Riverside's Heat Wave: How long will it last?

Heat continues to be a factor in the area's weather forecast. Yesterday's high temperature hit 111 degrees in Riverside and that combined with humidity makes things potentially hazardous for the elderly and people who spend a lot of time outside. Drink your liquids, wear hats and clothing to protect you against the sun and heat if possible and keep an eye on pets(which should not be left in the car), children(which also should not be left in the car) and elderly or ill people who are more susceptible to heat problems.

The above link includes a pdf file of the city's "cool places".

The three big problems are heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat cramps/dehydration. All three can hit pretty quickly though heat exhaustion is more common than heat stroke and none are pretty. All three require prompt treatment.


Advanced heat exhaustion especially that unresponsive to first aid measures and all cases of heat stroke are considered medical emergencies.



Prevention and treatment of heat stroke and dehydration

Identification and treatment of heat exhaustion



Have fun during the heat wave which is expected to extend into the holiday weekend but exercise caution as well.





The Riverside Police Department received its third regular report and second audit on its implementation of the Strategic Plan that is in place to guide the development and improvement of the police department into the future. Although the plan was originally approved by the Riverside County Superior Court to cover the period of years between 2004-2009, there was emphasis at the presentation in front of the city council on Tuesday night that the Strategic Plan is actually intended to remain in place indefinitely, although it will undergo modifications from time to time. It will never be completely implemented.

There's a lot that was said and a lot to say about the police department's latest audit and public report so there will be more postings on this issue. But the police department had made much more progress than was shown in its April audit, according to consultant Joe Brann who was hired by the city to conduct the audits. If you remember, last April's audit showed that there were some deficiencies in the department's management during the period of the last six months of 2006. The department began to improve in these areas during the first several months of 2007.

Chief Russ Leach talked to the city council about programs including the Police and Correctional Team(PACT) also known as the Parole and Corrections Team , transitional housing and mental health training programs. The latter just received POST certification in recent weeks and will begin its third training class for police officers and other department employees next month. The first two classes which lasted between 30-40 hours were held the beginning of June and in mid-July.

Progress reports on the development and implementation of the mental health crisis training and team formation are given at the Public Safety Committee meetings. The last meeting held earlier this month included key members of the committee that is working on developing this program and elicited some good discussion. The progress of this program which was at a virtual standstill during portions of mid-2006 is one reason to be hopeful and encouraged by the progress made by the department but given the chain of events last year, it's important to be cautious as well. I did have a fairly good look at that and the problems that the department encountered after it dissolved its stipulated judgment with former State Attorney General Bill Locker's office in March 2006 need to serve as a reminder of how important it is to remain focused and moving in a foreword direction in a unified manner through a mechanism which is internally generated and motivated. A process independent of outside oversight of any form.

One councilman said that there was no better barometer of the department's progress than my comments as well as those of others, but simply noting progress doesn't mark that.

Recommendations that came up in the audit included having one more audit this year and two next year, as well as providing information on crime statistics and police performance to the public.






The Riverside County District Attorney's office spent time monitoring a MySpace page set up by an Eastside Riva gang member, according to the Press Enterprise. On one entry, they found lyrics to a song written by a gang member, the subject matter being the injunction which was filed against Eastside Riva last week.


(excerpt)


"To me, the fact that a prominent member of theirs is telling everybody who visits his Web site about the lawsuit is a good thing," Lucky said. "Obviously, he is aware of it (the injunction), which is the most important thing for me."

Law enforcement agencies often log on to the Internet to monitor what criminals are saying and who might be listening. But with the East Side Riva gang injunction, the action online reflects what is happening on the streets and in the courts, often within hours.

Online visitors to dozens of MySpace pages devoted to the gang meet to praise one another's rap skills, defiantly insult law enforcement and deride District Attorney Rod Pacheco's attempts to rein them in.

Almost as soon as the information is posted, law enforcement officers examine the messages for clues to what is happening on the street. Almost 100 pages of MySpace material were included in the district attorney's request for the gang injunction, which prohibits members from associating with each other, blocking access, being lookouts and committing crimes, among other activities.

Lucky and other law enforcement officials spent much of last week pursuing the gang in court and ensuring that people they have identified as East Side Riva members are aware of the consequences if a judge makes the injunction permanent. Lucky said he heard Chavez's song for the first time Monday.

"It only took him a day or two to get the song out," Lucky said.






And it's true that the county's employees do spend time on the internet. This site generates at least two visits from Riverside County's ISP each day.





InstantRiverside has some links on its site here and here. The latter link reports on the record set on Wednesday this week for electricity usage in this city, not surprising given the current heat wave.




The Associated Press stated that the probational San Francisco Police Department officer who shot himself at a party and died soon after was legally drunk.



(excerpt)



Officer James Gustafson Jr., 23, of San Mateo, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.09 percent above the legal limit for driving of 0.08 percent when he shot himself in the neck with his department-issued semiautomatic pistol on Aug. 11, said San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault. Gustafson, who had graduated from the police academy in January, was off duty at the time.


This is a senseless tragedy in which there is more information about it here including a comments thread.

Guns and alcohol do not mix. This is another tragic example why.




Also in the San Francisco Chronicle is this story about a medical student who is suing after he was tased by a police officer.



(excerpt)


Mehrdad Alemozaffar, 27, who is to begin a medical residency at Harvard University this fall, said Officer Jesse Serna was among the police officers and sheriff's deputies who tackled him to the ground near Broadway and Montgomery Street at about 2 a.m. Dec. 17.

The incident happened after officers trying to get Alemozaffar and two friends to leave the area pushed them in the back, the federal civil-rights suit said. When Alemozaffar complained, Serna replied, "Stop acting like such a girl," the suit said.

When Alemozaffar asked Serna why he had said that, Serna chuckled and replied, "I am calling you a girl because you are acting like one," the suit said.

Alemozaffar was handcuffed and placed facedown on the street. Then sheriff's Deputy J. Reymundo shocked him at least 10 times with a Taser, the suit said.

The suit names Serna and two other police officers, along with Reymundo and another deputy.





Differing accounts were provided by Alemozaffer. The department said that the taser deployment records showed only three discharges that day.

Involved in the incident was Officer Jesse Serna, who is number one on the list of San Francisco Police Department officers when it comes down to the highest number of complaints of excessive force. During a nine month period, the department received five complaints of excessive force involving Serna and in fact, Chief Heather Fong removed him from the field in June and put him in what the article stated was a "non-public contact position". She made the decision to do so after the newspaper had published a series of articles on police officers who had garnered multiple complaints against them by members of the public.

It would seem that the department should have been keeping a close eye on officers like Serna already through an early warning tracking system. Five complaints of excessive force in a nine month period should attract attention from the officer's supervisors and from department management because excessive force complaints in general do not usually generate much statistics as other categories of misconduct allegations do.