Daily Archives: May 1, 2023

“Light Up Green” in Honor of Mental Health Month in May

Santa Barbara County will be joining other counties, and our nation, in lighting up buildings in lime green as one of many events occurring throughout the month of May in honor of May is Mental Health Month. Be sure to get out after dark and see the buildings lit up around town! Light Up Green aims to show community members that nobody is alone facing mental health challenges.

For Mental Health Month this year, Mental Health America is encouraging individuals to look around and look within. From your neighborhood to genetics, many factors come into play when it comes to mental health. We encourage everyone to consider how the world around them affects their mental health.  Fact sheets which can be downloaded, that support this year’s theme and further explore the environment impact on our mental health, include: Healthy Home Environments, Safe and Stable Housing and The Outdoors and Nature.

A variety of events will be taking place throughout the community over the course of the month, beginning with the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors proclaiming May as Mental Health Month at its May 2 meeting. View more events here: https://tinyurl.com/yvpjuwxa.

What can you do to recognize May as Mental Health Month?

If you are suffering from mental health issues, you are not alone. Help is always available; speak with someone today. 988 is a national crisis line which can be reached by phone or text.  The Behavioral Wellness toll free Crisis Response and Services Access Line can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (888) 868-1649 for assistance in receiving services. To learn more about County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness, please visit http://countyofsb.org/behavioral-wellness.

Check Twice for Motorcycles

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month

During May’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Goleta Police Department reminds drivers to always look twice for motorcycles.

The top primary crash factors for motorcycles are unsafe speed, improper turning, right-of-way violations, driving under the influence and unsafe lane changes. Speeding is the most common, accounting for nearly a third of all crashes in the state.

To help protect you and your family, keep the following tips in mind while driving or riding:

Drivers

  • Always check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes.
  • Do not follow a motorcycle too closely. Always keep a safe distance.
  • If you see a motorcycle with a signal on, be careful. Be sure that the rider is turning before moving ahead.
  • Remember, lane sharing or lane splitting is legal in California.

Motorcyclists

  • Always wear a U.S. DOT-compliant helmet with eye protection.
  • Wear leather or other sturdy clothing such as a jacket, pants, boots with nonskid soles and gloves. Add reflective strips or decals to your clothing and motorcycle to make it easier for other drivers to see you.
  • Ride defensively. Don’t assume a driver can see you. Avoid riding in a driver’s blind spot.
  • Always keep your lights on, even during the day.

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

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office provides police services for the City of Goleta.

Goleta Crime Down According to New Crime Stats

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has released the 2022 crime statistics for the communities it serves. Each year the Sheriff’s Office compiles statistics about crimes occurring within the communities it serves and submits this information to the State of California. Reports are broken down into two major categories: Part 1 crimes, which are the most serious in nature, and Part 2 crimes, which includes a number of lesser criminal offenses and some juvenile status offenses.  Part 1 crimes are further broken down into two subcategories: violent crimes and property crimes.  Part 1 violent crimes are offenses that involve force or a threat of force and include criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.  Part 1 property crimes are theft-related offenses that do not involve threats or force against the victim, including burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft.

Here are the Part 1 crime rates for 2022, broken down by unincorporated area or contract city, and compared to the previous year:

  • Goleta: 16% decrease in overall crime; 43% decrease in violent crime (37 less crimes); 12% increase in property crime.
  • Unincorporated areas: 8% decrease in overall crime; 8% increase in violent crime (19 additional crimes); 10% decrease in property crime.
  • Buellton: 35% decrease in overall crime; 40% decrease in violent crime (4 less crimes); 35% decrease in property crime.
  • Carpinteria: 20% decrease in overall crime; 41% increase in violent crime (9 additional crimes); 26% decrease in property crime.
  • Solvang: 11% decrease in overall crime; 33% increase in violent crime (3 additional crimes); 16% decrease in property crime.

After experiencing three years of increasing crime rates, the communities served by the Sheriff’s Office experienced a 12% decrease in overall Part 1 violent crime, which is 6% lower than the preceding 10-year average. The most significant decreases in violent crime, as compared to last year, occurred in homicide (33% decrease), rape (16% decrease) and robbery (18% decrease).

Part 1 property crimes also decreased significantly from the previous year by 13%, which is also a 7% decrease against the 10-year average. Statistically relevant decreases in Part 1 property crime, when compared to the previous year, were seen in burglary (23% decrease), theft (11% decrease), and motor vehicle theft (25% decrease).  Arson cases rose by 157% due to 11 cases more than the previous year.  Many of these cases were generated by city or county Fire Departments who responded to illegal fires within the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction.

Moving to Part 2 crimes, there was a 10% decrease overall when comparing to the previous year (2021), with almost all categories declining or remaining statistically similar. The largest reductions were seen in the areas of Weapons (11% decrease), Drugs (14% decrease), and Liquor Laws (55% decrease).

Sheriff Brown said, “The Sheriff’s Office is pleased to see these overall decreases in the number of reported crimes throughout our county. This is a trend that we welcome and believe is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement and custody professionals, as well as our partnerships with the people we serve and protect. There is still work to be done to ensure that Santa Barbara County remains a safe place to live and work, but we are encouraged by the progress that has been made. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to work diligently to maintain this positive trend.

The Sheriff’s Office is honored to provide policing services for the cities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, and Solvang. The Sheriff’s Office attributes its effectiveness in maintaining public safety within each of these cities to ongoing collaboration with their city councils, leadership teams, and residents.

Learn more about the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at www.SBSheriff.org.

Measure A Funding for Goleta Projects

The City of Goleta now has a roadmap on how to use Measure A funding over the next five years. On April 18, 2023, the Goleta City Council adopted a Measure A Five-Year Program of Projects (POP). The City is required to prepare and adopt this five-year capital expenditure program in order to receive its annual allocation of Measure A tax revenues. The POP determines how the revenues will be spent by the City. Over the next five years, the City plans to split its share of the Measure A tax revenues amongst several categories, the largest three being: Maintenance, Improvement or Construction of Roadways & Bridges (20%); Storm Damage Repair to Transportation Facilities (13%); and Traffic Signal Coordination, Intersection Channelization (19%).

Measure A, Santa Barbara County’s local transportation half cent sales tax measure, was approved by 79% of Santa Barbara County voters in November 2008. Measure A is projected to collect $1.6 billion through 2040. With additional state/federal funding leveraged in the fiscal year, over $66 million was invested in voter approved transportation projects and programs countywide. Santa Barbara County Association of Governments recently released its 2022 annual report on Measure A programs and projects in April 2023. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/3Ukc3ZD.

Voters approved a slate of projects and programs for Measure A and spending is divided into three categories: 13.4% to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety on Highway 101 and 43.3% each for North County and South Coast for high priority transportation projects including local street improvements, increasing transportation opportunities for transit dependent residents including the elderly and disabled, building safer walking and bike routes to school and providing increased opportunities for carpool and vanpool programs.

The public can visit www.measurea.net to learn more about Measure A transportation projects and programs and benefits for residents in the region or visit https://bit.ly/3Ukc3ZD to download the 2022 Annual Report.