First Alarm security personnel will patrol downtown Santa Cruz until 8pm every night during the holidays, starting Nov. 26.
First Alarm security personnel will patrol downtown Santa Cruz until 8pm every night starting Nov. 26. The private security firm hired by the city now patrols until 3pm daily. The decision by Interim Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel is intended to ensure the safety of holiday shoppers. The last day of extended security will therefore be Dec. 24.
First Alarm began patrolling downtown following the May Day incident that saw several downtown businesses vandalized. Despite initial reservations, the security cops’ impact has been “tremendous,” says one-named Chip of the Downtown Association, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. His enthusiasm is matched by store owners, who have seen an increase in traffic ever since the patrols first started in September. Vogel says that the holiday program will cost about $10,000, but that none of that will come from Measure H funds, which are earmarked for the hiring of additional police officers. Read more at the Sentinel.
