after leaving your home, and (3) your child or other underage person is found to have caused a traffic collision while driving the vehicle. And after January 1, 2011, under Assembly Bill (AB) 2486, known as the Teen Alcohol Safety Act of 2010, a parent will also be subject to civil liability when they serve alcohol to minors in their home if that is found to be the proximate cause of resulting injuries or death to a third person. Social hosts will no longer be immune from liability when they serve alcohol to minors.

Parents should always talk openly with their children about alcohol use and abuse. When they go out you should always ask the following six “W” questions: Where are you going? Why are you going there? Who are you going to be with? What are you going to do? Will there be alcoholic beverages? When will you be home? And when they return you should discuss how they handled the situation if any underage drinking was involved and how they should handle it in the future. If you think your child has or may be developing an alcohol problem you can call San Diego Youth Services at (619) 325-4696 for information and help.

Thank you, Adrian Lee, Community Relations Officer San Diego P.D. NW Division Office #858-523-7031 Email: avlee@pd.sandiego.gov                                                                   09/2010

Hello all,  as we head into the summer months, we will see an increase of visitors into our community. Most will be friendly tourists enjoying our beautiful summers. Unfortunately, some unsavory subjects will looking for an easy opportunity take advantage of you.  I’d like to remind you all to maintain your guard by securing your personal property and belongings.

Don’t be an easy victim by leaving your vehicles unlocked or your homes unsecure. Items left in plain sight often tempt criminals with “crimes of opportunity”.  Never leave purses or other valuable items out in the open in your vehicle. Hide your garage remote inside your vehicle. Take the extra few seconds to “Target harden” your homes by closing your garage doors and locking your home’s doors and windows.  It’s better to come home to a warm house, than to return home to find your possessions missing.

The Northwestern Division Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol or R.S.V.P. have begun a patrol of the communities keeping a look out for unsecured homes. If spotted, they will attempt to notify the home owner in person to advise them of the crime potential they are opening themselves up to. If you observe an unsecured home, be the good neighbor and let them know. Most will appreciate the information. You know your neighborhood better than the patrol officers, if something seems out of place or not right, trust your instincts and give the police a call. Nothing is too small to report.

Thank you,

Adrian Lee, Community Relations Officer
San Diego P.D. NW Division
Office #858-523-7031
Email: avlee@pd.sandiego.gov                                                                   June 10

Hello everyone, I’d like everyone to a little extra time to read some important pool safety tips as we head into the summer months. As the weather warms, it’s time to head back into the pools!  Sadly, every year we hear about a tragic accident involving small children being injured in or around someone’s pool. Let’s take the extra precautions necessary to protect our children. The following steps are just a few tips that just might save a life!  

Pool Safety Tips – 1. Cover Your Pool.
If you have a pool on your property, be sure that you completely cover it when it’s not being used. This prevents debris from affecting the filtration systems in the pool.

Pool Safety Tips – 2. Install a Fence and Gate.
The fencing around a pool is recommended to be at least 4 feet high. It’s also essential that your fence has a latching, locking gate. This gate is extremely important for preventing young children from having unsupervised access to the pool.

Pool Safety Tips – 3. Know CPR.
The American Red Cross offers regular CPR certification courses in most major cities. Knowing CPR could save your child’s life in the event of a near-drowning accident, and can be useful in other situations as well. As a responsible parent, it’s highly recommended that you look for opportunities to attend a CPR training course.

Pool Safety Tips – 4. Have Safety Flotation Devices.
No matter if you’re going to a public pool or your own backyard pool, it’s still important that you have a safety flotation device. This is especially important if you have very young children, who aren’t able to easily swim on their own. There are currently several different types of safety flotation devices, which are designed for children of all ages. An example would be a children’s float suit, which has foam inserts designed to help children learn how to swim.

Pool Safety Tips – 5. No Running!
This is a rule that most parents are aware of, but may have difficulty enforcing. Children love to play around the pool, and young children love to run. However, the concrete or tile around the pool is often slippery from the water, which increases the risk of a fall-related injury. Falls near the pool are also particularly dangerous since it’s possible that your child could be knocked unconscious, then fall into the water. Explain to your children why running around the pool is dangerous, and be strict about enforcing this rule.

Have a safe and fun summer!

Adrian Lee, Community Relations Officer
San Diego P.D. NW Division
Office #858-523-7031
Email: avlee@pd.sandiego.gov                                                                             June 10

Hello everyone, I saw this article in the paper and wanted to pass it along to you. It includes some very useful information, and the National Conflict Resolution Center is an excellent resource to assist with chronic neighbor disputes.  Thanks, Gaylon

Reason with your neighbors before calling the cops

By Jennifer Davies, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 12:05 a.m.

While most neighbor disputes don’t end as tragically as the recent shooting deaths in Poway, almost everyone has a story about a less-than-neighborly neighbor. Whether it’s over an overgrown hedge or extra cars parked on your street, squabbles with your neighbors can be particularly awkward, not to mention draining.

Now What?

Don’t suffer in silence, but don’t react in anger either, advises Ashley Virtue, spokeswoman for the National Conflict Resolution Center, based in San Diego.

The key is open communication early. While it might be a bit nerve-racking to make that first contact, Virtue says you need to reach out personally. Even if your neighbors are throwing noisy parties, calling the cops shouldn’t be your first response.

“People don’t like a police officer to come to their house,” she explains. “It escalates the tension.”

When you approach your neighbors, don’t just detail your demands. It can make you sound grouchy. Instead, you need to outline the reasons behind your demands. For instance, if you have to get up at 5 a.m. for work, loud parties or the incessant barking of a dog throughout the night is an understandable issue.

If you explain your situation in a calm, polite way, most neighbors will respond favorably, Virtue says. However, there are always going to be people who will either shrug or shout and slam the door.

In those cases, Virtue recommends mediation; her company helps mediate neighbor disputes free of charge through funding from the County of San Diego.

You can access these free services by calling (619) 238-2400 and asking for a case coordinator. You can also visit the company’s Web site at ncrconline.com and click on “open a case” at the top of the home page.

If your neighbor resists mediation, Virtue says National Conflict Resolution Center staff members are adept at getting people to participate as well as successfully resolve issues. In fact, the NCRC says it has about an 80 percent success rate in mediating disputes.

                                               You Are Not Alone (YANA) Program

Hello everyone, I have attached some information from our Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol volunteers on a program called YANA ( You Are Not Alone). This is a very valuable service the RSVP volunteers offer to individuals who are unable to leave their homes on a regular basis and who would like someone to regularly check on them.
Thanks, Gaylon Sells,
Community Relations Officer Northwestern Division,
12592 El Camino Real, SD, CA 92130
Email: gsells@pd.sandiego.gov


Do you have an elderly relative or friend who is homebound and you might have worries about their welfare? The San Diego Police Department and their Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol has a program which might relieve much of your worries. This program is called “You Are Not Alone (YANA)”. Under the YANA program, RSVP members check the welfare of those living alone that would appreciate or need to have someone check on their welfare on a regular basis. A number of lives have been saved because RSVP members were checking on these people, sometimes finding them sick or injured and unable to call for help. YANA clients are usually elderly; however there is no minimum age for the program. Clients can be those who need the service long-term or those just needing it for a short period of time while recuperating from surgery or an injury. Normally, family members or caregivers sign up a YANA client and ask for the service; however clients can make the request themselves. The client may also be referred by other individuals or agencies, such as Aging and Independence Services. It is important when enrolling a new YANA client that an emergency contact person be named, preferably one who lives locally and has a key, but this may not always be possible. Part of the enrollment process includes an Emergency Form that is to be placed on the client’s refrigerator. This form includes a name and telephone number of the client’s physician and emergency contact, as well as current medications being taken and any drug allergies. This form is extremely important should paramedics need to be called for assistance.

If you would like to avail yourself of the YANA service please contact the Northwestern Police Station at 858-523-7000 or visit our substation at 12592 El Camino Real. You can also call the RSVP Administrator directly at 858-523-7021.                                             April 2010

Hello everyone, I wanted to send out these documents on Child Safety and what we as parents can do to keep our children safe, especially when it comes to cyber safety. All of the articles are from the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children, and their link is attached below. Thanks, Gaylon

 http://www.missingkids.com

Gaylon Sells,
Community Relations Officer Northwestern Division,
12592 El Camino Real, SD, CA 92130
Direct line: 858 523-7031
Station line: 858 523-7000
Email: gsells@pd.sandiego.gov

Schedule: M-TH 2 PM to Midnight                                             Apr. 2010

Click on below to get the document:
Abduction & Kidnapping
General Info for Parents
Internet Safety

I wanted to pass along an example of how vital you all are in helping us address crime in the Community:

Last week a Carmel Valley resident called SDPD to report that she saw two young males [they were later determined to be adults] acting suspiciously and walking up and down the street with no apparent purpose. SDPD responded and ultimately arrested four individuals for residential burglary. One of the suspects also had a felony warrant for burglary. The suspects had broken into a residence. SDPD spotted one suspect on the street and found another suspect hiding along the side of a house. Two suspects fled on foot and SDPD ultimately captured them.

Another resident had called SDPD on those two suspects, and that call assisted us in apprehending them. I mention all of this to let you know that your partnership with us as our eyes and ears in the Community does pay dividends, and the Command at Northwestern Division truly appreciates all the support we receive from the Community.

And for those who think Community/Police partnerships are a modern idea, Sir Robert Peel wrote the following in 1829: … “the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

Thanks again for your support.

One final note, I am currently in a long-term Acting Sergeant Position. Because of that there will be some delays in my getting to all the Community Relations emails and phone calls, so please be patient with me. Gaylon 
                                                                                                                   Mar 2010

Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP) program

Hello everyone, I wanted to take this opportunity to spotlight Northwestern Division's Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP) program. Our RSVPs play an integral part in the partnership between the police and the community, and are a shining example of Community Policing in action. They are volunteers from your neighborhoods who are out there keeping your neighborhoods safe by providing such functions as school security checks, security patrols through residential neighborhoods, vacation house checks, and a program called YANA, which stands for You Are Not Alone. In the YANA program the RSVPs check on those who are unable to leave their homes due to health issues. Additionally, the RSVPs are active in disseminating crime prevention information to businesses and shopping malls. These are just some of the numerous functions the RSVPs perform on a daily basis.

In the first nine months of 2009 the 13 RSVP members volunteered nearly 3400 hours! If you are looking for a way to make a difference in your community I can think of no better program than the RSVP program. I would encourage any of you who are 50 or older and are interested in the RSVP program to call Bernie Palacek, who is Northwestern Division's RSVP Administrator. Bernie can be reached at 858 523-7021. I have attached a flier on the RSVP program that will give you additional information about the program.

In closing, I want to thank all of you in the community who have supported Northwestern Division in our efforts to make this Division one we can all be proud of. As we work together in partnership I know we can continue to make a positive impact on crime and quality-of-life issues in our neighborhoods.

Thanks again, Gaylon Gaylon Sells, Community Relations Officer

 Hello everyone, This was sent to me and I think it is useful information to pass along. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day. Gaylon

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car's battery dies.This tip came from a Neighborhood Watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it.

It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around... After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there ..... Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My friend's Mom has suggested to her Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.                                                                       May 09

I know it is a novel idea in Southern California to use your garage to park your vehicles and not for general storage : )  And if you do have to park your vehicles in your driveway it would be great to have a motion-activated light covering your driveway. They are easy to install and can replace the existing lights most homes have at the front of the garage.  

  Home and Vacation Tips from your SD Police Department - Northwestern Division
click here