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Your URNA Newsletter!

November 2, 2017
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Greetings Upper Rockridge Neighbors,     

This is your monthly URNA Newsletter to help us better stay in contact with you!
(This mailing is addressed to: Current and Former Members of URNA, Volunteers, Newsletter subscribers. Feel free to forward to anyone and ask them to subscribe)
Don't forget to change your clocks this Sunday, Nov 5 - one hour back.
This newsletter is for September AND October months. Sorry - we've been very busy!
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NEWS 
FIRE DANGER
As we pass through the hottest and driest part of the year, please be mindful of the fire dangers that abound and exercise caution with respect to public spaces, and keeping brush trimmed around your houses... Many of the Upper Rockridge area residents know the horrors of fires from the 1991 firestorm! Our hearts go out to the victims of the North Bay fires.. :(

County ALERTS
The fires in Santa Rosa and surrounding wine country are a terrifying reminder of our vulnerabilities and what Mother Nature can do. One issue was early warning alerts. Santa Rosa did NOT issue wide alerts for fear of traffic gridlock of people evacuating. Many of use turn phones off at night too.
Alameda County has an alert system that you can subscribe to - that uses Amber Alert type notifications in emergencies.  Only about 5% of residents subscribe to it, but it is worth considering!  You can find more information and enrollment here:
ALAMEDA COUNTY EMERGENCY ALERT AND NOTIFICATION SERVICE
To open an account, click on the image below, then go to "Sign-up" tab at the upper right of that web page, next to Login...


PORCH PACKAGE THEFTS!
Package theft is a problem that isn't going away. Reports abound on NextDoor, even when there are video cameras at a house. There are some new high-tech ways to address the problem: This ARTICLE posted on NextDoor has an overview too.
Here are some of the best ideas we could find to thwart package thefts:
1. Amazon Key is a new in-home drop-off service (requires smart lock on door).
2. UPS Access Point and Amazon Locker Delivery for in-store (College and Alcatraz) and third-party location pickup (like 7/11). Some are available 24/7.
3. Package Guard is a frisbee size device that sits on your porch and alerts you to deliveries by wi-fi.
4. FedEx notifications (upon delivery) and UPS(tracking and notifications). 
5. Large Locking Mailboxes and Outdoor Bench with Storage are good options too.
Have other ideas?  Please send them along and we will share them!
 
URNA-BAY PATROLS SERVICE:

IF YOU ARE A URNA MEMBER AND HAVE NOT FILLED OUT PAPERWORK TO ACTIVATE OUR NEW PATROLS SERVICE, PLEASE DO SO!
URNA/Bay Alarm Partnership : July 2017 
After URNA patrols provider SC3 (San Jose) discontinued their business in Oakland, we worked out a strategic partnership with 46 year old, well-known BAY ALARM to provide the patrols in our area.

There are still many URNA members and newsletter recipients that have not signed up for Bay Patrols!  NOTE: URNA is no longer billing dues. You DO need to sign up with Bay for patrols and billing through them in order to have patrols service. PLEASE help to make our neighborhood safer!
BAY ALARM Patrols are more individualized, so be sure your house is covered.

Bay Alarm Residential Patrol Service has great Features:
We think you'll really appreciate the services provided! 

  • Random Patrols with well marked vehicles: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week!
  • Suspicious Activity dispatch: call when you observe something suspicious in your area
  • Alarm response: If you have an alarm your monitoring service can dispatch Bay patrols
  • Vacation Watch: Inspect daily/collect mail
  • Safety Escort
  • ONLINE access to patrol logs - see the patrol passes on daily basis
  • URNA members also receive discounts on any other Bay Alarm services offered...

View Bay Alarm Patrols Services Brochure ->  CLICK THE IMAGE for a PDF

THE NEW BAY PATROLS are less costly than previous URNA dues for URNA Full members, and same for Associate members. CLICK HERE for more info.

**YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE BAY ALARM hardware or monitoring, or even an alarm to have parol services.  PLEASE READ OUR ENTIRE FAQ about the new services: 

URNA-BAY ALARM PATROLS FAQ:


PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING URNA. We have a low-low rate for Associate members now too. Help us keep the neighborhood safe. Thx.


ALREADY AN URNA MEMBER?  Click below to go right to the new patrols signup forms and information:  If you do already have Bay services (e.g. alarm, monitoring) you only need to inform Bay that you're a URNA member and do a much simplified signup...

 
AREA CRIME MAP 
Crime maps from SEPT and OCT are below. Click on a map or link below for interactive version. 
NOTE NOTE! This map zooms out beyond the URNA boundaries of Broadway Ave, Highway 13, and Moraga Ave.  While we all hear about incidents on NextDoor that are quite concerning, we are still fortunate to have a lower crime incidence than surrounding Rockridge Areas.  Participation in patrols helps!

SEPTEMBER 2017:

The BEST way to view this is interactively via the CrimeMapper link: http://www.crimemapping.com/Share/URNA   

OCTOBER 2017:

The BEST way to view this is interactively via the CrimeMapper link: http://www.crimemapping.com/Share/URNA   

***FACTOID: THERE ARE OVER 1500 homes in URNA coverage area. Our patrols benefit ALL of them.  Please take part in the collective safety of our neighborhood!  
HELPFUL NEIGHBORHOOD MEDIA SITES - recommended by OPD too!
Nextdoor.com and Nixle are a MUST! URNA and OPD/BPD urge you to join Nextdoor.com and Nixle.com. Keep up to date on our beautiful neighborhood! Oakland Police, Councilman Kalb, Chris Jackson (Operations Director / Rockridge District Assn) and Karen Ivy (Secretary, Greater Rockridge NCPC) all have accounts and post useful info on crimes and statistics. On NextDoor, be sure to check all appropriate settings.
For Nextdoor.com:


For Nixle.com sign up from your phone or online:

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

WHAT TO DO if you see suspicious people or experience crime: 
OPD, Cpt. Wingate made it clear that we should call in all incidents that happen in our area for the simple reason that OPD resources are assigned by need. If there is ANY chance your are in physical danger, please specify it clearly to dispatch, since that can greatly improve response time!
CRO:   We also have a "Community Resource Officer".  So, if you see a suspicious person you can call the CRO and for any more serious incidents, of course call the OPD.
CRO Area2: Kristine Jurgens communitypolicingbeat13@oaklandnet.com
Her OPD WORK EMAIL: (preferred)
kjurgens-duenas@oaklandnet.com
Work Telephone: (510)507-6560
Area 2 CRO Sergeant: T. Martin
tmartin@oaklandnet.com
Tel: 510-238-2008
Volunteers/Board Members: We are always looking for more volunteers, and someone to help with community education and outreach.  Please contact us if interested. You are also welcome to attend a board meeting at any time. 

Tax Expert? We are looking for someone to help with Association tax returns...
Membership Options:  Please forward this newsletter to neighbors and anyone who might be interested. Check our new website for the URNA Patrol Coverage Map and Membership info.   THANK YOU.

The URNA Website -  a great wealth of info.. We are also on Twitter and Facebook!
CHECK OUT our  Website with many helpful tips and full information.  NOTE: Website is now being revised to reflect new Patrols model for URNA..
PARKING OUTSIDE?
If you park a car on the street or have visiting guests doing so, Never leave anything in the car these days. They DO check before breaking in according to sightings in our area, and there does seem to be gangs of people doing this in concert. Secondly, it is not a good idea to leave a garage door opener in your car if you park outside anymore. Thirdly, we keep images of our registration on phone/dropbox and cut the address out of any documents in the car. If your car is broken into at Bart, they may come to house with suspicion you're not home...  Be safe out there!  
DOES YOUR CAR USE A KEYLESS REMOTE? Mine does, and it has a number of convenient advantages as you already know. No fiddling with keys - just walk up and touch handle. Unfortunately there are disadvantages too that require your attention:  It is easier to leave your remote in the car or misplace it. (as one neighbor found out recently and the car was snatched).  Secondly, there are devices out there that can pick up the signal from your remote fob, amplify it and mimic you standing next to car!!  If you park outside and put key somewhere close to entrance of house, you might want to consider an "RFID" bag to shield the radio waves and prevent this kind of break-in!  Here is a link to an Amazon search for such a bag:
RFID Bag search on Amazon (example only, not endorsement)

URNA MEMBERSHIP LEVELS/RATES:  JULY 1, 2017

THE BIG NEWS IS OUR NEW PARTNERSHIP with BAY ALARM for PATROL SERVICE!

NEW! FULL MEMBER:  $30/mo
ASSOCIATE MEMBER:  $20/mo

With our new Patrol services provided by Bay, you get 24/7 patrols, online access to patrol logs, and other great features!
For full information about what features are included, please visit the website and see JOIN NOW!

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WHO WE ARE:  URNA is made up of a small group of volunteers that contribute considerable time, effort to help make our neighborhood safer. The reality of our times is that Oakland Police still is not fully staffed and has limited resources that get allocated more to "hot spots" of the city. URNA is one of about 7 different neighborhood associations doing this type of activity and we meet every several months to share info and also liase with OPD and city council members.
 Did you know URNA now has a Facebook group page? And a Twitter account?  Follow us on these and you can sign up for the newsletter on those pages too!
URNA on Facebook : www.Facebook.com/URNAOak
URNA on Twitter:  www.Twitter.com/URNAOakland
HOW TO EMAIL US:  We have created convenient aliases to contact URNA, as well as through the contact form on the website. Here they are:
upperRockridge@gmail.com -- All matters
Best,
- Gordie, Brad, Craig, Ben, and Lori
ABOUT US/ABOUT THE PATROLS

The Upper Rockridge Neighborhood Association is a California nonprofit unincorporated association formed in the Fall of 2014, and is not organized for the private gain of any person. The Association is organized exclusively as a social welfare organization within the meaning of Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.  See Website for List of Board Members.

SC3 Patrol officers are unarmed and do not use racial profiling. They are trained to observe and report suspicious or criminal activity. Their first response to any criminal or safety concern is to contact OPD, and then observe, report, and, when it is safe to do so, assist anyone in need. 

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY OR URGENT SITUATION, ALWAYS CALL 9-1-1 (from landlines) OR THE OPD EMERGENCY LINE (510) 777-3211 (from cell phones) FIRST. 

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