New Parking Ordinances

The Redwood City Police Department wanted to take the opportunity to share some information regarding recent changes to local parking ordinances.    The city recently modified two commonly used ordinances: 1) 20.95 RCC – Parking for More Than 72 Consecutive Hours; and 2) 20.101 – Parking of Oversized Commercial Vehicles. 

20.95 RCC was amended to eliminate the requirement that a vehicle be moved 2/10 of a mile to be in compliance with the ordinance.  When this section was originally enacted most vehicles had analog odometers which an officer could usually read through the widows and determine if a vehicle had been moved the required distance to be in compliance.  With the advent of digital odometers that are only visible when the car is turned on it has become largely impossible for an officer to determine exactly how far a vehicle may have been driven after first being checked.  Officers are presently able to mark cars and determine if they have moved but not how far.  

Accordingly, the section was modified to require a vehicle only be moved one car length in a 72-hour period, as measured by the length of the car in question.  Essentially, the only thing an officer now tries to determine is if the car has been moved at all and is less concerned about how far.  Vehicles that do not move any distance in a 72-hour period would be in violation of the ordinance.  Essentially the law had to be revised to reflect the realities of technological changes, something that is happening more and more in all areas of enforcement. 

20.101 RCC was modified to make it easier for an officer to enforce and to better reflect the spirit of the original ordinance.  The previous ordinance prohibited overnight parking of any commercial vehicles and also listed a series of other prohibited non-commercial vehicles (RVs, trailers, etc.)  The broad prohibition on all commercial vehicles, no matter the size, had the unintended consequence of prohibiting the parking of dual use vehicles such a pickup trucks that many residents use for commercial purposes during the week and personal use on the weekend.  

The new ordinance restricts overnight parking on the basis of size or weight rather than of a particular type or class.  Vehicles longer than 24.5 feet or that have a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of 8,000 pounds or more cannot be parked on the street for more than one hour between hours of 8 P.M. and 5 A.M. in commercial districts and anytime in residential districts.  There are some exceptions to this that are more fully described in the ordinance.   This change lets an officer easily determine violations as they can measure a vehicle if needed and the weight is available in the vehicle’s registration, making it a simple process to determine if there is a violation.  

None of these changes are perfect solutions to the variety of parking issues and challenges facing Redwood City residents but we do believe the represent balanced compromises between competing community interests and can be fairly enforced by officers. 

Virtual Kidnapping Scam

A New scam is targeting the Redwood City area that you need to be aware of.  The FBI calls is “Virtual Kidnapping.”  Here is how it works: strangers call you and say that they have your loved one and they will kill them unless you pay up.

Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam;

The success of any type of virtual kidnapping scheme depends on speed and fear. Criminals know they only have a short time to exact a ransom before the victims unravel the scam or authorities become involved. To avoid becoming a victim, look for these possible indicators:

• Callers go to great lengths to keep you on the phone, insisting you remain on the line.
• Calls do not come from the supposed victim’s phone.
• Callers try to prevent you from contacting the “kidnapped” victim.
• Calls include demands for ransom money to be paid via wire transfer to Mexico; ransom amount demands may drop quickly.

If you receive a phone call from someone demanding a ransom for an alleged kidnap victim, the following should be considered:

• In most cases, the best course of action is to hang up the phone.
• If you do engage the caller, don’t call out your loved one’s name.
• Try to slow the situation down. Request to speak to your family member directly. Ask, “How do I know my loved one is okay?”
• Ask questions only the alleged kidnap victim would know, such as the name of a pet. Avoid sharing information about yourself or your family.
• Listen carefully to the voice of the alleged victim if they speak.
• Attempt to contact the alleged victim via phone, text, or social media, and request that they call back from their cell phone.
• To buy time, repeat the caller’s request and tell them you are writing down the demand, or tell the caller you need time to get things moving.
• Don’t agree to pay a ransom, by wire or in person. Delivering money in person can be dangerous.

If you suspect a real kidnapping is taking place or you believe a ransom demand is a scheme, contact The Redwood City Police Department.

RCPD Honors Fallen Officer Herman Fleishman

Tour of Duty: 1927 – January 22, 1939

The members of the Redwood City Police Department will honor Officer Herman Fleishman on the anniversary of his death that occurred while on duty with RCPD on January 22, 1939. Flags in front of the Police Department will be lowered to half staff and all of our sworn personnel will be dressed in a formal class "A" uniform to honor the sacrifice given by Officer Fleishman and his family. A historical summary of the events leading to the service death of Officer Fleishman is described below.

On Sunday, January 22, 1939, at about 2:15 AM, Officer Fleishman was working patrol when he observed a car speeding about 60 miles per hour along El Camino Real. Fleishman and his partner, Special Officer Mark Ryan gave chase and pursued the car north on El Camino Real from Five Points into the City of San Carlos, where it was stopped near Brittan Avenue. The driver, George Devin, stopped the car in the number two lane and Fleishman pulled the patrol car off the right side of the road behind Devin’s car. The two were standing behind Devin’s car as Fleishman was issuing a citation. A call on the police radio summoned Officer Ryan to the patrol car. Seconds later, a crash to the rear of the violator’s car pinned Fleishman and Devin between the two cars. Fleishman’s left leg and both of Devin’s legs were sheared off. It was reported that after the accident, Fleishman attempted to get up from the pavement and crawled to Devin’s side to give him first aid. He then reportedly directed Officer Ryan to issue a citation to the driver of the car that hit them.

The impact sent Devin’s car more than 200 feet across the highway (El Camino Real), over a curb, and into a vacant lot. Fleishman and Devin were rushed to Mills Memorial Hospital where they died of their injuries just before noon. The driver of the other vehicle, Robert Lee, was charged with negligent homicide.

Officer Fleishman is the only officer killed in an on-duty collision in the department’s history. Forty two years old, Fleishman was survived by his wife and two daughters. In July 1939, city officials dedicated Fleishman Park in his honor. On this date, we remember and honor our Brother Officer, Herman Fleishman.

The Redwood City Police Department Honors the Memory of Officer Gerardo Silva: EOW January 20th, 2017

Today, the men and women of the Redwood City Police Department will honor Officer Gerardo Silva on the one year anniversary of his passing. All ranks of sworn officers will be out on patrol, working the Detective Bureau, and running every operation in the organization in their Class "A" uniforms to honor the End of Watch (EOW) anniversary of Officer Silva's death. The flags in front of our building will be flown at half-staff and all of our shifts will be briefed by Command Staff sharing the story of Gerardo's death.

 Thank you Officer Silva for your service and sacrifice--you will not be forgotten.

 Your Redwood City Police Family 

Officer Gerardo A. Silva

Tour of Duty: March 15, 1999 – January 20, 2017

Officer Silva began his patrol shift on Friday, January 20, 2017, at 0600 hours.  At 0857 hours, Officer Silva was dispatched to the front lobby of the police station to meet the victim of a property theft and conduct an investigation.  When Officer Silva did not return to service after an extended period of time, a search for his whereabouts began.  Dispatchers and Supervisors called him on the radio and checked the GPS location of his assigned patrol vehicle.  When the search revealed Officer Silva’s  patrol vehicle was parked at the police department a physical search of the police facility for Officer Silva was initiated.  At 1240 hours, searchers discovered  the door to the second floor single-use bathroom locked and no response was received from inside. The door was forced open and Officer Silva was found unresponsive on the floor.  Officers initiated immediate life-saving measures, to include CPR and the use of an automatic external defibrillator.  Redwood City Fire Department and emergency medical personnel arrived and began advanced life support measures.  Officer Silva was transported via ambulance to Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City where he continued to receive advanced medical treatment in the Emergency Room.  Despite the extensive efforts of all personnel involved, Officer Silva died at 1330 hours.

Officer Silva began his career with the Redwood City Police Department as a Reserve Police Officer in 1993.  He served briefly as a Parking Enforcement Officer before being hired full-time as a sworn Police Officer in 1999.  Officer Gerardo Silva will always be remembered for his perpetual kindness, his easy-going and good natured demeanor, and especially his devotion to his community in which he lived his entire life and patrolled the majority of his career.

On this date, we remember and honor our Brother Officer Gerardo Silva.