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FAQs

Q: How many people work for the police department? 

A:  The department is staffed with a total of 11 sworn and 3 non sworn men and women.

 

Q: Can I search the Megan’s Law database for convicted sex offenders by using the Internet?  

A:  Yes.  You can now search for convicted sex offenders by going to the Megan’s Law website at www.meganslaw.ca.gov.  Scroll to the bottom of the page to enter the locator site.  After you read and agree to the disclaimer, you will be sent to a page where you can search anywhere in the state by a variety of search criteria.

Please fell free to contact a member of the department should you have any questions.

 

Q: How can I get an equipment violation ticket signed off? 

A: First of all, certain violations cannot be signed off. Refer to your citation or court courtesy letter for further information. If your citation can be signed off you may find any on-duty police officer who is not busy to assist you. You may also choose to come to the police station where a police officer can meet with you.  Remember! Once a citation is signed off, you must return the citation to the court listed on the citation within the time indicated. Failure to do so can result in the suspension of you driving privilege and a larger fine.

  

Q: What telephone number should I call for a non-emergency incident or questions? 

A:  If you need to talk with a dispatcher, you can dial (415) 467-1212.  If you want to contact a specific officer directly, you can call (415) 508-2181 and use the directory to leave a voicemail message.  A complete list of personnel and their phone numbers is listed on this website.

 

Q:  Can I ride along with an officer?

A:  The Brisbane Police Department allows citizens to ride with a police officer during a portion of their shift to experience what police work is all about.  You must be 15 years or older and juveniles under 18 must have a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.

Please contact the on-duty watch commander at (415) 467-1212 to schedule a date and time.

 

Q:  How do I report a vehicle accident?

A:  The driver of a vehicle involved in a traffic accident should immediately stop as close to the scene as possible without causing a traffic hazard. If there are injuries, the police department should be notified immediately by calling 9-1-1. If there are no injuries, the involved parties should exchange information including names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, vehicle license numbers, and insurance policy numbers.  A police report is not required by law, but if the accident occurred in Brisbane, the Brisbane Police Department will be glad to complete one for you. 

The driver of any vehicle in any accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage in excess of $500 must report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles within ten days by completing a DMV SR 1 form. This form is available from the Department of Motor Vehicles or most insurance companies.  

  

Q:  What can I do about a barking dog?

A: Before reporting a dog that barks loudly and frequently, first try to contact the dog’s owner. If the problem is not resolved contact the Police Department at (415) 467-1212. The Police Department will investigate all barking dog complaints and will try to contact the owner of the dog. Many times the owner is unaware the dog is causing a problem for neighbors and is willing to take immediate action to correct the problem. We will not tell the responsible person who made the complaint. We will ask for your name and a call back number for our records, or in case we need additional information from you. 

 

Q:  What happens when I dial 9-1-1?

A: Only emergency calls should be directed to the 9-1-1 telephone number. If you are calling from a regular (wired) telephone in Brisbane, the calls go directly to the Brisbane Police Department’s 9-1-1 dispatch center. Through the 9-1-1 equipment and our Computer Aided Dispatch system, the caller's address and telephone number immediately appear on the computer screen at the dispatch center.

The Police Dispatchers are highly trained individuals that are prepared for any emergency situation. These dispatchers need to get specific information from you when you call 9-1-1. This information lets the dispatcher know what kind of response is required to deal with the emergency. (police, fire, paramedics, etc.) We will ask you what happened and where did the crime occur. We will ask you if anyone is injured, and if the injured person is in the same location. If the injured person is at a different address we will want to know where they are. We will ask you if you know the people involved in the incident. We will ask you if there are weapons involved. We will ask you for a full description of the people involved in the incident. We will ask you for associated vehicle descriptions. We may ask you to stay on the phone with us until officers arrive. We will ask you if you want to remain anonymous.

If you are calling from a Cellular Phone, your 9-1-1 call is answered by the California Highway Patrol in Vallejo. The location you are calling from DOES NOT appear on the dispatcher’s screen.  Please stay on the line.  They will transfer you to the appropriate agency after asking many of the same questions listed above

  

Q:  Why do the dispatchers ask so many questions?

A: Dispatchers are trained to try and get as much information as possible to best determine the nature of the problem. The information provided by callers can assist the officers in determining what they will need in order to keep others safe and out of harm’s way. Also, please realize that the dispatchers are trained to perform many tasks at once, and will often be dispatching emergency response units while they are talking to you. If they ask you to hold, it is because they are dispatching help to you! We immediately dispatch the appropriate emergency response for your problem along with 1 or 2 police officers. 

 

Q:  What can I do about cars that park and never move from in front of my house?

A:  You don’t have to spend a whole lot of time in Brisbane to realize that parking in the residential areas is limited.  Understandably, citizens take a very personal interest in the vehicles they see parked in their neighborhood and how they are parked.  As a result, the Brisbane Police Department responds to numerous complaints about “abandoned” and “illegally” parked vehicles every day.  Often these complaints end up being a matter of personal preference rather than a matter of law where the police can take legal action.  In those cases where the law does not apply, we are more than happy to attempt to mediate the problem between the parties involved.


THE FACTS
To help you determine if your parking issue is one where legal action should be taken or if mediation would be a solution, we have put together the following facts to take into consideration:


Parking in front of your residence:
Unfortunately, we have no legal or inherent right to the parking spaces in front of our homes.  Parking on city streets is available to anyone, whether or not they reside on our street or not.


People who own several vehicles:
We realize that there are a great deal of residents that own numerous vehicles without adequate off street parking, or have chosen to use their garages or driveways for other purposes.  Although this fact is unfortunate and inconsiderate to others in the neighborhood, we have no legal authority to remove these vehicles if legally parked on a city street and driven on a regular basis.


Vehicles stored on the street:
There are two municipal codes that govern vehicles parked or stored on the street.  One allows for vehicles to be towed as abandoned after being marked as such for 72 hours.  Abandoned means cars that have been parked or discarded for long periods of time and show signs that they have not been moved, such as flat tires or dirt and debris on or about the vehicle.  The other code allows for a vehicle to be cited if it can be determined that the vehicle has been stored on the street for more than 5 consecutive days.

We receive numerous calls each day for “abandoned” vehicles when someone spots a vehicle that they don’t recognize. We find that often times these vehicles are being parked there temporarily due to construction or road work in another neighborhood, or simply because parking was unavailable on an adjacent street. In either case we make concerted efforts to locate the owner by way of a neighborhood check or by phone before taking enforcement action.
 

REMEDIES

Community Mediation

The Brisbane Police Department offers conflict resolution and mediation through the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC).  Go on the Web to: www.brisbaneca.org/sites/default/files/brisbaneca/Conflict%20Resolution.PDF
 for more information about using PCRC.


Parking Permit Program
The city offers a Residential Parking Permit Program for those citizens that want to regulate parking in their neighborhoods.  This program is initiated by the citizens in the neighborhood in which the permit program is to be put into place. Go to on the Web to: www.municode.com/library/ca/brisbane/codes/code_of_ordinances for more information on how to pursue a Residential Parking Permit Program in your neighborhood.


Police Intervention
The police department will respond to any and all calls for service.  If you see a vehicle that you believe to be illegally parked please call us.  Please leave your name and phone number with the dispatcher.  This allows us to contact you with any questions or to advise you of what we were able to do to resolve the problem.  We receive a lot of “anonymous” calls.  Without your name and phone number, we are unable to resolve the issue if it turns out to be one that requires mediation or enforcement action.


CONCLUSION
Parking issues can quickly turn great neighbors and neighborhoods into a war zone of Hatfield and McCoys.  Please be considerate of one another when parking your vehicles.  Consider getting to know your neighbors and speaking with them when a problem arises.  We are surprised how many times we respond to a problem and find out that the people involved have never talked despite the fact that they live right across the street from each other.

Whatever the case, we are here to help.  If you do call us regarding a problem you can be assured that we will do everything that we can to resolve the problem. With the parking the way it is in town, we ask for your patience in dealing with these issues.

 

Q:  What are the white lines along most of the residential streets?

A:  These white lines are painted in areas where the roadway width is limited and are designed to provide clearance for emergency vehicles.  You may not park on or to the left of any of these white lines.  If you do, your vehicle may be towed at your expense.

  

Q: Does the City have any noise restrictions?

A: Yes there are, although there are several exemptions. The City Council has enacted a noise ordinance that states “It is declared to be the policy of the city that the peace, health, safety and welfare of its citizens require protection from excessive, unnecessary and unreasonable noises from any and all sources in the community subject to its police power…" Normally, noise is limited to 10db above the ambient noise level for any 15 minute period and 20db for any 3 minute period.  Construction activities can go as high as 86db above the ambient noise level, but are restricted between 7 am - 7 pm, M-F, and 9 am - 7 pm on the weekends. For more information about noise limits please give us a call.

  

Q:  Is there a curfew?

A:  Yes.  It is unlawful for any minor person under the age of 18 years to loiter, idle, stroll or play in any public street, public square, park, or any public place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1/2 hour before sunrise of the following day.  This does not apply to a minor accompanied by his or her parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of the minor, or where the minor is upon an emergency errand or legitimate business directed by his or her parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of the minor, nor where such minor is directly proceeding to or from any place of business employment, amusement, worship or other legitimate activity.