Report Suspicious Activity to (707) 253-4451
Message from the Chief
Like the rest of the state and the rest of the country, American Canyon has had an uptick in less than ordinary incidents this summer. Many of you may be asking, is American Canyon becoming less safe?
While we have had some unusual and concerning incidents this summer, overall, the total number of crime reports (424) and the total number of felony crime reports (98) in 2020 is similar and slightly less than the totals for the summer of 2019 (471/123). Perhaps increased stress, unemployment, and the continued uncertainty that we all face between the pandemic, wildfires, civil unrest, and negative political campaigns are taking their toll on all of us. Your American Canyon Police Officers are out in the community, responding to calls for service, and doing their part to keep everyone safe. While the overall numbers are similar, and even slightly down compared to the 2019 summer (measured: June 1 to September 1 data), here are some specific summer incidents, however, that have given us extra concern:
- On Wednesday, June 17, shortly after 3 PM, an individual from Vallejo came to an apartment complex in American Canyon. He was involved in an altercation with a resident he is associated with and, after a brief struggle, shot the apartment complex resident and fled in a vehicle. The victim was treated and released from the hospital that same day. ACPD, with assistance from Vallejo PD, CHP, and our Napa County Sheriff's detectives and deputies, eventually found and captured the shooter after a short vehicle and foot pursuit in Vallejo.
- On Sunday, August 16, around 12:40 PM, tragically, we experienced our first murder since 2015, at the Safeway parking lot. An innocent young man's life was taken when he was shot for no apparent reason. The suspect was arrested a short time later and is currently facing murder charges. Incidents like this are not something (fortunately) we are accustomed to, and its impact continues to affect us a month later. Our hearts break for the family, but our detectives are working hard to ensure a thorough investigation, successful prosecution, and justice to the victim's family.
- On Monday, September 7, shortly after 1 PM, officers were dispatched to a report of "shots fired" and "people down" at Walmart. In the realm of social media rumors, this call was initially thought to be some type of "mass shooting event" that immediately grabbed the attention of all the traditional Bay Area media outlets. As it turned out, the actual incident was a fistfight between two customers that led to the brandishing of a BB gun, which of course, created chaos throughout the store and fear in the community. The involved party was arrested for the relevant misdemeanor charges. There were no injuries. This event, however, highlights the dangers of social media rumors.
- Sunday, September 13, around 5:40 PM, officers were dispatched to a report of a disturbance at Safeway, with one customer harassing other customers. As officers responded, the call escalated to a physical fight. Officers were able to identify the parties involved and quickly secure the scene. On the initial approach, this incident looked like a schoolyard fight with uniformed officers playing the school principal's role, breaking up the combatants. As officers attempted to break the two adult males involved, they noticed that each had stab wounds and one was still armed with a knife. After some tense moments, the armed suspect wisely dropped the knife and complied with the officer's instructions. He was handcuffed without further incident. Both were transported to local hospitals where they received stitches for their stab wounds. The combatant who used his knife during the fight was later arrested after being released from the hospital.
When these types of incidents occur, you are likely to see social media posts, Facebook Live videos, etc. before you see an official message from the Police Department or the City of American Canyon. I can assure you that official communications from us will never be faster that social media rumors. The rumors are instant. We have to deal with the incident, make the scene safe for everyone, gather information, and, most of all; we have to get it right. Although the social media rumors may be "live," and the person sharing post may be reporting what they believe they are seeing and hearing, it isn't always accurate, as in the Sept 7th Wal-Mart incident.
Armed with smartphones, more people want to video the "story." At times, these individuals may unknowingly be putting themselves in harm's way. We appreciate our residents' willingness to be good eyewitnesses for us, even capturing video evidence at times, but it is more important to us that you keep yourself safe. If there is an unfolding incident at a local store, we recommend keeping you and your family safe and moving away from the incident, not towards the incident with the cell phone camera out. If you feel you must video us, as some citizens distrust law enforcement, believe, please do so from a safe distance where your safety is not jeopardized.
When the social media rumors start, please do not spread them or add fuel to their fire. It is a priority for us to release information as soon as we can. You can follow us on Facebook or Twitter. For urgent situations where we require immediate action from you for your safety (like avoiding an area due to present danger, etc.), we will send a Nixle alert. Subscribe to Nixle by sending your zip code to 888-777.
Finally, I know these types of situations are stressful, and in some cases, extremely upsetting. I don't think there was a single community member unaffected by the loss of Nathan Garza's young life in our community. Many of these other recent events have been pretty scary for witnesses, family members, and employees. There are free resources available to anyone who may need them. With the pandemic restrictions, it's difficult for us to connect like we used to. I invite you to join me on Friday, September 18 at 9 AM for a Virtual Coffee with the Cops via Facebook Live.
Even with social distancing, we are all in this together. ACPD is here for you; we are committed to protecting this community.
Sincerely,
Oscar Ortiz
Police Chief |
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