The Burlingame Voice

It's time for a new Attorney General

I was wrong again.  I thought when the last Attorney General, Becerra, got bumped up to HHS Secretary things would improve.  Similarly, I thought the same when the one before that got bumped up.  But I was wrong.  The Newsom-appointed Rob Bonta is as bad or worse than the last two AGs.  Just this week he decided to sue the US Postal Service for the crime of planning to buy, get this, 165,000 gas-powered vehicles.  I guess he is unaware that even with all of the credits, EVs are an expensive 4% of the market and a high-profile EV truck manufacturer (Rivian) just slipped its delivery schedule so much that its stock is down 70%.  Ford cut the value of its stake in Rivian by $5.4B.  Let's not forget the lithium and cobalt for batteries are expected to be in short (i.e. expensive) supply and mostly come from unfriendly parts of the world.  Is any EV company even planning a design that would work for the USPS?  Wanna bet the new GVs would be way better for the environment than the old ones on the road today?  Does Bonta even care? 

Also this week Bonta decided to investigate Exxon Mobil for misleading the public about the recyclability of plastic.  Wait, I thought the government was the source of the CRV fees that have apparently misled us all.  As soon as China stopped taking our used plastic, the whole model just broke down.  This isn't news as we saw last year here.  And the oil companies are responding by building recycling plants in the U.S.   Don't we want this?  Does Bonta have a clue about what it takes to rebuild the plastic recycling supply chain?  I doubt it.

And it's not like the things an AG is supposed to be doing in the state are going so well.  Harris left the office without putting a dent in the number of known criminals who still have guns but are not being searched out.  Becerra, same thing.  Did I miss the press release that Bonta is on the case and succeeding?  I doubt it.  Is he doing anything to prevent more known criminals from serving short sentences and shooting up Sacramento?  I missed that press conference, too.   It's time for a new Attorney General.  The primary election is on June 7.

Do we have enough "military" equipment?

Headlines can be deceiving.  They can be especially deceiving is there is no subsequent context given.  And they can be more deceiving when some are playing politics with the headline.  So it was for me on Wednesday when the top-of-fold front page of the Daily Journal blared "Sheriff's Office details $2M in military equipment".  The usual suspects in the defund, defang the police movement jumped all over it, but I was left to ask, "Is that a lot or not enough?"  Hard to say.  The DJ notes

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office released its first annual Military Equipment Use Policy, detailing the more than $2 million worth of equipment in its ownership as part of a state mandate process aimed at expanding transparency around the stock of military-grade weapons held by any given jurisdiction.   During the required update from the Sheriff’s Office on the policy, Allen noted the Sheriff’s Office does not currently own any equipment directly handed down by the military or that is from companies who supply the military with equipment.

But the department does own equipment that falls under what the state defines as military equipment, based on interpretations of Assembly Bill 481, which took effect this January. In total, acquiring and maintaining the equipment has cost the department more than $2 million.

So it would have been nice to see the headline use "military" in quotes like I did above. If you click through to the article I'm not the only one questioning the terminology, but the piece is helpful in that it details the gear

According to the report, the county currently owns:

• a Lanco Bearcat armed vehicle
• a mobile command vehicle
• two bean bag launchers and bean bag munition
• three bomb squad robots
• four .50 caliber semi-automatic rifles and ammunition
• four 37 millimeter tear gas launchers and tear gas grenades
• 10 pepperball launchers
• 11 drones
• 41 stingball grenades, 42 flashbang devices and 114 less-lethal launchers used to fire rounds of soft rubber bullets.

“This equipment is necessary because there are no reasonable alternatives that can achieve the same objective of officer and civilian safety,” Sheriff Carlos Bolanos said.

In search of some context, I reminded myself that the County is about 450 square miles and has about three-quarters of a million residents.  It's home to a decent chunk of Silicon Valley tech offices and data centers.  Bio tech, including labs, is booming in the County so much that San Carlos just put a moratorium on new bio building applications.  We've got a lot of potential targets.  And as I look at the list, you would be hard-pressed to make a decent Schwarzenegger movie with what we have.  One Bearcat for the whole County?  One mobile command vehicle?  It seems to me AB 481 that required releasing this info "for transparency" may be causing too much transparency to all the wrong people.  Let's hope not.

You and your Cat: Treasured friends

There's been quite a bit of talk around town about catalytic converter thefts. After a local friend had his stolen from his truck in January, I asked the B'game police about how common it is in town. Here are the stats:

Statistics on catalytic converter thefts:

• 2020 monthly average: 6
• 2021 monthly average: 9
• Jan 2022: 12
• Feb 2022: 4

Some aspects of this are worth sharing like: Toyota Prius and trucks are the most common targets. Prius because the converters in hybrid vehicles tend to be more valuable and trucks because they sit higher off the ground making it easier to access the converter (i.e. no jack needed). My Landcruiser actually has two--a twofer.

The replacement my friend had to get was $2,800 (mostly covered by insurance) and he decided to add a cable and lock to the new one.

I hope anyone who gets hit reports it to BPD. One might think "it's gone, so what's the point?" but we need to keep track of this sort of thing if it is to get the attention it deserves.

On the bright side, BPD actually caught a couple of catalytic converter thieves on January 11th (early morning hours) in the 1400 block of Benito Ave. An alert resident called it in. Hopefully there will be more arrests to come as people become more aware.

Update:  I just heard about two more Cat thefts in the Lyon-Hoag neighborhood over the last month or so.  And here is a photo of the well-secured Cat--10" stainless steel zip ties, 3/16" steel cable and some clamps.  It would probably take you a couple of hours.

Smile, your license plate maybe on camera

A comment on the Year in Crime: 2021 post reminded me to double back to the question of whether or not we put in license plate reading cameras in B'game.  According to the DJ article, in a rare split decision, councilors Ortiz, O'Brian and Colson went for the idea while Brownrigg and Beach were opposed.

Burlingame is one of just four cities in the county that has yet to approve the cameras (Ed: that means 16 already have them), according to Police Chief Mike Matteucci, who added he believed they would be beneficial in the city. Others on the Peninsula have turned to the cameras in hopes of stopping auto burglaries near hotels or retail crime. 

Matteucci said implementation in Burlingame would likely consist of two-dozen or more cameras installed at entry and exit points to the city and major intersections. They could also be affixed to police vehicles. 

You will recall from the Year in Crime: 2021 post that vehicle burglaries were up 25% year over year to 25 per month--basically everyday someone gets burgled.  And that number may or may not include the catalytic converter thefts--I've asked BPD for some numbers on that really expensive crime (~$2,800 to replace, keep your insurance current).  At least one reluctant councilmember wants to "see the data".  I would suggest that all council members should be reviewing the data regularly.  Heck, I would make it a regular council agenda item, but that's just me.

Brownrigg, however, said he was unconvinced Burlingame had a need for the cameras and expressed reluctance to increase surveillance or traffic stop frequency in the city.

“Any time we permit greater surveillance, especially using technology, we need to have a use case that justifies it, so I would like to see that data,” he said. “I’m not saying our decision will change the big forces of technology, but this is just one step along the path to facial recognition, it’s one step along the path to cameras everywhere.”

 

I'm not going to give much airtime to the concern about racial profiling--everyone license plate colors are the same.  We shall see if this goes anywhere or if higher political ambitions derail it.

The year in Crime: 2021

Each New Year brings an opportunity to recap the year just ended.  It appears the City found my past posts on annual crime statistics here and here valuable because just as I was about to email the Chief to get the 2021 statistics, they came out in last week's e-newsletter.  So here is the update

Monthly Average                        2016    2017    2018    2019      2020    2021

Residential Burglaries                   5        2            3        3          2            2

Vehicle Burglaries                      23      25        21       39         20         25

     Thefts from Unlocked Vehicles                              -          14            8

Commercial Burglaries                  9      4            5        4            6            5

     Construction site theft                                             -           1            1

     Package thefts                                                        -            4            2

Other Thefts                               60      51        56        61          -             -

Robberies                                    1        1            1        2          2            2

Stolen Vehicles                            9        6          4         6           9            7

Vandalism                                  13    13          11       12          13           13

B'game crime appears pretty stable except for vehicle burglaries that increased by 60 last year.  2015 was a similar year.  I'm not sure if the statistic includes the catalytic converter thefts that seem to be increasing and probably not reported since there is virtually no chance of getting yours back.  I'm also pretty sure based on the Ring videos I see on-line that a lot of porch pirate thefts go unreported.  All in all, BPD is doing a good job showing presence around town and that may not be "half the battle" but it certainly contributes.

EssEff: London is Calling BS

This Examiner front page is just too good not to post.  You would be forgiven if your immediate reaction is "What took you so long?"  We have to keep an eye on SF since "when they sneeze, we get a cold" from the derivative impact.  You may have seen a bit of that in town and I don't just mean the Apple store smash and grabs.  We are far from a crime-free city and I will be updating the B'game statistics for this year when they come available.  In the meantime, Ms. Breed seems to have gotten that Old Time Religion and the Gavinor sounds like he thinks the California rep for crime might hinder his presidential aspirations.

Gov. Gavin Newsom confronted the national media furor over mass retail theft in California on Friday, unveiling a more than $300 million proposal to help law enforcement fight organized criminal rings.  The Democratic governor said his plan will include $255 million for a grant program to give police more tools to arrest and investigate thieves who participate in such smash-and-grab crimes, increasingly brazen heists that have drawn widespread attention in recent months.

Again, you would be forgiven if your immediate reaction is "What took you so long?" followed by "Wait, shouldn't these priorities already be in the $1.8 billion budget?"  Here in B'game, we spent a lot of time on policing last year (remember the big Townhall that showed nothing?)  No matter, if Gavin wants to pass out money, we should stick out our hand.  The net effect of the Defund the Police movement is to increase police funding.....the Law of Unintended Consequences will not be denied.

Water: One Man's Spigot is Another Man's.....Cesspool

There are days when I think the clowns at the San Francisco Comicle should pay me to read their fish wrap.  Once in a while the thought lasts a week.  This is one of those weeks.  The "editorial board" published a piece titled "S.F.'s spigot won't run forever".  That was in last Sunday's print edition.  The online version I just linked to was titled "Don’t let a few ‘monster’ storms fool you, S.F.’s water supply is unsustainable".  You think hey, maybe the public opinion polls, La Nina, the water measurements, the grotesque over-development or the warnings from Newsom might have sunk in?  Nope.  Didn't happen.  Here's what they said

On Oct. 20, state environmental officials sent an ominous letter to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which supplies drinking water to the city and nearly 2 million other Bay Area residents. It read in part:  “Proposed voluntary actions by water agencies on the San Joaquin River tributaries have fallen short of needed flow and habitat improvements, and viable proposals are not being offered at this time.”

What does that mean in layman’s terms?  It means Bay Area water users are unsustainably and likely unlawfully draining the sources of our supply — and killing the habitats and wildlife that rely on those sources. And we don’t have a workable plan to fix it.

For decades, San Francisco and the Bay Area have enjoyed one of the cleanest and most reliable water supplies in the country, 85% of which comes from Hetch Hetchy. But we’ve taken that resource for granted. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is decades behind other California water agencies in building alternative and sustainable new water infrastructure.

You have to love the unsubstantiated use of "unlawfully".  But what to do about this impending disaster that the Comicle has just discovered?  Well?  Let's get the new SFPUC general manager--a long-time EssEff insider, Dennis Herrera-- to force the Peninsula under its thumb.  How?  Let's start with Green Envy

San Franciscans are known for being sparing with our own water usage. But many of the nearly 2 million other Bay Area residents that use Hetch Hetchy water to are not nearly as parsimonious in their usage as we are.  San Francisco should not be complicit in the extinction of several aquatic species so that Peninsula homeowners can keep their lawns green.

The same fishwrap that whines about how many Sequoias were burned in the wildfires thinks we mere Peninsulans should let our lawns die--not realizing the trees live on the lawns and drink the same irrigation.  I know, it's complicated for someone who spends their day stepping over discarded hypodermic needles and broken glass.  But wait, there's more.  The "toilet to tap" trope rolls out with a new twist.  We get to be the City's septic tank:

Water recycling for potable use presents technical and legal challenges. It generally demands pumping treated sewage into the ground, pulling it out and treating it again before delivering it to customers. The Peninsula has storage capacity for this that San Francisco largely lacks.  Demanding better water conservation from neighbors while partnering on sustainable projects will be a tough needle to thread. Thankfully, Herrera has signaled that he’s up to the challenge. San Francisco residents need him to mean it.

I love that "neighbors" part.  With neighbors like EssEff we should all be getting Dobermans and an extra lock.  With what else they are exporting we should all be getting an extra lock anyway.  SF can build luxury senior living penthouses that rent for $324,000 a year with rooftop pools, but the poop should be filtered on the Peninsula.  You should read the rest of the EssEff BeeEss in the editorial--I don't have the heart to quote all of the "outflow".

 

 

 

Porch Pirates: How Many and How Often?

Like many people in B'game I am getting tired of the porch pirates taking packages at will as shown on Ring videos.  The Ring video from last night that spurred this post noted that it was the third such incident--all stolen shoes.  I guess the homeowner's size matched that of the pirate.  They were probably a ladies' size 7.

Unlike the decoy police cruisers outside of the Apple store that are starting to feel like a good place to rest your Peet's coffee cup, the "bait boxes" that BPD has used have met with some success.  Pre-pandemic I believe they were mainly applied on the Bayfront in hotel parking lots--but that is just my guess.  I think it's past time to implement some "porch pies" in the neighborhoods.  We seem to have plenty of resources to add goofy traffic excitement features and  worry about how much non-existent rainwater we can recapture on city streets; so how about we catch a few petty thieves and ignore Prop. 47 and its $950 limit to really prosecute?

This is not to fault BPD, they follow direction, it is a matter of prioritization by the city council.  Get on it, please.

The Wheels of Justice

I had jury duty yesterday along with about 300-400 other people.  As the courts restart, a few people have noted that lots of people are getting called in, but yesterday was a whole lot more people than I have ever seen called.  It all happens at the San Mateo Event Center and uses the Jockey Club as the entry point.  The photos below don't capture even half of the crowd.  For the size of the group and the Covid state we are in, it was pretty well run.  When we each were asked if we could be available for a six-day trial, I figured we were in for a long day.

The last time I was called, it was an full-day affair just to seat a two-day jury and this looked like it could be several days.  But two and a half hours in, just as the first group of us were being told to turn off our phones and remove any hats to enter, we were all excused.  Now I know why as described here.  Taking the plea was my guess at the time.  If you get called soon, be sure to follow the instructions about dressing in layers, bring snacks and water, avoid 25th Ave eastbound getting there (it's closed) and make sure your phone is fully charged.  The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do turn.  I just wonder if there isn't a more efficient way that wouldn't violate the randomness of the process.

 

2020: The Year in Crime

We took a comprehensive look at the five year crime statistics in B'game last year--you can find it here.  I find it important to do this annually because reading the daily Alert@Crimegraphics.com email can cause a forest-for-the-trees effect to kick in.  In checking with BPD for the 2020 update, some of the categories have been called out more specifically--Thefts from Vehicles (i.e. unlocked cars) is now called out in addition to Vehicle Burglaries (from locked cars).  A lot of car burglaries used to happen at the Bayfront hotels, but my guess is that dropped off substantially with some moving into the neighborhoods, but overall the sum of the two is lower than 2019.  Still 34 vehicles broken into per month is more than 400 for the year.

Two other new break-outs are Construction site theft and Package thefts.  Package thefts are the big surprise for me--only 4 per month--just watching the incidents on the Ring camera site would seem to indicate more than that--maybe people just don't bother to report them.  The "Other thefts" total from past years has been discontinued so we cannot compare 2020 totals with the 127 crimes per month of 2019.  The new tracking totals to 71 per month or about 850 of these crimes per year.  Here are the totals

 

Monthly Average                        2016    2017    2018    2019      2020

Residential Burglaries                   5        2            3        3          2

Vehicle Burglaries                      23      25        21       39         20

     Thefts from Vehicles                                               -          14

Commercial Burglaries                  9      4            5        4            6

     Construction site theft                                             -           1

     Package thefts                                                        -            4

Other Thefts                               60      51        56        61          -

Robberies                                    1        1            1        2          2

Stolen Vehicles                            9        6          4         6           9

Vandalism                                  13    13          11       12          13

As I noted last year, there are other crimes not included here especially the really serious ones, but this is a good Quality of Life baseline.