Communication is key! Let us know what you think.

Bill Gates stated, “I’m a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other and how they can achieve the kind of freedom that they are interested in.”

 

This month, City staff has launched two brand new communications tools for the Foster City community, through which I hope we can learn from each other and freely communicate on items that are important to our community!

 

The first is Foster City Access, the official City app! With this app, community members can report non-emergency issues like potholes, street light issues, codes violations, park maintenance, and more. By adding location and pictures the community can help the City respond to reports quickly. You can track the status of your reports as well as those submitted by other community members. The app also houses information and links to the City calendar, news, and City services.

 

The free download of Foster City Access is available in the Apple App store and Android Google Play, and issues can be reported and tracked at http://www.seeclickfix.com/foster-city. Here is a video that explains the app featuring our Mayor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGRaDLfcHNw.

 

The second is a new e-newsletter, Foster City Current. We know that the City releases a lot of information. With the many projects, events, and press releases, we wanted to create an easy and fun way to see the information that matters most to community members. When you subscribe, this monthly e-newsletter will come to your inbox with the highlights of what is happening in the City in the upcoming month.

 

Along with these tools, City staff is utilizing Foster City Forum to gain further feedback on the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan that is being updated for 2015. If you want to review the draft of the Safety Element, offer feedback, or learn about hazard mitigation, visit the Foster City Forum and join the conversation.

 

As the City Council and the City staff identify priorities for 2016, we realize that transparency and engagement are key to good governance. We hope that these tools will be as helpful to community members as they are for City staff and City Council.

The Foster City Police Department has released its Annual Crime Report and Traffic Report for 2015. I am happy to share that Foster City continues to maintain low rates of both crime and traffic injuries in 2015.

The number of traffic collisions decreased from 2014, and a very small amount of those collisions involved pedestrians or bicyclists. No collisions resulted in fatalities, and if injuries resulted, most were categorized as minor injuries.

Foster City Police Department worked in a number of ways to enhance the safety of motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Officers took part in a number of safety campaigns including Operation Click It or Ticket, Distracted Driving Month, and San Mateo County Saturation Traffic Enforcement Program (S.T.E.P.) among others. Police also conducted focused traffic patrol near schools and high traffic areas during commute times. The efforts made by the Foster City Police Department have resulted in Foster City continuing to maintain a trend of high traffic safety.

Foster City Police Department works tirelessly towards their mission of “Excellent Service, every call, every contact, every day.” FCPD works with a number of agencies and Task Forces to identify crime trends and deter these activities in Foster City. While there has been a steady increase in residential burglaries throughout the country, Foster City managed to hold this increase to a minimum in 2015. Despite these rises, there was a decrease in auto burglaries by 17% from 2014, and the total property crime rate in 2015 decreased by almost 7%.

Looking at the 2015 reports, I am pleased to say that Foster City Police Department is committed to providing the highest quality of policing by utilizing all available resources, crime prevention efforts, and maintaining a technologically progressive outlook. In fact, their efforts have been recognized year after year. In 2016, Foster City has again been included in a list of the 100 safest Cities in the United States, according to Location Inc., a national residential and commercial data tracking company.  In the another report, Foster City has been recognized as the 16th safest city in the State of California, according to BackgroundChecks.org, a site devoted to public safety and open government.

Foster City continues to be one of the safest neighborhoods thanks in large part to Foster City Police Department, City government, and residents working together to ensure Foster City is a safe place to live, work, and play in 2016 and beyond.