Public Safety

Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.

Public Safety

Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.

Public Safety

Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.

  • A shiny police badge resting on folded dark navy uniform fabric.

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    Palo Alto recruit graduates county police academy

    New Palo Alto Police officers were among 40 recruits who graduated Thursday, Sept. 24, from the Santa Clara County Justice Training Center's Basic Academy Class 36, a boost for a department that reported 12 vacant sworn positions as recently as June.

  • Neoclassical courthouse with tall white columns and 'Superior Court' carved above the entrance.

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    Ex-undersheriff Rick Sung pleads guilty to felony bribery

    Former Santa Clara County Undersheriff Rick Sung pleaded guilty Sept. 21 to two felony bribery charges tied to trading concealed-carry permits for iPads and Sharks tickets, closing an eight-year corruption case with no prison time and a sentencing date of Oct. 19.

  • National Weather Service graphic titled "Minor Coastal Flooding" showing a Bay Area map with the coastal flood advisory zone highlighted in green from Santa Rosa to Big Sur, alongside details on what, where, when, and safety impacts.

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    Coastal flood advisory covers Palo Alto through Oct. 1

    A National Weather Service Coastal Flood Advisory took effect Monday morning for San Francisco Bay shoreline areas, including Palo Alto's baylands, warning of up to 1.2 feet of water above ground level and possible road closures through 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.

  • Floodwater from a king tide covers a trail and marshland near a white building with a cupola at the Palo Alto Baylands.

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    State of emergency puts Palo Alto's Baylands on flood watch

    Palo Alto's low-lying Baylands and flood-prone areas face elevated risk this winter after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Sept. 21 ahead of a potentially historic El Niño season, with forecasters warning of record sea levels and king tides.

  • Large fallen tree with broken branches lying across a paved parking lot exit.

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    Tree fall near Caltrain tracks rattles Palo Alto High

    A tree fell next to the Caltrain tracks at Palo Alto High School on Sept. 22, temporarily blocking a campus parking lot exit and shaking nearby classrooms, with the district's landscaping crew having clocked out just two minutes before.

  • Map showing the I-280 corridor labeled Regional Wildfire Management with project phase legend.

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    I-280 near Palo Alto gets lane closures starting Sept. 21

    A multi-agency wildfire prevention project along I-280 near Page Mill Road begins vegetation removal the week of Sept. 21, bringing periodic weekday lane closures through summer 2027.

  • A CAL FIRE graphic showing a home with its Zone 0 area, the five feet closest to the house, highlighted in yellow, with text reading "Why Five Feet? Break Wildfire's Path to Your Home."

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    130+ Palo Alto homes face new Zone 0 fire rules

    More than 130 Palo Alto homes in the foothills must comply with California's new Zone 0 fire-landscaping rules, which require removing combustible materials within five feet of structures over a phased three-to-five-year timeline.

  • A National Weather Service graphic titled "Heat Advisory: Wednesday through Thursday" for the San Francisco Bay Area, listing interior highs in the 90s up to 105°F, coastal highs in the mid-70s to low-90s, and overnight lows in the mid-60s to low-70s, with a map of the Bay Area and Central Coast highlighted in orange under the advisory and a list of heat-safety tips.

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    Heat Advisory: Palo Alto could hit high 90s to 100 this week

    The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory for the Bay Area from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 10 p.m. Thursday, with interior highs up to 105°F and poor overnight cooling; Palo Alto residents can find cooling resources at 250 Hamilton Ave. or by calling (650) 329-2100.

  • Speaker at outdoor podium under tent with Rail Safety Month California banner.

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    Caltrain safety month skips Palo Alto's four crossings

    Caltrain launched a month-long rail safety and suicide prevention campaign across the Peninsula in September, but none of the listed events are at Palo Alto crossings, where three in four recent youth suicides have occurred.

  • Flock Safety camera with solar panel

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    Palo Alto's 30 Flock cameras face decision alone

    California killed its fifth consecutive bill to regulate license plate reader cameras on the final day of the legislative session, leaving Palo Alto to navigate its own Flock Safety review without a state framework as the city weighs dropping its 30-camera system.

  • Three wildland firefighters in yellow gear walk through a smoke-filled residential neighborhood.

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    130-plus Palo Alto homes sit in wildfire-risk zone

    Santa Clara County has recorded 11 wildfires since May, and federal forecasters project a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this winter, raising concerns for Palo Alto's 130-plus homes in the wildland-urban interface.

  • Tom Brady in a white New England Patriots jersey, number 12, standing on the sideline during a game.

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    Tom Brady's CardVault burglarized week after Palo Alto opening

    Thieves broke into CardVault by Tom Brady at Town & Country Village on Aug. 22, stealing about 60 trading cards valued at over $12,000 just a week after the store's grand opening; suspects remain at large.

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