The Seal Beach Police Department will take back unwanted prescription drugs and/or medication on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., at police headquarters at 911 Seal Beach Blvd.
The event will be part of National Take Back Initiative Day.
This will be the seventh time in three years that the SBPD and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its seventh opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to department headquarters. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last April, Americans turned in 371 tons (over 742,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at over 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its six previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in over 2.8 million pounds—more than 1,400 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
DEA is in the process of approving new regulations that implement the Safe and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” (that is, a patient or pet or their family member or owner) of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances.
Seal Beach to receive DUI and other enforcement grants
By Charles M. Kelly
The Seal Beach City Council approved resolutions accepting law enforcement grant funding at the agency’s Monday, Oct. 14 meeting.
According to the staff report by Police Chief Joe Stilinovich, the city is eligible for about $33,800 in DUI enforcement money from the California Office of Traffic and Safety’s “AVOID the 38” DUI Enforcement Grant.
Seal Beach will get up to $1,400 for each saturation DUI patrol and up to $6,500 for each traffic checkpoint. “The ‘AVOID the 38’ DUI Enforcement Grant has funded additional motorcycle officers and additional uniformed police personnel for key holiday enforcement mobilization periods for special events such as St. Patrick’s Day, New Year’s Eve, Memorial Day, Super Bowl Sunday, and Labor Day,” said the Stilinovich report.
The council also approved a resolution authorizing City Manager Jill Ingram to accept approximately $25,000 for what Stilinivoch called “front line law enforcement services.”
“Due to the steady erosion of funding for city police agencies over the past several years, local communities have experienced significant public safety impacts,” said Stilinovich in his staff report to the council.
“This funding recognizes the need for city law enforcement to be able to provide front-line services based upon their own regional needs,” Stilinovich said.
“Orange County agencies were allocated a total of approximately $1.43 million which is being dispersed by the City of Garden Grove. The City of Seal Beach has been allocated approximately $25,000,” Stilinovich said.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Monday, October 7
Public Works Information—8:35 a.m.—Anaheim Bay Bridge, Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said someone spray painted “DSW” in black under the east side of the bridge. Referred to Public Works for clean up.
Keep the Peace—10:23 a.m.—Lampson Avenue and Seal Beach Bouelvard—A citizen called to report that a crew in a work truck was taking down a banner without permission. An individual in City Hall told police that the banner was supposed to remain up until Monday, Oct. 14. The citizen phoned back to say the crew put the banner back. The call was cancelled before a unit was dispatched.
Tuesday, October 8
Stray Animal—8:31 a.m.—Ocean and First Street—The caller said a large, golden dog, possibly a pitbull mix, was running around a grassy field. Referred to Long Beach Animal Care Services, which has the contract to provide animal control services to Seal Beach.
Extra Patrol Checks Requested—7:42 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller requested extra patrol checks for construction trucks starting up and getting ready for work before 7 a.m.
Wednesday, October 9
Transient—10:29 a.m.—Main Street—The caller said a man was sleeping on a bench in front of the location and had a cart with him. Police unit 107 issued the man a citation for having an open container.
Thursday, October 10
Grand Theft Report—8:09 a.m.—Dahlia Circle—Someone broke into the caller’s two work trucks between 2 and 6 a.m. The unknown suspects took a meter valued at $3,000.
Counseling—8:41 a.m.—Main Street—The caller requested counseling because three times in the past week customers brought in money that appeared to be counterfeit. The caller said their policy was to return the money to the customer and explain that there is a problem with the bill. Counseled.
Saturday, October 12
Disturbance—11:44 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway and San Gabriel River—The caller said several individuals near the fishing hole on the bike path were blocking the trail and possibly drinking. Police arrested one individual for an outstanding bench warrant.
Sunday, October 13
Transient—2:19 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said a man was in the parking lot, asking people for money. As a result of the call, police arrested the man for a bench warrant for disorderly conduct.
IN LOS?ALAMITOS
Friday, September 27
Transient—10:28 a.m.—Farquhar Avenue—The caller reported a woman sleeping under a blanket on a picnic bench under a gazebo.
Disturbance—2:49 a.m.—Walnut Street—The caller reported individuals in a garage off an alley that were being loud. Four individuals had been smoking in back of an apartment. They were advised to keep noise down.
Saturday, September 28
Citizen Assist—1:21 p.m.—Bloomfield Street—The caller reported a parking pass missing from inside the vehicle, claiming a tow company had the pass. The tow company claimed private security company took possession of the pass at the time the vehicle was towed because it had been reported as stolen. The caller was advised to call the security company.
Sunday, September 29
Panhandlers—12:57 p.m.—Katella Avenue —The caller reported a father and daughter begging for money outside a business. The caller said they were just asked to leave because they were begging there.
Monday, September 30
Trash digging—8:39 a.m.—Walnut Street—The caller reported a neighbor going through trash in the alley. The individual reported goes through trash for recyclables, breaking bottles and littering. The individual spoke no English, but was with his daughter who does speak English. Patrol advised him to discontinue trash digging.
Tuesday, October 1
Disturbance—3:23 a.m.—Katella Avenue—The caller reported hearing four to five men arguing, but nothing was seen. The men were sleeping on the second floor above a donut shop. They were leaving the area. Patrol determined no further police services were necessary.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, October 7
Traffic Hazard—5:29 p.m.—Quail Run Road—A deputy performed a patrol check for juveniles skateboarding in the street. A citizen was concerned that they might get hit.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—8:48 p.m.—Los Alamitos Boulevard—The caller said a man ran into the bar and was trying to barricade the door. The caller thought the man might be on drugs. Then the manager phoned the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and said the bartender had called him about the man.
Tuesday, October 8
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—9:41 a.m.—Druid Lane and St. Cloud Drive—A deputy performed a patrol check for a woman who was letting her dog run up to houses and then taking pictures of houses that don’t have dogs barking back at the woman’s dog.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—2:18 p.m.—Kittrick Drive—A citizen reported a possible scam. An individual told the caller that he noticed something was wrong with the citizen’s pool. Then someone claiming to be from the citizen’s pool company called to make an appointment to fix the pool. However, the citizen called his pool company and they were not aware of anyone having an appointment to come to the citizen’s home.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—6:11 p.m.—Yellowtail Drive—The caller said a man was walking down Yellowtail toward Silverfox, looking behind him as if he were being followed. The man was known to the area.
Wednesday, October 9
Suspicious Person or Circumstances— 10:14 a.m.— Walker Lee Drive—The caller said two men that were in her backyard claimed to be from Southern California Edison, but did not have permission to be in the property and could not provide any identification from Edison. The men had left. The caller requested contact with a deputy. Eviction Warrant—12:05 p.m.—Salmon Drive—A deputy served an eviction warrant.
Fraud Report—8:09 p.m.—Wallingsford Road.
Thursday, October 10
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—3:57 p.m.—Rowena Drive— A man came to the caller’s door, asking if she wanted to sell her vehicles.
Burglary—4:37 p.m.—Christy Lane— The caller just returned home after being gone for eight hours and found the house ransacked. The suspects broke in through the glass door in the back of the house.
Burglary—5 p.m.—Walker Lee Drive—The caller had been gone since 2:30 p.m. Upon returning, the caller found that the house had been ransacked .
Burglary—5:04 p.m.—St. Albans Drive—The caller said his neighbor’s appeared to have been broken into. The sliding door on the east side of the house was shattered.
Burglary—6:26 p.m.—Foster Road—A citizen flagged down a patrol car to report that a residence had been ransacked.
Friday, October 11
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—10:18 a.m.—Donnie Ann Road and Wallingsford Road—The caller reported seeing a vehicle driving slowly through the neighborhood.
Petty Theft Report—2:03 p.m.—Donnis Road—Someone stole a pumpkin off the caller’s front porch.
Saturday, October 12
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—9:35 a.m.—Coleridge Drive and Foster Road.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—12:31 p.m.—Quail Run Road.
Disturbance, Music or Party—11:10 p.m.—Newbury Road and Aceca Drive.
Sunday, October 13
Disturbance, Music or Party—1:51 a.m.—Newbury Road and Aceca Drive.
Disturbance—10:05 p.m.—Kempton Drive.
Ted Apodaca of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
