Adult School Safety Alert

Recently, there were 2 different events on our block.  These events remind us we need to be safe.

1 event happened by the San Mateo High School.  A suspect has been arrested.

This is a sketch of the person they are looking for.

Another event happened by the Adult School.   Here is a sketch of the person they are looking for from the Adult School event.

Here is information about the event.

If you see the person they are looking for or if someone threatens your safety, call the police and tell a school staff member.

 

                               

 

UPDATED SMPD COMMUNITY AND MEDIA ALERT 

SMPD Has Completed a Forensic Sketch of Suspicious Person from San Mateo Adult School Incident

 

The investigation of the previously reported suspicious incident at the San Mateo Adult School is continuing and as a result, SMPD Detectives have prepared a forensic sketch of the male involved in that case.  We also continue to work collaboratively with the San Mateo Union High School District and the San Mateo Foster City School District as the investigation progresses to further safeguard our schoolchildren and school faculty.  Anyone with information that they believe may assist in this case should contact the San Mateo Police Department Investigations Bureau, 650-522-7650.  They may also contact us anonymously by voicemail, 650-522-7676 or text message, 650-262-3473. 

 

 

TO REVIEW:
On Thursday, November 13^th, at about 6:15 PM, at the San Mateo Adult School located at 789 East Poplar Avenue, a 19-year-old female student stepped outside to the parking lot to take a break. A male in a nearby parked vehicle exited the car and approached her. He greeted her and complimented her on her appearance. She ignored the male and he then offered her money to leave with him. She ignored him again and he repeated his request. The female continued to ignore him and walked back to the school, reporting the incident about two hours later. 

The male is described as a Filipino or Asian adult male, about 30 years old, medium build, with short maybe even spiked hair on top and unshaven.  His vehicle is described as a dark blue or black foreign sedan. SMPD does not believe that the male arrested on November 14^th for similar behavior at San Mateo High School is involved in this incident.

Again, we encourage everyone to take this time to talk to children, teenagers, and young adults alike about the steps they can take to keep themselves safe when contacted by strangers. We would especially like to emphasize the importance of timely reporting in cases such as this which allows us to quickly and effectively respond to these incidents in our efforts to locate the suspect or suspects. 

 

FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS

Now would be an excellent time to review with the children or young adults in your life how to protect themselves during incidents like these.  For those discussions, we offer the following safety tips:

·        Look, listen, stay safe.  Be aware of your surroundings when walking in public. Avoid distractions while walking such as books or electronics.

·        Whenever possible use the buddy system. Urge your children to walk with a friend or friends. There’s safety in numbers.

·        Watch out for strangers in cars.  Watch for cars that follow you. NEVER approach a stranger in a car for ANY reason.

·        If a stranger talks to you from a car or asks a question, ignore them, and walk or even run away.

·        Yell and Tell.  If a stranger makes you uncomfortable or scares you, YELL and run away. Find someone you trust and TELL them what happened.

·        Trust your instincts. Only you get to decide when you’re uncomfortable or scared. Don’t be afraid to tell a stranger “No”, ignore them, or just run away!

 

MORE RESOURCES

National Crime Prevention Council: http://www.ncpc.org/topics/violent-crime-and-personal-safety/strangers

Kid Power: http://www.kidpower.org/stranger-safety/

 

 

Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/sanmateopd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earthquake Safety

We live in Earthquake Country.

We never know.  We never know when earthquakes will come or where or how strong they will be.

We always need to be prepared.   Here is some information to help.


1.  What is an Earthquake?

The earth is covered with plates.  They move in different directions. 

When plates push together, they make mountains and volcanos that explode - like the mountains in California and Japan.  The Pacific is a called a "Ring of Fire" because of these plates pushing in a ring, making earthquakes and volcanos. 

When the plates pull apart, they make another kind of volcano.  A kind of slow, leaky volcano.  This is happening in Hawaii.   Lava leaks out and the islands grow and get bigger very slowly.

In the Bay Area, one plate - the North American plate - is moving South.  The plate next to it, the Pacific plate, is moving North. 

Look at the map.  Where is the San Mateo Adult School?  Where is San Francisco?  Where is the Crystal Springs Water Reservoir?  Where is Half Moon Bay?  Are all they on the same plate?

Sometimes the two plates suddenly push hard against each other.  Earthquake!   The push can be deep in the earth, close to the surface, short, or long.  

In the big plates are many cracks or pushing areas.  We call these places, "faults."  Earthquakes can happen on these fault lines.

Earthquakes can be big or small.

And the soil where they happen can be soft or hard.

There are many kinds of soil in the Bay Area.  Hard rock.  Soft sand.  And fill.  In some places, they filled in the Bay with trash and dirt.  They call this "fill."  Then they built houses on it.  They did this in some parts of Foster City, for example. 

It is important to know about the soil where you live, work, shop, and go to school. 

You can look at this map to find out about the soil - rock, sand, fill, etc..

And you can check schools and earthquake safety here.

We don't know when an earthquake will happen or where.  We don't know where we will be.  So we need to be prepared.


2.  Earthquake Preparation

You need more than a flashlight and batteries to prepare for an earthquake.

Remember, you do not know where you will be when a quake happens.

You might be in a car.  You might be on a bus.  Or a bicycle.  You might be sleeping at home.  You might be at work.  You might be shopping in a busy mall.  You might be on BART.   You might be a friend's house.  You might have water and batteries and a flashlight at your house... but you are at your friend's house and they do not have these things.   And they might not know where to turn the gas off at their house.  You might be in one place and your kids in another place.

Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for an earthquake.




1. Prepare an emergency kit including water, food, first aid, a flashlight, portable battery-operated radio, batteries, medicines, money and clothing. The U.S. Geological Survey provides a detailed checklist in Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country

2. Know the safe spots in a room during an earthquake: under hefty tables or desks or against interior walls.

3. Know the danger spots where you're at risk from falling or breaking material: near windows, mirrors, hanging objects, tall furniture and fireplace chimneys



4. Hold safety drills so you and your family know the safe – and danger – spots in your home

5. Discuss how and where your family will meet if separated during an earthquake

6. Pick an out-of-state friend or relative who family members can call after the quake to report their whereabouts and conditions. Make sure everyone keeps the designee's contact information

7. Learn first aid and CPR

8. Learn how to shut off gas, electricity and water mains in case the lines are damaged; keep needed tools near the utilities. Only turn off the gas if you smell or hear leaking gas, and once it's turned off, do not try to turn it back on yourself

9. Have a professional check that chimneys, roofs, walls and foundations are seismically sound. Make sure your home is bolted to the foundation

10. Secure your water heater and major appliances as well as tall furniture such as bookcases and entertainment centers. Also secure mirrors and picture frames, especially those hanging over beds.


You can get lots of good information about to do these things here and here.

Puede leer en espanol aqui.


Be safe!  Be prepared!  Be ready to help others!


These are all photos from the 1989 Loma Prieta Quake: