Suspect in Early Morning Residential Burglaries Arrested

SUISUN CITY – The Suisun City Police Department arrested a 27-year-old Suisun City man on Tuesday on suspicion of numerous hot prowl residential break-ins dating back to mid-August.

After intensive targeted patrols and an extensive investigation, police collected enough evidence to arrest Jason Lee Harris for entering 11 homes on the east side of Suisun City during late night or early morning hours while the residents slept. Upon entering the home through unlocked doors, the suspect would take any accessible items of value that could be easily concealed then flee.

“This series of hot prowl burglaries was extremely unsettling for Suisun City residents, and very uncharacteristic of local criminal activity,” said police Commander Tim Mattos. “Thanks to the focused efforts of all our officers and civilian personnel on both day and night shifts, we were able to make this arrest and restore peace and safety to neighborhoods east of Emperor Drive.”

Since the burglary spree started in mid-August, the Suisun City Police Department increased enforcement in the areas of the break-ins, and assigned extra officers to special details to identify and apprehend the suspect.

The Police Department also notified all Suisun City residents asking them to be extra vigilant in securing their homes and report any suspicious activity or people to police.

Jason Lee Harris became a person of interest after officers spotted him several times during early morning hours in the area of the reported burglaries. He also lived nearby.

But police investigators were able to secure an arrest warrant for Harris on Tuesday after finding a key piece of evidence at the site of a recent break-in that linked him to the crime.

Harris was arrested and booked into Solano County Jail on multiple burglary charges, and is awaiting arraignment.

The Police Department investigation into this series of break-ins continues.  Anyone with information regarding these incidents should call Sgt. Dave Kasid or Commander Tim Mattos at 707-421-7373.

Travis AFB Plans Friday Exercise

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - Travis Air Force Base will conduct an exercise on Friday that may result in visible smoke and noise that can be heard from nearby urban areas.

The smoke should dissipate quickly, and is not expected to pose any hazards.

The exercise is part of the ongoing readiness mission of Travis Air Force Base as the leading military airlift facility on the West Coast.

For more information, please contact the 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Office at 707-424-2011.

Celebrate the New Year Without Gunfire

SUISUN CITY POLICE ANNOUNCE ANTI-GUNFIRE CAMPAIGN

SUISUN CITY — The Suisun City Police Department has launched the "Celebrate the New Year Without Gunfire" campaign based on a simple principle of physics: what goes up, must come down.

Celebrating the New Year by firing weapons into the air is dangerous and carries significant potential legal penalties. Each year, people in cities across America are injured or killed as bullets fall to earth after being fired into the air in a burst of celebratory vigor.

"This is an absolutely senseless danger," said Suisun City Police Chief Ed Dadisho. "People are endangering themselves, their loved ones and neighbors by illegally using firearms to celebrate. All too often alcohol consumption is a contributing factor to this lack of responsible decision-making."

Under California state law, reckless discharge of a firearm carries a maximum prison sentence of up to three years.

According to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, falling bullets most often strike victims in the head with sufficient velocity to cause death.

The Suisun City Police Department asks all residents to enjoy the holiday responsibly by locking their weapons away during New Year’s Eve celebrations, limiting alcohol consumption, and not drinking and driving.

The Department will also staff additional patrol officers on New Years Eve, with directed patrol for drunk drivers, random gunfire, and other disturbances.

>> More about the Suisun City Police Department >>

Suisun City Police Offer Holiday Crime Prevention Tips

SUISUN CITY - Nothing can ruin the Christmas spirit faster than being the victim of a crime. Unfortunately, burglars view the holiday season a little differently than most people. For them, it is an opportunity to burglarize your home for cash, credit cards and gifts.

Don’t be an easy target. Follow these simple tips and have a safe, happy holiday season.

At Home:

• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave home even for a few minutes.
• Don’t openly display your Christmas tree and gifts in the front window.
• If you go out for the evening, turn on lights and a radio or television so it looks like someone’s home.
• Make it a point to retrieve your mail shortly after it is delivered. The longer it stays unattended in your mailbox, the greater the chances of someone stealing it.

Shopping:

• Stay alert and be aware of what’s going on around you.
• Park in a well-lit space, and be sure to lock the car, close the windows, and hide shopping bags and gifts in the trunk. If shopping near your home, consider returning home to drop off gifts. They’ll be safer there than in your car.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash; pay with a check or credit card whenever possible.
• If you need to use an ATM, use one inside the mall or some other well-lit populated area.
• Accompany and supervise children in public facilities, including restrooms.

If you see something that looks suspicious, call 9-1-1. For Non-Emergency calls, dial 707-421-7373.

Have a safe and joyous holiday season.

>> Read more about the Suisun City Police Department >>

Drive Carefully This Holiday Season

SUISUN CITY - With the holidays upon us and millions of Americans hitting the roads, Suisun City Police Department wants everyone to arrive safely at their destinations. Drivers and passengers need to know that officers will be out in force sending the strong message to “Click It or Ticket.”

“No one wants to start the holidays off wrong with a ticket,” said Police Chief Ed Dadisho. “Save your money for turkey and buying presents for loved ones – don’t throw it away simply because you failed to buckle up.”

While seat belt use is at a record high of 83 percent nationwide, 45 million Americans still fail to buckle up when they get in a motor vehicle. Even though in California 96.2 percent use their restraints, it still means that over 1.5 million Californians don’t buckle up.

During the holiday period, over 35 vehicle occupants who are not buckled up will be killed in motor vehicle crashes each day nationwide. Statewide, overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009 due in part to the increased use of seat belts. Total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades.

“Sadly, the holidays, which for many are the happiest time of the year, is also one of the deadliest and most tragic,” said Chief Dadisho.

>> READ MORE >>

Earthquake Drill

Suisun City is participating in a statewide earthquake drill.

Had this been an actual emergency, you would have received new updates through this channel.

>> Click here for more information on the Great California ShakeOut >>
>> Click here for disaster preparedness tips >>

Crime Drops 20% in First Half of 2009

Significant improvement a result of new beat system and proactive policing

SUISUN CITY — Crime in Suisun City declined 20 percent in the first six months of 2009, with 30 percent declines in violent crimes and property crimes leading the way, according to a recent study by the Suisun City Police Department.

Violent crime, such as rape, robbery and aggravated assault, was reduced by 30 percent or more, while burglaries declined by 30 percent and thefts were down by 28 percent.

This significant reduction in Suisun City’s overall crime rate is the result of a Beat System that enhances street patrols and crime response, as well as the continued proactive work by police officers and civilian staff during the past three years, Police Chief Ed Dadisho said.

>> Read more about the crime rate and the new Beat System >>

Highway 12 Improvements Launched

MAJOR TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS COMING SOON

SUISUN CITY - The stretch of Highway 12 from Suisun City to Rio Vista is going to get a lot safer this spring and summer with major roadway improvements designed.

Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, state legislators and Solano Transportation Authority representatives were among those who gathered at the Western Railway Museum here this week to celebrate the ground breaking for the next wave of highway improvments.

Safety enhancements workers will soon begin to install east of Suisun City include:

• wider shoulders
• additional centerline channelizers to help separate conflicting traffic
• new rumble strips, which alert drivers when they drift out of their lane
• enhanced pavement and more.

For more information, visit the Highway 12 link at Suisun City's homepage at www.suisun.com or visit Caltrans' project site, including a diagram of the scheduled work.

Media reports:

• KCRA news video report
• Vacaville Reporter (which provided the photo above)
• Daily Republic (subscription required)
  

Watch for Workers on Sunset Avenue near Railroad

PATIENCE TODAY, A SAFER CROSSING FOR YEARS TO COME

Workers are installing traffic islands near the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on Sunset Avenue as a significant safety enhancement. Suisun City Public Works expects this work to be completed by early April.

Periodic and unpredictable traffic interruptions may be necessary from time to time to allow the work to be completed in a timely fashion while ensuring public and worker safety. Qualified railroad personnel are on scene to safely manage rail, vehicle, pedestrian and cycling traffic across the intersection.

All motorists are asked to use extra patience while driving in this area while this vital work is completed. Watch for unexpected and temporary changes in lane configurations. Follow the directions of flagmen at the site, and do not drive around safety cones and devices placed along the roadway.

After the traffic islands are in place

• Union Pacific Railroad crews will install new crossing arms when the parts are delivered, and
• Ghilotti Construction will interconnect the traffic and train crossing signals.

Your patience during the next several weeks will allow us to provide years of enhanced safety at this key intersection.

>>Click here for an interactive map showing detours>>

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Designate a Driver

DON'T DRIVE DRUNK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

The holidays are a terrific time for family and friends to gather together and celebrate. The Suisun City Police Department urges you to take a simple step to keep yourself and other motorists safe: Designate a driver.

A Designated Driver refrains from drinking alcohol, and is responsible to getting their riders safely to their destination. This is a statewide effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related collisions and fatalities on California's streets and highways.

The California Office of Traffic Safety even offers some great recipes for festive non-alcoholic drinks so designated drivers can celebrate without becoming impaired.

In 2007, 1,616 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in California. Additionally, 203,866 people were arrested for driving under the influence.

If you've had even one drink, don't risk getting behind the wheel. The Suisun City Police, California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies will heighten their vigilance for drunk drivers during this holiday period.

If you see a suspected drunk driver, call 911 to alert the Highway Patrol.

Christmas Tree Safety

SIMPLE STEPS HELP ENSURE A SAFE HOLIDAY

We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season. The Suisun City Fire Department would like to help make sure that Suisun City residents are safe and secure by offering some simple tips to ensure a safe holiday:

• Make sure your artificial Christmas tree is labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
• Check to see that your live cut tree has fresh, green needles that don't fall off easily when touched.
• Cut about 1 to 2 inches off the trunk of your live cut tree before placing it in a stand that can hold water.
  
• Make sure to add water daily because trees consume lots of water, and can dry quickly indoors.
• Place your tree at least 3 feet away from a heat source, such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking any exits.
• Use lights that carry a label from an independent testing laboratory.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. String no more than 3 strands of mini string lights, and a maximum of 50 screw-in bulbs.
• Never use candles to decorate a tree.
• Always turn Christmas tree lights off before leaving home or going to bed.
• Get rid of the tree when it begins to drop needles. Dry trees are an extreme fire hazard. Use an after-Christmas community disposal program to remove the tree from your property.

>>Click here for more Christmas tree safety tips>>
>>Click here for holiday safety information from the National Fire Protection Association>>

Don't Forget the Batteries When You Change the Clock

At 2 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday Nov. 2), we switch back to Standard Time. Don't forget to "fall back" before you go to bed tonight (Saturday Nov. 1) by setting the time back one hour.

The Suisun City Fire Department encourages City residents to use this annual adjustment as the time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. It's also a good time to check to make sure the detector is still functional.

Studies from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) indicate that one out of four alarms may not be functional because of the age of the alarm, as well as dead or missing batteries. The NFPA strongly recommends that smoke alarms be replaced every 10 years.

The following are simple steps residents can take that will greatly reduce the risk of fire-related injury and property loss:

• Change the batteries in smoke alarms every six months or when the low battery signal is heard.
• Test your alarms weekly using the units’ test buttons to ensure batteries and all alarm functions are working properly.
• Never remove the unit’s batteries to stop an unwanted alarm or “nuisance” alarm, such as those caused by cooking smoke or burned toast. According to the NFPA, half of the deaths in homes equipped with smoke alarms occur because the smoke alarm did not sound – usually when batteries are dead, disconnected or missing.
• Replace older smoke alarms after 10 years or in accordance with manufacturer’s warranties.
  

Watch the Kids on Halloween

Suisun City residents are encouraged to show extra caution when driving through City streets on Friday night as our children celebrate Halloween.

Two great ways to celebrate the annual trick-or-treat holiday are

• The 57th Annual Suisun City Costume Parade and Contest. Sign-up starting at 4 p.m. for the parade and judging at Driftwood and Main Street then enjoy the festive 5 p.m. trip down Main Street to Harbor Plaza for awards and candy. This free family tradition is great for all ages!
• The Solano College Theatre is putting on "Spooktacular" - a terrific haunted house inside the historic Lawler House at 718 Main Street, between the Harbor Theater and Harbor Square. The haunted house runs 5-6:30 p.m. as a G-rated family event, and 7-10 p.m as PG-13 fun for the thrill-seekers. $5 admission, $2 if you come in costume.

Follow these tips for a safe Halloween:

• Try to use face-makeup rather than masks to allow for maximum vision
• Drive more slowly, particularly on residential streets, watching for children running into traffic or acting erractically
• Provide children who are trick-or-treating with lightweight flashlights to navigate darkened streets
• Don't use candles in displays of dried season material
• Avoid long or flowing costumes that could pose a tripping hazard
  

New Fire Truck Nearly Finished!

Suisun City Fire Chief Mike O'Brien and two battalion chiefs are scheduled to make the final pre-delivery inspection of Suisun City's new 100-foot ladder platform fire truck next week!

They are anxiously watching Hurricane Ike and hope to be able to make the trip. If all goes as planned, the new truck may be in Suisun City in time for Fire Prevention Week, which is Oct. 5-11! (Psst! We're planning a Fire Station Open House for Oct. 11!)

We've added new pictures to our slideshow of the new truck being assembled by Ferrara Fire Apparatus in Holden, Louisiana. Check it out here.

Major Safety Improvements Get Started

SUNSET AVENUE PROJECT WILL ENHANCE POPULAR ROADWAY &

RAIL CROSSING

Crews will restripe Sunset Avenue north of Railroad Avenue on Friday (July 18) in preparation for a six-month construction project to improve traffic flow on this major entrance to Suisun City and install new safety enhancements ordered by the City Council at the railroad crossing.

Working in partnership with the City of Fairfield, the Suisun City Public Works Department will oversee the installation of new synchronized traffic signals, additional traffic lanes, center medians and other roadway improvements. At the same time, a new 36-inch water line for the City of Fairfield will be installed to improve Fairfield’s water system.

The project will require traffic to be re-routed to one side of the roadway while work is performed on the other. Significant traffic delays of up to 25 minutes are anticipated.

Starting Monday, traffic lights on Sunset Avenue at East Travis Blvd. and Railroad Avenue will be set to require three-way stops. Drivers are urged to plan ahead or use alternate routes to avoid the construction zone.

Detailed information about the project and related traffic impacts is available at www.suisun.com.

State grant to make Suisun City streets safer

This from the Vacaville Reporter:

SUISUN CITY - A generous grant from the state Office of Traffi c Safety will make Suisun City streets safer through enforcement and education, authorities said this week.

The $440,000 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP)grant allows for the purchase of LIDAR speed detection equipment, overtime pay for officers involved in special enforcement operations, the ability to conduct more such operations and also to conduct more DUI/Driver's License Checkpoints.

Targeted by these efforts will be DUI drivers, drivers with suspended or revoked licenses, unlicensed drivers, motorists participating in illegal street racing, illegal vehicle equipment, motorists running red lights and those violating seatbelt regulations.

Funding for the grant comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

New Street Signs Upgrade Every Suisun City Neighborhood

DISTINCTIVE SIGNS IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY & NAVIGATION

SUISUN CITY — Public Works crews are installing thousands of new street name signs on literally every street corner in Suisun City to significantly upgrade the appearance of the entire community and improve public safety.

The new signs were specifically designed to be highly visible particularly at night to provide consistent landmarks for police units and fire crews responding to calls for emergency assistance.

The variety of street name signs across various neighborhoods in the City will be replaced in the next few months with a larger, distinctive blue reflective sign style that will enable residents and visitors to easily navigate the City.

“This is a major community enhancement with significant benefits to the public safety response for Suisun City residents,” said Public Works Director Fernando Bravo. “This type of infrastructure upgrade has very positive impacts on how people move around the city and respond to Suisun City.”

City officials highlighted the need to replace all the City’s street name signs after repeated resident complaints about signs that were missing, damaged or faded to the point of being illegible.

Because the old signs were installed as subdivisions were built over several decades, the street signs were in a variety of sizes and designs making them difficult to recognize and follow.

The new signs were designed to not only be highly functional but provide an immediate and uniform symbol to residents and visitors alike that they are in Suisun City. Emblazoned with a schooner sailing on a blue background, the signs establish a clear identity for the community.

The street signs project was funded through a $125,000 state Workforce Housing Grant.

INSTALLATION SCHEDULE

Signs will be installed in 6 phases, as follows:

• Quail Glen – end of February
• Dover Terrace – first two weeks of March
• California Tapestry/Heritage Park– second two weeks of March
• Waterfront District – First two weeks of April
• Lawler Ranch – second two weeks of April
• Montebello Vista/Peterson Ranch – first two weeks of May.

Although sections may be completed, staff will evaluate each street again to make sure all street signs were replaced. All street signs should be replaced by the end of May.

SALE OF OLD STREET SIGNS

The Public Works Department will sell the old street signs that are being removed. This is intended to be a fun opportunity for residents to show their support for their community.

Two of each street name sign will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at a City-run booth at the Junefest event on June 7 at Harbor Plaza for approximately $10 each. Proceeds will be deposited in the Public Works street maintenance fund.

Those interested in purchasing a sign are encouraged to visit www.suisun.com/signs for more information.