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When I attended a US Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting in Crescent City on Jan., I was impressed by Lt. Scott Parkhurst’s presentation of the Citizen’s Action Network – or CAN – in the Thirteenth Coast Guard District.
CAN is a tool, composed of ordinary citizens who have joined with the Coast Guard, to detect suspicious activities in and along the Pacific Coastal Waters as well as assist in search and rescue. Basic equipment – binoculars to observe the shores and coastal waters and a telephone to report observations.
Can this idea be extrapolated to areas other than coastal? Yes. There are CAN organizations across the US. Without becoming another Lake County organization, citizen awareness can be developed along these lines.
How can citizen vigilance work? Again, my one plus one theory, if enough people report violations, perhaps violations will decrease as violators are apprehended. Report what you see or sit on your tush and say how terrible!
Document and report traffic violations: speeders, cell phone users, passing on yellow lines, tailgating, driving under the influence, crossing over the centerline.
Drug use: report suspected drug houses, meth labs, use of a hallucinogen and unusual congregations of people.
Neighborhoods: cars driving “too” slowly through your neighborhood, night driving without lights, strangers on bikes, questionable solicitors, unknown “greenbelt walkers,” graffiti showing up.
Firearms: Suspicious carrying or use.
Dumping: on roadway and private property.
Unsafe boating/water activities: use of alcohol and erratic driving of boats.
Realizing, no matter how good a police force is, it cannot have eyes and ears everywhere at all times. Observe what is happening around you. Using the chart of NON-EMERGENCY and EMERGENCY phone numbers published in this issue, factually report what you see.
Lt. Commander Dane R. Hayward, Clear Lake Area Highway Patrol has graciously provided the correct contact phone numbers. Please clip the chart and post in a convenient location and carry a copy in your vehicle and purse.
NON-EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Traffic Violations: Kelseyville CHP Office 707-279-0103, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ukiah CHP Dispatch 707-467-4000, After hours
Caltrans (Lakeport) 707-263-6848
Lake County Road Department 707-263-2341
Drug Enforcement:
Lake County Sheriff’s Office 707-263-2690 (Dispatch Center)
Lake County Narcotic Task Force 707-263-9055
Suspicious Circumstances/ Firearms/Dumping:
Lake County unincorporated area:
Lake County Sheriff’s Office 707-263-2690 (Dispatch Center)
City of Lakeport:
Lakeport Police Department 707-263-5491
City of Clearlake:
Clearlake Police Department 707-994-8251
Lake County Code Compliance 707-263-2309
Waterways:
Lake County Sheriff’s Office 707-263-2690 (Dispatch Center)
Fish and Game 707-944-5500
U.S. Coast Guard, Noyo Station, Fort Bragg 707-964-6611
The above numbers are non-emergency numbers. Call 911 for all emergencies.
Leona Butts lives in Clearlake Oaks.
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