The City of Goleta has been recognized as one of the top 100 Safest Cities in America by Location Inc., owner of the Neighborhood Scout community data research service. Goleta was ranked the 95th safest city, one of 23 cities in California and the only city in Santa Barbara County to make the list.

“The City of Goleta has always placed a high priority on public safety and it is rewarding to see our efforts result in a ranking in the top 100 Safest Cities,” said Mayor Roger Aceves. “I would like to commend the efforts of our Goleta Police Department because their dedication and vigilance is instrumental in creating the safe community that we enjoy.”

This recognition validates the collaboration between the Goleta Police Department, our neighborhood watch, our business watch and our Nextdoor participants in keeping Goleta a safe place to live and work. Each year, Neighborhood Scout publishes their top 100 Safest Cities in America list calculated on cities with a population of 25,000 or more and based on the total number of crimes per 1,000 residents. Crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, homicide, forcible rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Since the City of Goleta incorporated in 2002, the City has contracted with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the different types of services provided by law enforcement? On April 24th, the South Coast Citizens’ Academy will kick off. The academy offers the opportunity to learn more about what the Santa Barbara Sheriff ’s Office personnel do on a daily basis. Citizens will get an insider’s look at the various departments over the course of seven weeks.

Topics will include: department history, how a deputy sheriff is trained, forensics, SWAT, narcotics, bomb squad, K-9 unit, dive team and much more. The academy will also include a tour of the main jail, the Santa Barbara Courthouse and the Emergency Communications Center. The academy begins Wednesday, April 24th at the Sheriff ’s Office, 4400 Calle Realand will run every Wednesday evening from 6-9 p.m. through June 5th. Class locations will vary by topic. The final class will include a graduation BBQ on June 8th.

To take advantage of this exciting opportunity, please contact Senior Deputy Greg Sorenson at 968-3878, or drop by the Goleta Police Department’s sub-station at the Camino Real Marketplace for more information.

You sit up in bed, look at the clock and quickly realize that the power is out. You quietly crawl out of bed and check on your family. Shards of glass cover the kitchen floor. Through the broken window you hear a neighbor screaming. You decide to go outside and see if you can help. Other neighbors join you. Some are in a daze while others are hysterical. One asks for help for her child who is trapped under a fallen shelf. You quickly realize that this is not just a simple power outage…

WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT? WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT? Earthquakes, fires and other disasters can hit a community at any time. Knowing what to do and how to best help is the focus of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.

CERT training covers topics such as medical operations, light search and rescue, and fire safety. The class typically meets once a week for nine weeks with the training culminating in a final drill and graduation. CERT volunteers are trained to assist victims and organize spontaneous volunteers at disaster sites. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of our community.

The safety of our community is one of our highest priorities. Through help from a $68,250 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), we will conduct 12 sobriety checkpoints throughout the City in 2013.

Why is the State of California spending this money on sobriety checkpoints when it can be argued that extra officers in cars are more effective in apprehending DUI drivers? Well, there are three proven-effective reasons for sobriety checkpoints:

1. Deterring potential DUI drivers from driving;

2. Apprehending DUI drivers that are driving; and

3. Educating the public as to safe driving, the need for a valid driver’s license and insurance, and the dangers associated with impaired driving.

The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug-involved crashes. Research shows that collisions involving alcohol drop by an average of  20% when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted on a more regular basis.

On average, we have between 600 and 1,200 cars travel through one of our sobriety checkpoints. This is a great way to educate large numbers of the motoring public by being personally contacted regarding impaired driving. If you have never been through a sobriety checkpoint, here is what you can expect…

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment along with a proper driver’s license. This initial contact is very brief in an effort to keep the delay of motorists at a minimum. If you should show signs of impairment, to any degree, you will be asked to pull to the side of the road where the deputy will conduct further investigation on the level of your impairment. Should you get arrested for driving impaired, you can expect jail time, license suspension, insurance increases, court fines/fees, DUI classes, vehicle impoundment and other expenses (which can exceed $10,000). All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. In 2011, there were 24 DUI collisions claiming three lives and injuring 18 of our friends and neighbors in Goleta. The Goleta Traffic Unit asks that you designate a sober, nondrinking driver. And please…drive safely on our roadways! One mistake not only changes your life, but it also changes the lives of other motorists who share the roadways with you.