An annoying telephone call is one which is made by a person who has the intent to annoy another person with obscene language, or threatens to inflict injury on the person or any member of his family.

What To Do:
(If you need police response, Dial 911.)

• The investigating officer will write a crime report and give you the report's case number.
• The officer will advise you to next contact the telephone company.
  
• The telephone company will mail you a packet of material, giving you advice and requiring you to sign a form giving them permission to place a "trap" on your telephone line. The telephone company will ask you to maintain a diary of annoying telephone calls for comparison with their records.
  
• If you receive two successful (completed) calls from the same number; and if these calls have not originated from a pay telephone, cell telephone, or outside carrier, the telephone company will notify the Santa Cruz Police Department.
  
• Upon release and receipt of the telephone company's confidential report to the Police Department, the Investigations Section will recontact the victim and conduct a follow-up investigation.
  With new technology, you may be able to obtain the caller's telephone number electronically. Contact the telephone company for options available.

An assault is an unlawful attempt, coupled with the present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another.

To report an assault call 911 if the crime just occurred.

A police officer will take a report. If possible, arrests will be made. If an investigation is necessary, the case will be sent to the Investigation Section for review.

Vehicle thefts should be reported as soon as possible. The report may be made by the victim at the Police Department or an officer can be sent to the victim's location.

You will need to know:

• License plate number and state of registration or name and city on the registration (if the plate number is unknown.)
  
• Description of the vehicle: Color, year, make, model, etc.
  
• Where was the vehicle at the time it was stolen?
• Are the keys with the vehicle?
  
• Does anyone else have permission to drive the vehicle?
  
• Are your payments current? (Repossessed?)
  
• If You Find Your Vehicle:
  Do not touch or move your vehicle. You should call to report the recovery; if you do not, your car will continue to be listed as stolen and you may be stopped by the police who will assume the vehicle is still stolen; and you could be treated as a possible suspect.

It is a crime for a person to write a check when they know there are nonsufficient funds to cover the check. Depending on the number of checks and the amount of the checks, the crime can be a misdemeanor or felony. If you receive a nonsufficient check on which you have been unable to collect the funds, you may contact the Police Department for a special nonsufficient fund form that will be forwarded to the Bad Check Program at the District Attorney's Office, or you may go directly to the
District Attorney's Office at 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

A battery is any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another. If the crime just occurred and/or if someone requires medical assistance, call 911.

Conducting the Investigation:

• A patrol officer will ask victims and witnesses for details of the incident.
• The officer will write a report and if no arrest is made it will be sent to the Investigation Section and/or to the District Attorney's Office.
• The investigator will review the case, contact the victim and witness(es), and send the report to the District Attorney's office for charges to be filed if possible.

Bicycles are easy targets for thieves when unattended. Be sure to lock your bicycle to a secure object at all times and to have an identification number etched on your bicycle frame for easier identification. It is best if you use a driver's license number or state identification number as those numbers are easier to trace back to you and return a stolen/found bicycle to its owner. It is a requirement in the City of Santa Cruz to have a bicycle license. Licenses from other cities are honored.

To see a list of current Stolen and Found bikes, please click here.

A burglary is when a person enters any structure with the intent to commit petty theft, grand theft, or any other felony. If you enter onto the property while the burglar is still present, leave immediately and dial 911. Do not disturb anything at the scene.

Collecting Evidence and Making a Report:
An officer may collect evidence and will prepare a report. The officer will ask the victim to make an inventory to determine what was taken. Be prepared to supply the make, model, and serial numbers of the stolen property as well as the value of each item.

Documenting the Loss:
To document any further property loss discovered after the officer has left the scene, the victim should complete the Santa Cruz Police Department's Property Form left by the investigating officer. After completing the form, the victim has two options:

Mail the additional information to:

Santa Cruz Police Department at 155 Center Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 or
take it to the Santa Cruz Police Department to file a follow-up report.

Follow-up Investigation:
Only a small percentage of all burglary and theft cases receive follow-up investigation since most of these cases lack sufficient investigative leads (such as witnesses, suspects, traceable evidence, etc.). However, all cases are reviewed by the investigators and the inactive cases are kept on file. The victim is not contacted again unless there are new developments in the case.

To Obtain Information About Your Case:
Call the Investigation Section at (831) 420-5820, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please have your case number ready.

In most areas of the city, it is illegal to camp outdoors, in/on/under any structure not intended for occupancy, in/on/under any parked vehicle between 11:00 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. (SCMC 6.36.010).

• How many people are there, and what do they look like?
  
• Exactly what is their location?
  
• Do they appear to be asleep?
  
• Is this an on-going situation?
  
• Are you willing to make a citizen's arrest if necessary?
  It is legal to camp in a number of circumstances, i.e., public campgrounds, Parks and Recreation activities, private property residences, with permission of owner, and specified religious institutions (SCMC 6.36.020).

Child abuse is when any person willfully causes or permits any child to suffer, inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or having the case or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of such child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits such child to be placed in such situation that its person or health may be endangered, or willfully inflicts upon any child any cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or injury resulting in a traumatic condition.

Reporting Child Abuse:
Santa Cruz Police Department: 911 if it is in progress or
Child Protective Services: (831) 454-4222.
Persons reporting actual or suspected child abuse incidents are protected by law from civil liabilities and retaliatory lawsuits, provided the reports are made in good faith and without malicious intent. The identities of the persons making the reports are kept confidential and, in some cases, reports will be accepted anonymously, if necessary.

It is a crime for a person to fail to report physical and/or sexual child abuse if that person has a professional/special relationship with the child (i.e., teacher, principal, school official, doctor, medical personnel, psychiatrist, psychologist, etc.).

When a call is received by the Police Department, a police officer is sent to see the victim and will conduct an initial investigation. When the police or County Child Protective Services receive a report of suspected child abuse or neglect, an investigation is launched. Both agencies are concerned with the safety of the child and share information, although they have different responsibilities during the investigation. The Police Department, for example, concentrates on determining whether or not a criminal offense has been committed. Child Protective Services, on the other hand, determines the state of the victim's well-being, and the need for civil intervention. This joint effort is for the benefit of the victim.

The Santa Cruz Police Department's Victim Advocate will assist the victim and nonoffending guardians throughout the criminal justice process. The advocate is available to answer questions, make referrals, be present during interviews, and assist while in court. The advocate works in the Police Investigation Section and can be reached at 420-5827.

Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence is abuse committed against an adult or fully emancipated minor who is a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant or a person with whom the suspect has had a child or has had a dating or engagement relationship.

Domestic Violence needs to be reported!

Call 911 in an emergency.

If you are the victim and fear for your safety, you have the right to ask the responding officer for an Emergency Protective Order (E.P.O.) if the violence occurs in the evening or on weekends when the court is closed. The E.P.O. is valid for five (5) court days, allowing the plaintiff time to get a temporary restraining order. Because of state law, if a police officer witnesses injuries on a victim in any domestic violence case, the officer must make an arrest of the suspect, with or without the victim's desire for an arrest to be made.

For information on temporary restraining orders, consult the Legal Aid Foundation, Women's Crisis Support, the District Attorney's Office, Victim Witness, or a private attorney.

Any person who, with the intent to defraud, signs the name of another person, or of a fictitious person, knowing that he or she has no authority to do so, or falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any document listed in Section 470(a) of the Penal Code.

This report needs to be made in person either at the Police Department or in the field with a police officer.

Keep the forged document: If you have the forged document, protect it. Do not damage the document and do not handle the document as it is possible to get fingerprints off of paper. Place the document in an envelope. The forged document can be used as evidence to possibly link the crime to a suspect.

Any civil agreement to collect the funds could invalidate the criminal case.

Any person who lewdly and willfully exposes his/her "private parts" anywhere there are people to be offended, is committing an indecent exposure. "Private parts" has been interpreted as genitals. If the incident just occurred, call 911. Immediately give the description of the suspect, any vehicle that she/he may have been driving, and direction of travel.

A police officer will take a statement from the victim and attempt to locate witnesses in order to get a detailed description of the suspect. If an arrest is not immediately made, the case will be referred to a detective.

Loud Parties/Disturbances

You can call the Police Department when your peace is being disturbed. This includes unlawful fighting in public, loud and unreasonable noise done maliciously and willingly, or publicly using offensive words which are likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction. Call 911 immediately if someone is in danger of harm. The noise curfew in Santa Cruz is 10:00 p.m.

For an officer to take legal action against a disturbance, it is necessary that a victim sign a citizen's arrest against the person causing the disturbance.

The Santa Cruz County Narcotics Enforcement Team is responsible for conducting undercover investigations of drug law violations throughout the County of Santa Cruz. They can be reached at 454-2320. However, if you see blatant street narcotic activity occurring, you may call 911. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Tip Line at 423-4333. Please give as much detailed information as possible.

If you witness what you suspect is prostitution, call police dispatch at 471-1131.

Call 911 if you see someone wandering, loitering, or prowling without any visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant of property which is not theirs. Do not go out and confront the prowler. Stay on the telephone with the dispatcher and follow their instructions.

Call 911 to report any person who appears to be publicly intoxicated as they may be a harm to others or to themselves.

Robbery is the felonious taking of personal property in the possession of another, from his person or immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear.

During a robbery:

• Remain calm and listen to the robber's demands. If you panic, you increase the possibility of violence.
  
• Avoid making sudden movements.
  
• Do not resist a robber's efforts to take your property.
  
• Do not offer items which are not specifically requested.
  
• Observe the suspect's physical description (i.e. sex, race, age, and clothing worn.)
  
• Without placing yourself in danger, attempt to notice the license plate number and description of the suspect's car, if one is seen.

After a robbery has occurred:

• Go to a safe location as close as possible to the robbery scene and call 911.
  
• Keep all witnesses at the scene until the police can interview them. If a witness has to leave, get their name, address, and phone number.
  
• Don't touch or move any evidence.
  
• Write down a complete description of the suspect, weapon, if any, and vehicle used.
  List all property taken, along with serial numbers, when possible.

A person commits a sexual assault when they intentionally or knowingly do any of the following to another and it is committed against that person's will:

• Causes the sexual organ of another person to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the suspect.
  
• Touching of the breast, buttock, or genital area of a person without their consent.
  
• Penetration of another person by any means.
  

If you are a victim of a sexual assault, you should: Call 911.

• Attempt to recall as much as possible about the attacker.
  
• Preserve all physical evidence.
• Do not take a bath, shower, douche, wash, or change clothes and/or linens.
• Do not touch anything handled by the attacker.

You may need a medical examination. The examination will be paid for by the Police Department if the victim files a police report.

Be sure to take clean clothing to wear after the examination. Clothing worn during the attack will be turned over to the police for laboratory analysis.

• When the police officers arrive they will ask you if you need medical attention.
• They will look for evidence and fill out a report. A suspect will be arrested if it is possible.
• A specialized sexual assault response team (S.A.R.T.) may be called in to assist the victim. The report will be sent to the Police Investigations Section for further investigation

Vandalism is deliberate property damage. Most losses due to vandalism are relatively small and not reported to police. However, the overall dollar impact is high. National estimates indicate that vandalism costs 1 to 5 billion dollars annually. These figures are considered low as they do not include the hidden costs of vandalism such as rising insurance rates and increased expenses for security guards, fencing, and special lighting.

If you are victimized, report all occurrences and repair damage immediately. Quick repair keeps the vandals from admiring their handiwork and minimize any social impact the act may have.

• Secure property so it is difficult to turn over or otherwise damage.
  
• Maintain surveillance of the property so intruders can be caught in the act.
  
• Install proper lighting.
  School and small businesses are the hardest hit by vandals. The key to prevention is to remove opportunity by "hardening the target."

For more information on Business Safety and Prevention Practices ask the Police Department for a Business Alert Packet.

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