Law Enforcement

UPDATE: Stabbing Victims Identified as Longtime Davis Residents

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5:30 Update – A local newsstation has identified the victims as Oliver “Chip” Northrup, 88, and 76-year-old Claudia Maupin.  Mr. Northrup was a prominent defense attorney.  The couple were founding members of the Davis Unitarian Church.

Mayor Joe Krovoza has released a statement, “It’s with great sadness that the City Council and I have received news of the deaths of Claudia Maupin and Chip Northup. Our hearts go out to their families, friends, fellow congregants at the Davis Unitarian Universalist Church, and the many groups in Davis they touched. While Davis achieves a high degree of safety through our police and the watchful eyes of all, we are not imune from terrible acts. Let us all redouble our efforts to protect our fellow citizens and give support to those who have suffered this irreversible loss. Our Council is staying well-informed on the quick and comprehensive response of our police, and our Police Department’s efforts will not cease until the case is brought to closure.”

A Troubling Picture Emerges of the Attacker in Davis Hate Incident

Garzon-ClaytonOn Thursday, the Davis Police announced the arrest of Clayton Garzon, a 19-year-old resident who attended Davis High School, with a history of violence and drug problems.

Mr. Garzon has been arrested and booked in the Yolo County Jail charged with Assault causing Great Bodily Injury; Committing a Hate Crime; Assault with a Deadly Weapon; Stalking; Committing a felony while on release from custody; and Inflicting Great Bodily Injury during the commission of a felony.

UPDATE: Police Announce Arrest in Hate Attack

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Police on Thursday afternoon have announced the arrest of 19-year-old Clayton Garzon, a Davis resident. Garzon was taken into custody on March 14, 2013, without incident.

Mr. Garzon has been arrested and booked in the Yolo County Jail, charged with assault causing great bodily injury; committing a hate crime; assault with a deadly weapon; stalking; committing a felony while on release from custody; and inflicting great bodily injury during the commisssion of a felony.

Possible Hate Crime Stuns Davis Community

hate-crimeThe crime is stunning – around 3 am on Sunday morning a young man was violently attacked, beaten nearly to death.  He suffered a fractured skull, bleeding on his brain, multiple fractured bones in his face and a laceration to his head that left a pool of blood on the lawn where he was beaten.

According to his family, the bruising and swelling around his eyes is so bad he still has not been able to open them, along with having a cut under one eye that went all the way though the lid. The trauma to his ear was so severe it caused his ear to swell three times its normal size and it had to be lanced to release the pressure.

Analysis: Is Davis Suffering a Crime Wave? Police Analysis Says No

burglarDavis residents have been increasingly alarmed by a string of burglaries this year.  A few weeks ago, the Davis Police reported on Sunday, February 10, that four residential burglaries and one attempted residential burglary occurred between 4:30 am and 9:30 pm.

The police at that time reported, “Since January 1, 2013, there are been 41 reported residential burglaries in the City of Davis. The burglaries are taking place citywide and continue to have a pattern of entries being made through unlocked doors, windows, and sliders.”

CPUC to Investigate Complaints About PG&E Gas Pipe Leaks

pge-pipeline.jpgVanguard Asks City to Independently Verify PG&Es Claims

Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) agreed to investigate complaints filed by residents of Stonegate in Davis regarding a large number of gas leaks in west Davis from distribution lines operated by PG&E.

PG&E recently reported that 88 gas leaks have occurred in the distribution lines in the Stonegate subdivision since 2006, up from the 42 leaks reported in November 2011. Because of the severity of the problem, PG&E is conducting twice-monthly gas leak detection surveys in Stonegate.

Sunday Commentary: Bicyclists Who Brazenly Blow Through Stops Signs Put Everyone At Risk

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While these days I am no longer an avid bicycle rider, I have been in the past.  In fact, when I first came to Davis, I did so in the spring of 1996 via bicycle as I trekked from San Luis Obispo up to San Francisco and then cut over to Davis.

I have long been supportive of Davis’ bicycle culture and tradition, and have supported policies aimed at getting more people out of their cars and onto their bikes, whether it is on their way to school or to work.  Moreover, I support road upgrades, such as the Fifth Street Corridor Project, to make our roads more bike- friendly.

Swastika Burned Into Holmes Jr. High Picnic Table

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The Davis Police are reporting that a swastika was founded burned into a picnic table at Holmes Junior High.  This is the third known hate incident in the last month following the noose found at Davis High’s football stadium and the swastika and the “N” word found in a freeway underpass.

According to Lt. Paul Doroshov, “At approximately 9:30 AM, Davis Police personnel responded to Holmes Jr. High School for a Hate Incident/Vandalism/Arson. Between July 6th and today’s date, someone charred the impression of a Swastika on one of the picnic tables and burned the top of another metal picnic table.”

Sunday Commentary: A View From the Dark Side

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When this site was founded back on July 30, 2006 on the original free blogspot site with the white writing and the black background, our tag line was “A Vivid Description of the Dark Underbelly of the People’s Republic of Davis.”  While that tagline is no longer in use, it remains perhaps the most poignant description of what we do.

This week is the reminder of why that remains an apt description of this site.  We began this week with base ugliness.  The hanging of a noose at the Davis Football Stadium, followed by the discovery of graffiti of a Swastika and the word “Nigger,” are stark reminders to us about a dark history from a not-so-distant past.

Guest Commentary: A Teachable Moment

nooseBy Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald

A noose was found hanging from the goal post at Davis High School and some people say it was a prank. This is the same high school where, nearly 30 years ago, Thong Hy Huynh was stabbed to death in a hateful, race-related act and where hateful messages have been spray-painted on the walls at various times over the years.

Again, some say it was a prank or kids simply being insensitive.

Tensions Heighten as Swastika and “N” Word Found Spray Painted Under I-80 Underpass

Community Meeting Held to Discuss Incident and Stand Strong Against the Hanging of the Noose at DHS

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A diverse group of community members ranging from high school age on up, of all different races and ethnicities, gathered at the Davis High School library to discuss and better understand the noose incident.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven, a Davis resident, announced that on his morning run he had found under the bike and pedestrian underpass connecting UC Davis with South Davis, a Swastika and graffiti that said, “Nigger.”

Commentary: Responses to Noose Article on the Vanguard Hurtful to Some in this Community

nooseEverybody responds to news differently.  Davis, a diverse community with all sorts of viewpoints, has responded in its own way and everyone has a different response to the noose incident at Davis High.

The response has been made more difficult by the uncertain nature of the incident.  We do not know why the incident occurred – whether it was meant as a joke or inspired by actual hate.  And quite frankly, it does not matter.

Public Officials Issue Statement on Noose

nooseAn investigation is underway into what the Davis Police Department is investigating as a hate incident, the hanging of a noose, found by Davis School District Safety Coordinator Marc Hicks on Friday, hanging from the goalposts at the Davis School football field.

The investigation is still underway.  Officials are taking this matter very seriously, believing it very important that all people in this community feel safe.

Noose Discovered Hanging from Goalpost at Davis High Stadium Has Public Officials Concerned

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Details are sketchy at the moment and Superintendent Winfred Roberson and Mayor Joe Krovoza are reportedly expected to issue a joint statement, perhaps as soon as today, after officials found a noose hanging from the uprights of the south goal post at the Davis High Stadium during the Juneteenth celebration this past weekend.

The investigation is still underway.  Officials are taking this matter very seriously, believing it very important that all people in this community feel safe.

Davis Police Describe Tasering of Two Individuals They Say Were Resisting Police Officers

police_tapeUsually, detailed explanations of police encounters are reserved for the courtroom, months if not years after the fact, with only a few noteworthy remarks in a press release immediately following the incident.

However, late Friday evening, the Vanguard received an unusually detailed description from the Davis Police Department of an incident that had happened two nights before on May 23rd, at approximately 10:00PM.

Commentary: Slow Down on the Assessments of Picnic Day

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Major media figures, as well as some public officials in this town, appear to have a clear agenda about Picnic Day, which would be fine if we actually had the final data.  But the Vanguard, in making a records request from the Davis Police Department was told that with the police chief and their records analyst taking the week off, a more comprehensive report is not even due out until next week.

What that suggests to me is perhaps we have to hold off making major pronouncements until we get all the data.  That of course has not and will not stop certain columnists from proclaiming “Picnic Day arrest numbers are clearly unacceptable.”

Mixed Verdict on Picnic Day – Some Celebrate Improvements, Others Decry Problems

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The early reports I heard regarding Picnic Day seemed encouraging, other than a couple of high profile cases – a tasering and a knife, otherwise, things were relatively calm in Davis.  None of the out of control shenanigans of 2010.

The reported level of arrests was 51 – a bit higher than perhaps we would like, but given the police presence, not wholly surprising.  There were also just over 100 citations.

What Will Picnic Day 2012 Bring?

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Two years ago, Picnic Day resulted in huge problems in the community, as heavy drinking and a large out-of-town population resulted in huge numbers of assaults that threatened the prospect of future Picnic Days.

As a letter from March 28, 2011, indicated, co-signed by Mayor Joe Krovoza and Chancellor Linda Katehi, the city and campus took a number of steps to reduce the problems, including the creation of a Safety Enhancement Zone which increases the fines for violations in downtown areas.  That SEZ has been expanded this year into areas north of Fifth Street in the city’s core.

Police Chief Gives Crime Report to Council

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Vanguard Gets Data on Calls for Service

Last night Davis Police Chief Landy Black followed up on a council request for a criminal statistics report.  The report comes on the heels of the much publicized arrest of a suspect involved in at least some of a string of burglaries in Davis.

The Vanguard, following up on a story last month, also requested data on calls for service by address.  As Chief Black told the Vanguard, it is difficult, without a very time-consuming examination, call-by-call, to make a whole lot out of that data, but we will present that as well as his comments to the Vanguard.

Staff Recommends Against ASUCD Proposed Changes to Noise Ordinance At This Time

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City staff is recommending against changes to the city’s noise ordinance at this time, despite a vote by the City-UC Davis Student Liaison Commission forwarding a recommendation for changes to the noise ordinance.  That recommendation was approved by the student members of the commission but opposed by the three members of the commission representing business and property owners.

According to the staff report, “Based on Police Department concerns, staff recommends the City Council accept the City-UCD Student Liaison Commission motion on amending the Davis Noise Ordinance as informational at this time.”