SUMMER OF '09 ARCHIVES: High-speed chase leads to arrest

This was a crime story, and I don't remember a thing about writing it. Not a thing. I think it might have been a fleshed-out Police Blotter item, but covering this story left no impact on me.

Also, "frelonies"? Really, Nick?

SUMMER OF '09 ARCHIVES: Police Blotter, Week of July 2, 2009

One of the ongoing features of the Herald has been the Police Blotter. This provides a summary of the more interesting bits of police activity from the past week, and it is always published on Sundays. In the summer of '09, I was in charge of this. It involved a lot of combing through the police log, looking up criminal codes, and putting the information into easy-to-understand sentences.

I'm not going to post all of these, but I will post one chosen at random to provide an idea of the kind of work I was doing as well as the kinds of crimes Benicians were committing that week. Eggs were thrown, people complained about an annual bike festival...it was quite a week.

"Apparently, it was some kind of scam."

Benicia Main Street gets into the giving mood

(Originally published in the 4/26/16 edition)

   Winter is always seen as the season of giving- it is the season in which Christmas falls, after all. However, people really should be benefiting those in need throughout the entire year. Benicia Main Street recently came up with the idea to tie the concept of giving with the season of spring for its weeklong promotion titled Spring into Giving. 

   “We were just throwing around ideas that had to do with spring,” Deborah Housman, Benicia Main Street’s event coordinator, said. “We thought ‘The community is really giving, with a lot of different charities, so how can we tie a shopping promotion with a charity cause?’”

   Out of this brainstorming came Spring into Giving, a promotional event lasting from Sunday, April 30 to Sunday, May 7. The event will benefit Benicia’s Family Resource Center, a community center supervised by Benicia Police Department’s Special Operation Division. The center provides assistance for families and offers parent education and family support services.

   People who drop off suggested donation items at Benicia Main Street during the week will receive a discount card valid with 33 participating downtown businesses. These include Bookshop Benicia, Camellia Tea Room, First Street Cafe, First Impressions Salon and Spa, Pups ’N’ Purrz, Union Hotel, Christina S Fashion Destination, Venticellos Ristorante Italiano, Angel Heart 4 You, Roberto’s Fine Jewelry, Wellness Wisdom and many others. 

   The goal is to stock the Family Resource Center’s closet with emergency family products. Suggested donation items include diapers, baby wipes, baby shampoos and soap, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, bath towels, wash cloths, socks, hair brushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and more. 

   “Spring into Giving is a win-win all around,” Benicia Main Street Executive Director Nancy Martinez said in a statement. “The public gets to learn about and donate to a great community cause, while supporting local downtown businesses.”

   Benicia Main Street is located at 90 Main St. and open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays and weekends. For more information, visit BeniciaMainStreet.org or call 745-9791. 

   People can also drop off donations at the Family Resource Center, located at 150 East K St. However, appoints should be made ahead of time by calling 746-4352. For more information, email Blanche Hillman at bhillman@ci.benicia.ca.us. 

Benicia Police Department joins crackdown on texting and handheld cellphone use behind the wheel

(Originally published in the 4/1/16 edition)

   Texting while driving is not safe. According to the National Safety Council, thousands of drivers have died in car crashes involving cellphone use. Nearly 1 in 5 crashes in 2013 in which someone was injured was due to distracted driving, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NSC has designated April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and Benicia Police Department will be among the more than 200 local law enforcement agencies taking part in it. 

   Police officers will be on the lookout for those who violate cellphone laws while driving. The current minimum ticket cost for those who break this law is $161 with a $50 fine for each subsequent ticket. The theme for the month is "It's not worth it," which makes it clear that a text or call is not worth a collision, fine or the injury or death of oneself or another person.

   "We take distracted driving very seriously," Lt. Scott Przekurat said in a statement. "Collisions resulting from distracted driving are 100 percent preventable. Is that text message or cellphone call really worth $161, or even worse, serious injury or loss of life?"

   Hands-free devices have become a popular means of talking on the phone while driving, but research suggests that this is no safer than talking on a handheld device. Both methods result in a form of "inattentive blindess" that takes drivers' focus off the road ahead and instead puts it on the conversation they are having, so caution must be taken.

   For more information on Distracted Driving Awareness Month, visit nsc.org.

Benicia Police Department to host meet and greet at Matthew Turner

(Originally published in the 4/1/16 edition)

   As part of Police Chief Erik Upson’s continuing efforts to strengthen community engagement, the Benicia Police Department will be hosting a meet and greet Tuesday, April 12, at Matthew Turner Elementary. 

   “This is Chief Upson’s strategy for community members to be introduced and get to know the officers that patrol their neighborhoods, especially newer officers recently hired,” Lt. Scott Przekurat said. “(It’s) a chance for officers and community members to come together in a social and friendly atmosphere.”

   The event will have presentation stations set up to cover topics like the neighborhood watch program, using online crime mapping and understanding the proper use of force. There will also be a Q&A session on the department’s Facebook page, which was established in December, and its Twitter account, which was launched on March 10. 

   “We will talk about the direction of the department, cover some general topics such as recent crime and crime trends, then respond to community concerns,” Przekurat said.  “Mostly it’s just an opportunity to have new officers meet community members, and community members get to know their department better.”

   Przekurat hopes that Benicia residents gain a better understanding of the hard work that police officers put in.

   “We want community members to get to know their police officers and understand what Benicia police officers do day in and day out for our community,” he said. “Community meet and greets such as this are a great way to enhance public trust between community members and the police.”

   The Benicia Police Department Community Meet and Greet will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, in the Multi Purpose Room at Matthew Turner Elementary, located on 540 Rose Drive. The event is free and open to the public. Benicia Police Department’s Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/Benicia-Police-Department and on Twitter under the handle @bpdsocialmedia. 

Fundraiser amasses more than $7,000 in honor of Gavin Buchanan

(Originally published in the 2/25/16 edition)

   The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation hosted a Dog-Wash-a-Thon at Pet Food Express Saturday to raise money for bulletproof vests for police dogs. The foundation’s goal was to raise $2,000, but due to strong support from the community, it ended up raising more than $7,000, with online donations still coming in. 

   Chairwoman Brandi Narvaez said she was elated by the results.

   “We are just stunned by the community outpouring, both financially and just people showing up,” she said.

   Gavin Buchanan, 8, was killed in September alongside his father, Adam, and mother, Molly McAffee in the family’s Greenwood cabin. His 16-year-old half brother, Nolen, was arrested on suspicion of the homicide, and his case is currently being handled in El Dorado County.

   Gavin was very passionate about the safety of police K9s. When he was 5, he donated his entire allowance and chore money to police K-9s. This effort so touched Benicia police officers that he even became an ambassador to K-9s. 

   Gavin’s family set up the nonprofit foundation in October to honor his commitment to protecting K9s. The first fundraiser was held over the weekend at Pet Food Express, where customers would spend $15 to have their canines washed at the shop’s self-service dog wash stations. All the proceeds went to the foundation which in turn will be donated to help outfit the Benicia Police Department’s new K-9 unit vehicles with proper safety gear, including window guards, door panel guards and alert systems. 

   Patrons also had the option to get custom embroidered pet collars and meet local officers, and they were also treated to K-9 demonstrations. 

   “We had three separate K-9 demonstrations,” Narvaez said. “We were lucky enough to have Palo Alto police present, and the two Benicia K-9 units did some really fun stuff.” 

   Officer Brad Young of the Palo Alto Police Department did obedience demonstrations with his department’s K-9 Eddie. Benicia officers Kirk Keffer and Jake Heinemeyer did additional demonstrations with K-9 Bak and K-9 Atos and also answered questions about the day in the life of a K-9 officer. 

   The event drew a large crowd and amassed $7,000 in donations. Two anonymous donators gave $500 each. Those who could not be at the event in person mailed checks. In a parallel to Gavin’s dedication, the first donor of the day was a young Benicia resident named Amaya who donated the entire contents of her piggy bank to support the protection of police dogs. 

   Narvaez said she was very appreciative of the event’s turnout.

   “People came by to tell us their stories about how they knew Gavin or his family and how they wanted to support the local community,” she said. “For the financial reasons, we are related but also really grateful for the community outreach as well.”

   Narvaez said the foundation has other fundraiser ideas planned for the spring and has received calls from local businesses about fundraising concepts, but she said nothing is set in stone. 

   “We don’t have anything formal to announce yet, but we have a couple ideas brewing for the spring and summer,” she said. “We’ll definitely reach out to the Benicia community and let them know where we’ll be hosting our next fundraising event.”

   For more information on the foundation, visit GavinBuchananMemorialFoundation.com or call Narvaez at (707) 365-5424. 

Photo courtesy of Brandi Narvaez

K-9 Eddie of the Palo Alto Police Department jumps a fence during an obedience training demonstration.

Police to enforce citations for parking too long in 30-minute zones

(Originally published in the 2/18/16 edition)

   After Friday, if you park in front of a downtown business for too long, you could be receiving a ticket. 

   The Benicia Police Department has begun a campaign to seriously enforce citations against people who park in front of designated 30-minute zones, which are identified by a green painted curb. According to Lt. Scott Przekurat, the police department had been receiving complaints from business owners about people parking in front of their stores for too long. 

   “Some of the businesses have been complaining about people parking in front of their establishments for long periods of time,” he said. “They’re concerned that that may keep people from shopping in their businesses because of limited parking.”

   According to Przekurat, there are about eighteen 30-minute parking zones on First Street which have been there for years, but the Police Department generally has never enforced them. However, after receiving an influx of complaints, the department has decided to seriously impose the parking laws. For a two week period that began on Monday, Feb. 8 and will run until Friday, Feb. 19, the department has been placing warning notices on vehicles that park in the designated spaces for longer than 30 minutes to determine how many drivers have been violating this rule. Following this Friday, the violations will be enforced for people who park excessively in the green zones. 

   Przekurat says the department will try to enforce the citations as much as possible, but he said it will largely depend on the availability of staff.

   “We don’t have anybody to just enforce that parking,” he said. “It will be on a case by case as resources allow. If we have staff to mark the tires on these cars starting next week and they’re still there after 30 minutes, then we’ll issue citations.” 

   If cars park in the green zones for too long, the drivers will receive written citations and receive an as of yet undetermined fine. 

   “We’re hoping residents will comply with the law,” Przekurat said. 

   For more information, contact the Police Department at (707) 745-3411. 

Fundraiser held to honor late 8-year-old's passion

(Originally published in the 2/17/16 edition)

   The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation will be holding a fundraiser at Pet Food Express, Saturday. The funds will go toward the same thing the slain Benicia third grader was so passionate about in life: donating bulletproof vests to police dogs. 

   Gavin, 8, along with father Adam and mother Molly McAffee, was murdered in the family’s Greenwood cabin. Gavin’s half brother was arrested on suspicion of having committed the murders. 

   In October, members of Gavin’s family established The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the goal of carrying on his legacy.

    “He was very passionate about protecting K-9 law enforcement officers,” Gavin’s cousin and foundation Chairwoman Brandi Narvaez said. “He was definitely passionate about this cause, and we are continuing that in his honor.”

   Shortly before his 6th birthday, Gavin had converted all the money he had earned from chores and through the tooth fairy into a $100 bill. He then walked into Pet Food Express, which was holding a fundraiser for Bay Area police dogs, and donated the money.

   Gavin’s efforts did not go unnoticed in the community. He was subsequently featured on a poster with Benicia police dogs outside Pet Food Express and was the subject of a 2014 Benicia Herald article. When asked why he would give up all his money to help a police dog, Gavin told then-staff reporter Donna Beth Weilenman, “So he doesn’t get shot and killed.”

   The foundation will be holding its first big event Saturday at Pet Food Express. 

   “They are offering us the use of their self-service dog washing station,” Narvaez said. “Any patron who comes in that day and purchases a dog wash token for $15 or any increment will wash their dog and enjoy their day.”

   The proceeds from the $15 purchases will go to the foundation who will then donate the money toward outfitting Benicia Police Department’s new K-9 unit vehicles. There will also be local law enforcement officers on site to do K-9 demonstrations and stations where people can have their names embroidered on dog collars.

   “We’re going to have a fun energy and a fun crew all the way around,” Narvaez said. “It’s gonna be a really really great day.”

   The foundation has more events planned for the summer, but Narvaez said the board is still waiting to see how Saturday’s event will go.

   “We are looking to really knock it out of the park, but we’re also clear we need to learn how to do this,” she said. “In the future, we will make announcements about upcoming events.”

   Narvaez expressed gratitude to the community for its support.

   “We really want to make sure we stay partnered with them, express our gratitude and really look for the long term of continuing Gavin’s legacy,” she said. “We’re working with local law enforcement and really making sure that this little 8-year-old has a legacy that we can all be proud of.”

   The fundraiser will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20 at Pet Food Express, located at 838 Southampton Road. A Benicia Police Department K-9 demonstration will be held at 2 p.m. For more information on the fundraiser or the foundation, contact Brandi Narvaez at (707) 365-5424. 

   

   

   

KRON 4 report highlights Benicia traffic violations

(Originally published in the 1/21/16 edition)

   Sometimes, Benicia manages to find a way to end up on local TV news channels, and in some cases it is not in the most flattering of lights. 

   On Friday, KRON 4 reporter Stanley Roberts visited Benicia for his “People Behaving Badly” segment. The issue: many drivers and cyclists were caught on camera not stopping at stop signs.

   In the report, Roberts’ dashboard camera manages to capture 16 separate incidents at various intersections where drivers and cyclists failed to stop at stop signs. In one instance, a cyclist pulls through two separate stop signs. 

   “There is no legal requirement that riders put their foot down when they stop,” Roberts said in the report. “However, there is a requirement that you at least appear to be stopping in a safe manner, not simply blowing past stop signs.” 

   “A bit of advice for drivers there: ‘STOP’ is not an acronym,” he joked. “It doesn’t mean ‘Slightly Tap on Pedal.’” 

   According to Benicia Police Lieutenant Mike Greene, KRON had sent out a news crew for the segment after receiving complaints over cyclists not obeying stop signs. 

   “We were very cooperative with their staff when they came down,” he said. 

   Greene says the department has handled such cases, but he believes the issue is not exclusive to just Benicia.

   “I think traffic in general tends to be a hot topic issue in any community,” he said. “We’re not immune from people violating traffic laws. Our officers are certainly out there enforcing traffic laws, and they will issue citations and warnings.”

   “We certainly know not everyone is going to obey all our stop signs in town,” he added. “That’s our purpose for having traffic units and officers working those kinds of assignments.”

   According to Greene, the Police Department has patrol officers out on the streets to enforce and emphasize the traffic laws as well as a traffic unit, although Greene says it has not been up to full staff in the last few months. Additionally, the community also brings traffic complaints forward. 

   “I think one of the biggest issues any community deals with is traffic-related stuff,” Greene said. 

   As Roberts noted in the report, the fine for disobeying a stop sign in Solano County is $229 and will result in a point on the driver’s record, which could contribute to higher insurance rates.

   Greene says the vast majority of drivers do obey stop signs, but he believes people who do not could create problems for themselves or other drivers. 

   “I would encourage everyone to follow that law,” he said. “People who don’t are willfully violating the law, take the chance of creating a hazard for themselves or somebody else and if they’re caught, they receive a ticket for that.”

   For more information on traffic laws, visit SolanoCourts.com/Courts/Traffic. 

2015 in review: Benicia's year characterized by ordinance changes, other developments

(Originally published in the 1/1/16 edition)

   The city of Benicia saw some big changes in 2015.

   First, the city hired a new police chief. Erik Upson assumed the title vacated by Andrew Bidou who left to accept a new job as police chief of Vallejo. Upson had spent 17 years as a captain at the Berkeley Police Department and was officially sworn in at a May 19 ceremony. During his tenure, Upson has pushed for stronger community outreach, having ushered in the department’s first social media presence with a Facebook page in December. Upson says the department will continue to expand its social media outreach in 2016.

   The City Council made many changes to city ordinances, including lifting the ban on urban beekeeping in residential areas, limiting the amount of outdoor construction hours and expanding the Mills Act, where owners of historically significant homes get tax breaks by maintaining their homes in historically accurate ways.

   Benicia also received extensive coverage for a grisly crime story. Nolen Buchanan, a 16-year-old Benicia High School student, was arrested on suspicion of killing his father, father’s fiancee and half brother. Buchanan is accused of having shot his family in their cabin in Greenwood and burning the property to the ground. The case is currently being handled in El Dorado County.

   After taking part in the Marin Clean Energy program in 2014, Benicia residents were provided with the renewable energy  electricity provider, replacing Pacific Gas and Electric. However, those who wished to opt out and keep PG&E were able to do so.

   Finally, ground broke for a new bus hub in the Industrial Park. The hub was a collaborative effort among the city, Solano County Transit Authority and area transit providers, including SolTrans. The center will give Benicians a chance to travel to BART stations across the Bay Area and will have 46 parking spaces, a “kiss-and-ride” area and two bus shelters.

Benicia Police Department establishes Facebook presence

(Originally published in the 12/8/15 edition)

   Community interaction with the Benicia Police Department is about to become a lot easier, as the Department just joined the ever popular social networking site Facebook.

   Although over 1 billion people worldwide use Facebook, until recently the Benicia Police Department was not among them. However, as of Thursday, Dec. 3, the Department now has its own page where the community can interact with the organization and see its recent activities.

   “It was long overdue,” Benicia Police Chief Erik Upson said. “We recognize the benefits of social media, and we have seen a lot of other agencies use it very effectively.”

   According to Upson, the impetus to set up a Facebook account came from past incidents where the Department felt it could have been beneficial.

   “We’ve had a couple of cases in the last few months where it would have been very helpful to have a presence on social media,” he said. “we did not have that presence which kind of limited our ability to communicate with the community as effectively as we would have liked to.” 

   With the support of City Manager Brad Kilger, the agency was able move forward and get its Facebook page set up. Among the items included are photos and updates about recent crime incidents and the Department’s presence at community events like Friday’s Annual Benicia Tree Lighting.

   “As a department, one of our key focuses is community collaboration, so there will be a lot of emphasis on collaborating with the community,” he said. “Crime fighting is foundational to what we do, so we’re really looking to partner with the community on that.”

   According to Upson, the page is a collaborative effort among many members of the Department.

   “Everybody helps us find content and there’s a core team that operates it,” he said. “Our Facebook is not monitored continuously, but we do encourage everyone in the community to like the page, and they’ll find it’s a very good resource for getting information and sharing information back with us as well.” 

   As of press time, around 900 people have liked the Department’s page. Upson says he wants it to be a resource for the entire community.

   “We hope it’s completely a two-way street,” he said. “We want as many people in the community as we can actively participating in our Facebook page, sharing it as appropriate and commenting and adding to the conversation.”

   Upson encourages citizens to post if they’ve witnessed any nearby crime, but he feels confidential tips should be given over the phone or through private messages. 

   Facebook will not be the Department’s only social media site. In the near future, Benicia Police hopes to create a Twitter account to provide citizens updates on more immediate matters.

   “Facebook is our first step into social media as a department,” Upson said. “It’s our hope as we move forward that we start utilizing some other tools.” 

   Overall, Upson hopes the page will allow the Department to communicate with the community in a new way.

   “The ultimate goal is to communicate much more openly and transparently with the community,” he said. “There’s a lot of room for improvement in that area, and we’re really going to be focusing on that this coming year. Keeping the community informed and engaged is a huge part of keeping the community safe.”

   To like the page, go to Facebook and visit “Benicia Police Department.”